Link Deas Quotes

Mr. Link Deas rose from the audience and announced: “I just want the whole lot of you to know one thing right now. That boy’s worked for me eight years an’ I ain’t had a speck o’trouble outa him. Not a speck.”
“Shut your mouth, sir!” Judge Taylor was wide awake and roaring…”Link Deas,” he yelled, “if you have anything you want to say you can say it under oath and at the proper time, but until then you get out of this room, you hear me?…I’ll be damned if I’ll listen to this case again!”

– Harper Lee

To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 19. Link Deas courageously stands up in the public gallery during the trial of Tom Robinson and yells out in support of Tom. He earns a rebuke from the judge for his outburst and is sent out of the courtroom.

Atticus was saying, “With people like us – that’s our share of the bill. We generally get the juries we deserve. Our stout Maycomb citizens aren’t interested, in the first place. In the second place, they’re afraid. Then, they’re – ”
“Afraid, why?” asked Jem.
“Well, what if – say, Mr. Link Deas had to decide the amount of damages to award, say, Miss Maudie, when Miss Rachel ran over her with a car. Link wouldn’t like the thought of losing either lady’s business at his store, would he? So he tells Judge Taylor that he can’t serve on the jury because he doesn’t have anybody to keep store for him while he’s gone. So Judge Taylor excuses him. Sometimes he excuses him wrathfully.”

– Harper Lee

To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 23. Atticus explains to Jem why the people of Maycomb don’t want to serve on a jury. Their personal concerns are more important than their duty to the community. They fear having to publicly take a stand and upsetting people they do business with.

Mr. Ewell kept the same distance behind her until she reached Mr. Link Deas’s house. All the way to the house, Helen said she heard a soft voice behind her, crooning foul words. Thoroughly frightened, she telephoned Mr. Link at his store, which was not too far from his house. As Mr. Link came out of his store he saw Mr. Ewell leaning on the fence. Mr. Ewell said “Don’t you look at me, Link Deas, like I was dirt. I a’int jumped your – ”
“You don’t have to touch her. All you have to do is make her afraid, an if assault a’int enough to keep you locked up awhile, I’ll get you in on the Ladies Law, so you get outa my sight! If you think I mean it, just bother that girl again.”

– Harper Lee

To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 27. Bob Ewell starts to harrass and follow Tom Robinson’s widow Helen around town, trying to scare her and exert his power over her. Link Deas warns him and threatens to get Sheriff Tate involved.
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