The story of Billie Joe McAllister and what he threw off the bridge has been the subject of song and both widely and wildly debated. It is based in truth but stylized to some degree, an old story, dating back to the the late 40's.

The only daughter of John Hatch, a Mississippi Klansman of some note, was in love with the first black attorney in the state of Mississippi. Jubilee Simmons was the grandson of slaves and had gone to school at the University of Chicago and returned to his family's home state, taking up residence in Carroll county in 1948. John Hatch's daughter was known to be a bit wild and young Kelli had already incurred her father's wrath on numerous occasions. Kelli was living with two other 22 year old women in the small town of Campton, Mississippi when she met and began dating Simmons. Her father learned of it a few weeks later and came into town drunk with some Klan buddies to hunt down and kill Simmons. Simmons law offices were across the square from the county courthouse and through an open window he could hear the drunken invectives hurled his way from the square. He slipped out a back door and went to Kelli's house to take her away and save them both from the murderous rancor of her father and his "brethren."

Not finding Jubilee either in his office or at the Courthouse, the Klansmen split up to search for him and John Hatch went to his daughter's house, presumably to beat her or possibly worse. He arrived before the pair had left and headed in the back porch door adjoining the kitchen. Seeing him coming, Simmons grabbed a kitchen knife and jumped atop the counter and then onto the top of the Kelvinator refrigerator that stood by the door. As John Hatch passed, he didn't notice Simmons who then jumped him safely from behind. In the ensuing struggle, Hatch was stabbed with the knife. The lovers bagged his body and threw it off a bridge on their way out of town. They were on their way to Chicago when they were arrested in Clarksville, Tennessee and returned for trial in Mississippi. Jubilee represented both and thanks to the testimony of one of the roommates and Mrs. Hatch who had suffered abuse for years at the hands of her husband, both were acquitted and moved to Chicago where he established a moderately successful practice on the south side.

The original song told the story as it actually happened, but owing to legal considerations, the Bobbie Gentry version was done instead. The original was titled, "The Day that Jubilee the Barrister Jumped Off of Kelli Hatch's Fridge."


Spaw (that the kind of thing you had in mind?)