Rape on the Washington Southern: The Tragic Case of Hines v. Garrett

ABSTRACT:

The judicial treatment of the tragic multiple rape of Julia Garrett, in wartime Virginia, offers interesting insights into a fascinating period in the jurisprudence of the Near-South. The economic emancipation of women and of blacks, the rapid urbanization of a heretofore rural area and the behavior of a government regulator were all backdrops for a battle royale over the meaning of "proximate cause."

[PLEASE NOTE: This draft is just that -- a draft. Before submission for publication the authors actively solicit readers' comments, which they will use to revise the draft. The authors believe this case sheds great light on the legal process, and on the state of tort law, in Virginia just after World War I. The author may be contacted at mkrauss@gmu.edu.]