In 1932, Ted Jordan Jr. was a young black man on the way up, so he took a competitive examination for a better-paying Southern Pacific Railroad job. He got a higher score than a young white man, but a special agent for the SP decided no black man should triumph over a white.

As It Was: Killer’s Death Bed Confession Frees Convicted Black Man

Colorful vignettes dedicated to the regional history of Southern Oregon and Northern California. As It Was is an all volunteer effort -- produced by Raymond Scully and narrated by Shirley Patton in partnership with writers from the Southern Oregon Historical Society.If you have a writing background and would like to submit an As It Was essay for consideration, email your written piece to mrkrt@ashlandhome.net.A collection of As It Was essays is available in a high-quality paperback book at the JPR Online Store. Each episode is also available below.

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As It Was: Killer’s Death Bed Confession Frees Convicted Black Man

As It Was: Killer’s Death Bed Confession Frees Convicted Black Man