Rappleyea sent a telegram to the ACLU informing them of Scopes' arrest; other town leaders notified Tennessee newspapers. Reporters arrived in Dayton from all over the United States and the world. The Baltimore Sun sent H.L. Mencken, a famous columnist known for his cynicism and wit, to cover the trial. The Sun also offered to pay Scopes' fine if he was found guilty.
Media focus on Scopes' arrest attracted the attention of William Jennings Bryan, a three-time presidential candidate, great orator, and fundamentalist who volunteered to prosecute the case. When Clarence Darrow, agnostic and famous criminal attorney, learned that Bryan was involved in Scopes case, he volunteered to defend Scopes. He realized that the case was no longer about Scopes' guilt or innocence; instead it was a battle between fundamentalism and freedom of thought. The trial began on July 10, 1925. The courtroom overflowed with spectators and reporters and radio microphones from WGN in Chicago. This event marked the first time a trial was covered by a radio broadcast.
Bryan and Darrow selected a jury that was composed of all white middle-aged men who were farmers, poorly educated, and church goers. After objections by Darrow to beginning each day's proceedings with a prayer, the prosecution began its case and quickly established that Scopes broke the law by teaching evolution in a public classroom. The defense had prepared its case around the testimony of expert witnesses on science and evolutionary theory. The judge, however, ruled the experts' testimony inadmissible. Most of the reporters, including H.L. Mencken, considered the trial to be over except for closing arguments, which would take place the following Monday. Assuming that the closing arguments would be uneventful, they left Dayton and missed the "battle of the century."
