Jesse Owens panicked. How could he owe $114,000 in back taxes? Soon there would be a court trial sentencing him to a long prison term. This was an issue Owens realized he had to accept, failing to personally oversee his business ventures; but instead, allowing other individuals to do it for him. He had not scrutinized the character of the men who represented him, wrongly trusting his business partners to file his personal income tax returns.

Ashamed, afraid, and anxious, Owens grabbed his jacket and rushed into the kitchen to kiss Ruth, his wife, good-bye. Not even pausing to explain where he was going, and in a rush that can only be caused by panic, he took the stairs out of the house three and four at a time, as he yelled over his shoulder that he would be back tomorrow. Half an hour la…