In To Kill a Mockingbird what is Atticus's explanation for Tom's attempted escape?

In "To Kill a Mockingbird", Atticus was crestfallen when he learned of Tom's death. He explained he had talked to Tom about an appeal and said he told him, he believed they had a good chance of winning. He felt Tom just got tired of listening to "white men's ideas of good chances", which at this point, he knew did not apply to him.