July 10

The 10th in 1925 featured the start of the trial of John Scopes, an inexperienced high school science teacher. He had been charged with teaching evolution. When Clarence Darrow had finished the People’s closing argument, the judge, with a sense of resignation, inexplicably called the case to a halt, refusing to allow the defense to make a closing argument. It took the jury all of eight minutes to find Scopes guilty and he was fined $100, which Scopes’ lead attorney, William Jennings Bryan gallantly offered to pay. H. G. Wells had been the first choice for lead defense counsel. Readily acknowledging the fact that he had no legal experience in either England or the United States, Wells politely declined the offer.