Sam Cayhall

Sam Cayhall is a complicated man. He is the son of Lydia and Lucas Cayhall. Lydia, a Christian woman, focused on her family. Lucas, however, was a mean and violent man. Like most of the men in his family, he was a member of the Ku Klux Klan. His sons, Sam, Donnie, and Albert, were raised in the presence of the Klan. This upbringing may have led Sam astray. Like most white men of the time, Sam's family believed that blacks were inferior and meant to serve. Popular culture at that time was not concerned with assaults against blacks. When such assaults did occur, the parties were rarely punished because the authorities were in agreement with the perpetrators.

Sam commits many crimes, including lynchings and murders, but is only accused of one. The Kramer bombing is organized by the Ku Klux Klan's imperial wizard and involves Sam...