Group Photo of Hartranft and his Staff

[BettyO]

It rained on the 4th of July (big thunderstorm, supposedly.) The grass; yard would have been damp on the 5th of July and flies are drawn to the damp, humid areas --

It was damp, VERY humid (you've got to experience one of our hot, humid summers, Maddie! YUK!!) so the flies would be swarming around. The ground looks muddy and damp. Watts' boots also appear muddy. Add to this hot, sweaty bodies, hair pomade (Dodd seems to have "helmet head" almost with as much pomade as he seems to have in his hair!) made of lard, beeswax and perfume and you've got an instant fly magnet usually!

By the 7th, however, after three torpid days, the heat and humidity had dried out the wetness left from the thunderstorms on the 4th and practically baked the ground. The ground under the scaffold in that horrid photo of the dangling bodies looks baked and dusty - not damp and wet.....