1087. BYRON DE LA BECKWITH (1920 - 2001) Assassin of NAACP civil rights leader Medger Evers, finally convicted of the murder years after the initial charge. Lengthy, racially-charged content A.L.S. 6p. 4to., Pearl, Mississippi, Mar. 22, 2000, to Clyde Lindley on several sheets of paper, one of which bears photocopied images of Beckwith. In very small part: "...Let me thank you for trying to send me items that you realized I do need: but this is a 80 to 90% Negro contained and Negro run jail...if you have spent much time around Negroes then you know that negroes are alltogether different than whites, thank goodness! I was a...Delta raised white child raised on a small cotton plantation, about 10 miles out of Greenwood...and I was the only white child...I'm accustomed to being around darkies, as long as I don't have to eat, sleep, go to school with them and socialize with them, then I'm not upset by them...". Beckwith then describes his cell and diet, and goes on: "...It is high time that I learned something about law, courts, court prosedures [sic] etc as all my regular lawyers have recently asked me if I would release them from defending me!!!?...For the last few years I have not been able to pay them anything except with my thanks!!! Hmmm...Well, to get a fresh, crisp, useful new copy of 'How to Win a Lawsuit without Hiring a Lawyer'...costs $89.00...I've found out not to order a high priced books of any kind when you are in the belly of the beast because due to the huge number of thieves, murderers, swindlers...in such a place as criminals are kept is great risk...As you may realize the only 'stuff' I read is from because men and our ladies my age did in the early 50 set white Christian private schools...there is still a good number of wholesome minds and reading matter still circulates through Dixie...now to boil down all that's in those seperatist [sic]...". From there, Beckwith launches into a lengthy narrative about the experiences of some Marines during WWII, and concludes: "...I am so pleased and flattered to be remembered and should any of you good old boys wish to assist me along till I can get loose from being the laughing stock before our normal niggers...". Boldly penned, very good condition. $300 - 500