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68-579: In 1969 amidst the civil rights movement, Memphis Lee's restaurant is set to be demolished by the city. While he fights to be paid a fair price for his property, his employees and regulars search for work, love, and justice as their neighborhood changes around them. Two Trains Running was first performed by the Yale Repertory Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut in March 1990. Productions soon followed at

136-528: A 39-year-old such as King, which Branch attributed to the stress of King's 13 years in the civil rights movement. Shortly after the shot was fired, witnesses saw a man, later believed to be James Earl Ray , fleeing from a rooming-house across the street from the Lorraine Motel. Ray had been renting a room in the rooming-house. Police found a package dumped close to the site that included a rifle and binoculars, both bearing Ray's fingerprints. Ray had purchased

204-516: A colleague from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference , first believed King was dead, but found he still had a pulse. King was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital , where doctors opened his chest and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation . He never regained consciousness, and died at 7:05 p.m. According to Branch, King's autopsy revealed that his heart was in the condition of a 60-year-old man rather than that of

272-673: A conspiracy. In May 1977, Kershaw presented evidence to the House Select Committee on Assassinations that he believed exonerated his client, but tests did not prove conclusive. Kershaw also claimed that Ray was somewhere else when the shots were fired, but he could not find a witness to corroborate the claim. Ray and seven other convicts escaped from Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary in Petros, Tennessee on June 10, 1977. They were recaptured on June 13 and returned to prison. A year

340-551: A guilty plea to avoid a conviction and potential death penalty . Ray was sentenced to a 99-year prison term, but he recanted his confession three days later. Ray fired Foreman and claimed that a man whom he had met in Montreal by the alias of "Raoul" was involved, as was Ray's brother Johnny, but that Ray himself was not. He said through his new attorney Jack Kershaw that, although he did not "personally shoot King", he may have been "partially responsible without knowing it", hinting at

408-571: A poem by the Greek playwright Aeschylus : "Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God." In conclusion, he said that the country needed and wanted unity between blacks and whites, and asked the audience members to pray for the King family and the country, again quoting the Greeks. Kennedy's speech

476-674: A repertory company and nurtured notable new authors including Christopher Durang . Some successful works were transferred to commercial theaters. Michael Feingold was the first literary manager. The dean of Yale School of Drama is the artistic director of the Yale Repertory Theatre, with Lloyd Richards (who most notably nurtured the career of August Wilson ) serving in this capacity 1979–1991, Stan Wojewodski, Jr. , 1991–2002, and James Bundy since 2002. Benjamin Mordecai served as managing director from 1982 to 1993. Victoria Nolan

544-635: A safe house before travelling to Memphis. King participated in a massive march in Memphis on March 28, 1968, which ended in violence. On April 3, King returned to Memphis to attempt a successful new march later that week. His airline flight to Memphis was delayed by a bomb threat, but he arrived in time to make a planned speech to a gathering at the Mason Temple (world headquarters of the Church of God in Christ ). At

612-532: A segregationist, described the assassination as a "senseless, regrettable act". But Governor Lester Maddox of Georgia called King "an enemy of our country" and threatened to "personally raise" the state capitol flag back from half-staff. California Governor Ronald Reagan described the assassination as "a great tragedy that began when we began compromising with law and order and people started choosing which laws they'd break". South Carolina senator Strom Thurmond wrote to his constituents: "We are now witnessing

680-441: A whole lot of black people today. There no longer needs to be intellectual discussions, black people know that they have to get guns. White America will live to cry that she killed Dr. King last night. It would have been better if she had killed Rap Brown and/or Stokely Carmichael, but when she killed Dr. King, she lost. Despite the urging for calm by many leaders, a nationwide wave of riots erupted in more than 100 cities. After

748-521: Is polite to Risa, he does nothing to defend her from Memphis's persistent criticism. He has much to say about the topic of racial injustice, but he seems oblivious or apathetic to the gender injustice that occurs before his eyes at the restaurant. When Sterling invites Risa to the rally, she shows little interest. Though she does not say so explicitly, it appears she feels alienated from the Civil Rights and Black Power movements. These interactions express

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816-720: Is so uncomfortable with it. The rally is set within the context of riots in Pittsburgh in the late 1960s. After the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968, a wave of riots from grief and despair erupted in urban, black areas of the United States. Though the riots in Pittsburgh were not as devastating as those in Washington, D.C. , and Chicago that year, they resulted in extensive property damage to struggling black areas, and escalated tensions of their residents with

884-522: Is what is going to happen to me also. I keep telling you, this is a sick society." King traveled to Memphis, Tennessee , in support of striking African-American city sanitation workers. The workers had staged a walkout on February 11, 1968, to protest unequal wages and working conditions imposed by mayor Henry Loeb . At the time, Memphis paid black workers significantly lower wages than it did white workers. There were no city-issued uniforms, no restrooms, no recognized union, and no grievance procedure for

952-577: The Civil Rights Movement and Black Power movement . Two Trains Running is set in such a neighborhood. The play is set in 1968 at a restaurant at 1621 Wylie Avenue, in Pittsburgh's Hill District, an African-American neighborhood. In the 1940s and 1950s, the Hill District was one of the most prosperous, culturally active Black neighborhoods in the United States. Under pressure of de facto segregation, industrial restructuring and suburbanization in

1020-719: The Huntington Theatre (Boston, Massachusetts), Seattle Repertory Theatre (Seattle, Washington), and Old Globe Theatre ( San Diego , California). The play premiered on Broadway at the Walter Kerr Theatre on April 13, 1992. It closed there on August 30, 1992 after 160 performances and 7 previews. Directed by Lloyd Richards , the cast featured Roscoe Lee Browne as Holloway, Anthony Chisholm as Wolf, Laurence Fishburne as Sterling, Chuck Patterson as West, and Cynthia Martells as Risa. Seeking to escape from poverty, racism , and segregation imposed by " Jim Crow " laws in

1088-468: The Selma to Montgomery March (1965). As he neared the close, he prophetically referred to the bomb threat: And then I got to Memphis. And some began to say the threats ... or talk about the threats that were out. What would happen to me from some of our sick white brothers? Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to

1156-573: The South . David Halberstam , who reported on King's funeral, recounted a comment heard at an affluent white dinner party: One of the wives—station wagon, three children, forty-five-thousand-dollar house—leaned over and said, "I wish you had spit in his face for me." It was a stunning moment; I wondered for a long time afterwards what King could possibly have done to her, in what conceivable way he could have threatened her, why this passionate hate. Reporters recounted that many whites were also grief-stricken at

1224-550: The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Carmichael believed that true liberation for black people required direct seizure of power, and building their own businesses and networks, rather than appeal to white power structures. He dismissed all white members of SNCC, saying they should work to change their own people. The organization effectively became part of the Black Power movement, and over

1292-715: The violent backlash beginning to emerge across the country. The next day, Kennedy gave a prepared response, " On the Mindless Menace of Violence ", in Cleveland , Ohio . Although still considered significant, it is given much less historical attention than his Indianapolis speech. President Lyndon B. Johnson was in the Oval Office that evening, planning a meeting in Hawaii with Vietnam War military commanders. After press secretary George Christian informed him at 8:20 p.m. of

1360-408: The 1960s, however, the neighborhood suffered a sharp economic decline. Business owner Memphis recounts how his restaurant, which now has few patrons, used to be packed with customers. It has long been a community center, and regulars still come in. He notes how many once-bustling small businesses have since closed down. Throughout the 1960s, Pittsburgh's Urban Redevelopment Authority seized land in

1428-599: The Governor's Arts Award from Governor John G. Rowland for artistic achievement and contribution to the arts in the state of Connecticut . The book The Play's the Thing by James Magruder covers the history of the Rep's first fifty years. Calvary Baptist Church was erected in 1846 in the Gothic revival architectural style on a plot of land that was the original home of Richard Platt, one of

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1496-689: The Mason Temple, King delivered his famous " I've Been to the Mountaintop " speech. In it, he recalled his 1958 attempted assassination, noting that the doctor who treated him had said that because the knife used to stab him was so close to his aorta, any sudden movement, even a sneeze, might have killed him. He referred to a letter written by a young girl who told him that she was happy that he had not sneezed. He used that reference to say: I, too, am happy that I didn't sneeze. Because if I had sneezed, I wouldn't have been around here in 1960, when students all over

1564-598: The South started sitting-in at lunch counters. If I had sneezed, I wouldn't have been around here in 1961, when we decided to take a ride for freedom and ended segregation in interstate travel. King repeated the phrase "If I had sneezed" several more times, recalling numerous other events and acts of civil disobedience from the previous several years: the Albany Movement (1962), the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, and

1632-498: The South, more than 6 million Black Americans migrated to northern, midwestern and western industrial cities during the early and mid-20th century, a movement ending about 1970. Most of these migrants had worked in agriculture in the former Confederate slave states, and few were well acquainted with urban life. Broadly speaking, blacks who moved north could expect higher wages in industrial jobs, better educational opportunities, and greater potential for social advancement than possible in

1700-644: The South. They were also able to vote. While racism in the North was arguably less violent and overt than in the South, it was nonetheless present. Though lynching was much more rare and de jure segregation did not exist in the North, negative attitudes towards blacks prevailed among many white citizens. Blacks were forced into de facto segregated neighborhoods - the newest arrivals having to take older housing. Suburban development, especially after World War II, attracted people who wanted newer housing and could afford to move. These were more white than black initially, although

1768-452: The area as part of the movement known generally as urban renewal . They planned to get rid of aging buildings in order to build civil structures and public housing. Countless buildings were destroyed to make way for the Civic Arena and other projects. This effort displaced thousands of people, disrupting the remnants of The Hill community. Memphis's building is one targeted to be seized by

1836-425: The assassination to honor his most deeply held beliefs. James Farmer Jr. said: Dr. King would be greatly distressed to find that his blood had triggered off bloodshed and disorder. I think instead the nation should be quiet; black and white, and we should be in a prayerful mood, which would be in keeping with his life. We should make that kind of dedication and commitment to the goals which his life served to solving

1904-399: The assassination was the result of a conspiracy involving the U.S. government, the mafia , and Memphis police , as alleged by Loyd Jowers in 1993. They believe that Ray was a scapegoat . In 1999, the family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Jowers for the sum of $ 10 million. During closing arguments, their attorney asked the jury to award damages of $ 100, to make the point that "it

1972-406: The assassination, he canceled the trip to focus on the nation. He assigned Attorney General Ramsey Clark to investigate the assassination in Memphis. He made a personal call to King's wife, Coretta Scott King , and declared April 7 a national day of mourning on which the U.S. flag would be flown at half-staff . Colleagues of King in the civil rights movement called for a nonviolent response to

2040-469: The assassination, the city of Memphis quickly settled the strike on favorable terms to the sanitation workers. On April 8, King's widow Coretta Scott King and her four young children led a crowd estimated at 40,000 in a silent march through the streets of Memphis to honor King and support the cause of the city's black sanitation workers. The next day, funeral rites were held in King's hometown of Atlanta, Georgia . The service at Ebenezer Baptist Church

2108-435: The audience to pray for the King family and to follow King's practice of nonviolence. Mankiewicz and speechwriter Adam Walinsky drafted notes for Kennedy's use, but he refused them, using some that he had likely written during the ride to the site of the speech. The Indianapolis chief of police advised Kennedy that he could not provide him protection and was worried that he would be at risk when talking about King's death before

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2176-570: The black middle class also began to leave the inner city. At the same time, industrial restructuring caused the loss of many jobs in such cities as Pittsburgh. Poorer and less educated blacks were left in inner city neighborhoods, with fewer resources. Because of the loss of working-class jobs, these overwhelmingly Black neighborhoods began to be areas of concentrated high poverty and associated crime rates. Yet these neighborhoods also simmered with their people's hopes of economic, social, and political advancement. As such, they served as fertile soil for

2244-521: The city (presumably by the URA). He is nervous about the price he will receive for it. Speaking of the eminent domain clause in his deed, he says "They don't know I got a clause of my own... They can carry me out feet first... but my clause say... they got to meet my price!" Like Hambone's "He gonna give me my ham", this indignant insistence represents an unyielding demand for dignity and respect from those who have historically been denied it. Throughout Act Two of

2312-508: The city police, who were still mostly white. Memphis's scorn also reflects a broader generational conflict on the topic of resistance that came to a head in the late 1960s. Many older, southern-born blacks like Memphis had learned to survive by not stirring up trouble with the white establishment. Those in the younger generation, such as Sterling, who had often grown up in the North, viewed this attitude as implicit submission—a remnant of slave mentality worthy of contempt. This shift in attitude

2380-597: The day of the assassination while on the campaign trail for the Democratic presidential nomination in Indiana , Senator Robert F. Kennedy learned of the shooting before boarding a plane to Indianapolis . Kennedy was scheduled to make a speech there in a predominantly black neighborhood. Kennedy did not learn that King had died until he landed in Indianapolis. Kennedy's press secretary, Frank Mankiewicz , suggested that he ask

2448-541: The disenfranchisement of most black voters in the South. The 1963 March on Washington was an expression of widespread grassroots organizing across the South. Federal civil rights legislation and the Voting Rights Act were passed in 1964 and 1965, but by the later 1960s, many younger members of the movement questioned the idea of nonviolence. They believed that change and equity were not happening quickly enough. For example, in 1966, Stokely Carmichael became leader of

2516-417: The domestic problems. That's the memorial, that's the kind of memorial we should build for him. It's just not appropriate for there to be violent retaliations, and that kind of demonstration in the wake of the murder of this pacifist and man of peace. However, the more militant Stokely Carmichael called for forceful action, saying: White America killed Dr. King last night. She made it a whole lot easier for

2584-516: The exclusion of women from most positions of official power in the civil rights movement. As one author writes: The movement, though ostensibly for the liberation of the black race, was in word and deed for the liberation of the black male. Race was extremely sexualized in the rhetoric of the movement. Freedom was equated with manhood and the freedom of blacks with the redemption of black masculinity. Yale Repertory Theatre Yale Repertory Theatre at Yale University in New Haven , Connecticut

2652-559: The finding of the Memphis jury were later disputed by the United States Department of Justice in 2000 due to perceived lack of evidence. The assassination was one of four major assassinations of the 1960s in the United States , coming several years after the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963 and the assassination of Malcolm X in 1965, and two months before the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy in June 1968. As early as

2720-530: The founders of New Haven. Upon redundancy, the church was controlled by Yale University , which was already served by a nondenominational chapel. in collaboration with The Sol Project 41°18′29.74″N 72°55′53.5″W  /  41.3082611°N 72.931528°W  / 41.3082611; -72.931528 Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. City of Memphis City of Nashville Other localities Campaigns Death and memorial Martin Luther King Jr. , an American civil rights activist,

2788-553: The glory of the coming of the Lord! On Thursday, April 4, 1968, King was staying in room 306 at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. The motel was owned by a businessman, Walter Bailey, and was named after his wife. The Rev. Ralph Abernathy , a colleague and friend, later told the House Select Committee on Assassinations that he and King had stayed in Room 306 at the Lorraine Motel so often that it

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2856-433: The hungry", "clothe the naked", "be right on the [Vietnam] war question", and "love and serve humanity". The FBI investigation found fingerprints on various objects left in the bathroom from which the gunfire had come. Evidence included a Remington Gamemaster rifle from which at least one shot had been fired. The fingerprints were traced to an escaped convict named James Earl Ray . Two months after assassinating King, Ray

2924-414: The injustice of such an act, against all white people, I would only say that I can also feel in my own heart the same kind of feeling. I had a member of my family killed, but he was killed by a white man ." These remarks surprised his aides, who had never heard him speak publicly of his brother's death. Kennedy said that the country had to make an effort to "go beyond these rather difficult times" and quoted

2992-491: The investigation remain classified and are slated to remain secret until 2027. In 2010, as in earlier years, some argued for passage of a proposed Records Collection Act , similar to a 1992 law concerning the Kennedy assassination , to require the immediate release of the records. The measure did not pass. A crowd of 300,000 attended King's funeral on April 9. Vice President Hubert Humphrey attended on behalf of Johnson, who

3060-473: The leader's death. In some cases, the shock of events altered opinions. A survey later sent to a group of college trustees revealed that their opinions of King had risen after his assassination. The New York Times praised King in an editorial, calling his murder a "national disaster" and his cause "just". Public figures generally praised King in the days following his death. Others expressed political ideology. Governor George Wallace of Alabama, known as

3128-425: The mid-1950s, Martin Luther King Jr. had received death threats because of his prominence in the civil rights movement. He had confronted the risk of death, including a nearly fatal stabbing in 1958, and made its recognition part of his philosophy. He taught that murder could not stop the struggle for equal rights. After the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963, King told his wife, Coretta Scott King , "This

3196-495: The mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land! And so I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. My eyes have seen

3264-617: The next few years SNCC dissolved. Many of its leaders (including Carmichael) joined the more radical Black Panther Party . Though Risa has relatively few lines, she is one of the most powerful characters in Two Trains Running . She has defined herself by actions to set herself apart. Despite his own personal struggles with oppression, Memphis does not seem to recognize how poorly he treats Risa. He never thanks her or shows appreciation for her work, and he constantly meddles in her affairs as if she could not manage without him. While Holloway

3332-517: The numerous occasions on which they were underpaid. During Loeb's tenure as mayor, conditions did not significantly improve, and the gruesome February 1968 deaths of two workers in a garbage-compacting truck turned mounting tensions into a strike. In March 1968, after speaking in Greensboro, Alabama , King was hunted by Ku Klux Klan members and used a local home, now the Safe House Museum , as

3400-542: The one that had touched her the most. For some, King's assassination meant the end of the strategy of nonviolence . Others in the movement reaffirmed the need to carry on King's and the movement's work. Leaders within the SCLC confirmed that they would carry on the Poor People's Campaign that year despite the loss of King. Some black leaders argued the need to continue King's and the movement's tradition of nonviolence. During

3468-431: The play, Sterling (a young man from the neighborhood recently released from the state penitentiary) eagerly awaits a political rally, for which he tries to generate interest at the restaurant. Though he makes it clear that the rally involves racial justice, he does not specify its exact motivations or political aims. Memphis reacts with scorn when Sterling posts a flyer for the event, but he never makes it clear exactly why he

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3536-544: The predominantly black crowd. However, Kennedy decided to proceed. Standing on a flatbed truck, he spoke for four minutes and 57 seconds. Kennedy was the first to tell the audience that King had died. Some of the attendees screamed and wailed in grief. Several of Kennedy's aides were worried that the delivery of this information would result in a riot. When the audience quieted, Kennedy acknowledged that many would be filled with anger. He said: "For those of you who are black and are tempted to be filled with hatred and mistrust of

3604-650: The primary tactic in the South, organized through the strong church communities and led by such ministers as Martin Luther King, Jr and others of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina and other states, blacks conducted boycotts and sit-ins of segregated buses and businesses, seeking change; they also organized voter education and protests. They sought to end segregation in public places and retail establishments, to gain work opportunities, and to end

3672-521: The rifle under an alias six days earlier. A worldwide manhunt was triggered that culminated in Ray's arrest at Heathrow Airport , London, two months later. On March 10, 1969, he pleaded guilty to the first degree murder of Martin Luther King Jr.; he later recanted. King's widow, Coretta, had difficulty informing her children that their father was dead. She received a large number of telegrams, including one from Lee Harvey Oswald 's mother that she regarded as

3740-490: The shot ripped King's necktie off. King fell backward onto the balcony, unconscious. Abernathy heard the shot from inside the motel room and ran to the balcony to find King on the deck, bleeding profusely from the wound in his cheek. Jesse Jackson stated after the shooting that he cradled King's head as King lay on the balcony, but this account was disputed by other colleagues of King; Jackson later changed his statement to say that he had "reached out" for King. Andrew Young ,

3808-417: The whirlwind sowed years ago when some preachers and teachers began telling people that each man could be his own judge in his own case." The Federal Bureau of Investigation was assigned the lead to investigate King's death. J. Edgar Hoover , who had previously made efforts to undermine King's reputation, told President Johnson that his agency would attempt to find the culprit(s). Many documents related to

3876-474: Was arrested on June 8, 1968, at London's Heathrow Airport , extradited to the United States and charged with the crime. On March 10, 1969, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 99 years in the Tennessee State Penitentiary . He later made many attempts to withdraw his guilty plea and to be tried by a jury, but was unsuccessful. Ray died in prison in 1998. The King family and others believe that

3944-514: Was at a meeting on the Vietnam War at Camp David ; there were fears that Johnson might be hit with protests and abuse over the war if he attended the funeral. At his widow's request, King's last sermon at Ebenezer Baptist Church was played at the funeral; it was a recording of his "Drum Major" sermon given on February 4, 1968. In that sermon, he asked that, at his funeral, no mention of his awards and honors be made, but that it be said he tried to "feed

4012-469: Was captured at London 's Heathrow Airport while he was trying to depart the United Kingdom for Angola , Rhodesia (today Zimbabwe ) or South Africa on a false Canadian passport in the name of Ramon George Sneyd. Ray was quickly extradited to Tennessee and charged with King's murder. Ray confessed to the assassination on March 10, 1969. On the advice of his attorney Percy Foreman , Ray took

4080-477: Was credited with assisting in the prevention of post-assassination rioting in Indianapolis on a night when such events broke out in major cities across the country. It is widely considered one of the greatest speeches in American history. Kennedy canceled all of his scheduled campaign appearances and withdrew to his hotel room. Several phone conversations with black community leaders convinced him to speak out against

4148-473: Was expressed in the evolution of the Civil Rights Movement . In 1960, the movement relied primarily on legal action and political lobbying by organizations such as the NAACP , which conducted litigation to challenge disenfranchisement and segregation, as well as defend suspects in egregious cases of apparently innocent people being charged for crimes. Over the next few years, however, nonviolent mass action emerged as

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4216-542: Was fatally shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee , on April 4, 1968, at 6:01 p.m. CST . He was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital , where he died at 7:05 p.m at age 39. He was a prominent leader of the civil rights movement and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who was known for his use of nonviolence and civil disobedience . James Earl Ray , a fugitive from the Missouri State Penitentiary ,

4284-499: Was founded by Robert Brustein , dean of Yale School of Drama , in 1966, with the goal of facilitating a meaningful collaboration between theatre professionals and talented students. In the process it has become one of the first distinguished regional theatres. Located at the edge of Yale's main downtown campus, it occupies the former Calvary Baptist Church. As head of Yale Repertory Theatre ("the Rep") from 1966 to 1979, Robert Brustein brought professional actors to Yale each year to form

4352-454: Was known as the "King–Abernathy Suite". King's last words were to musician Ben Branch , who was scheduled to perform that night at a planned event. King said, "Ben, make sure you play ' Take My Hand, Precious Lord ' in the meeting tonight. Play it real pretty." According to the Rev. Samuel Kyles, who was standing several feet away, King was leaning over the balcony railing in front of Room 306 and

4420-508: Was managing director from 1993 to 2020. Her successor was Florie Seery. Of the more than 90 world premieres the Rep has produced, four have won Pulitzer Prizes ; ten productions have received Tony Awards after being transferred to Broadway , and Yale Repertory Theatre was given a Drama Desk Special Award in 1988 and the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre in 1991. In 2002, Yale School of Drama and Yale Repertory Theatre received

4488-460: Was nationally televised, as were other events. A funeral procession transported King's body for 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (5.6 km) through the streets of Atlanta, followed by more than 100,000 mourners, from the church to his alma mater , Morehouse College . A second service was held there before the burial. In the wake of King's assassination, journalists reported some callous or hostile reactions from parts of white America, particularly in

4556-417: Was not about the money". During the trial, both sides presented evidence alleging a government conspiracy. The accused government agencies could not defend themselves or respond because they were not named as defendants. Based on the evidence, the jury concluded that Jowers and others were "part of a conspiracy to kill King" and awarded the family the symbolic $ 100 they requested in damages. The allegations and

4624-403: Was speaking with the Rev. Jesse Jackson when the shot rang out. King was struck in the face at 6:01 p.m. by a single .30-06 bullet , fired from a Remington Model 760 rifle. The bullet entered through King's right cheek, breaking his jaw and several vertebrae as it traveled down his spinal cord, severing his jugular vein and major arteries, before lodging in his shoulder. The force of

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