The Scottsboro Boys
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PRESENTATION OUTLINE
The Scottsboro Boys
By Hannah Rebancos
Who were they?
- A group of nine black teenagers
- Were accused of raping 2 female mill workers.
- Ages ranged from 13-24 years old.
- The case lasted from 1931-1938
Key events of the Case
The case lasted for more than seven years, so there is a LOT to cover. But I will share about what happened, the two victims, and the results of the case.
Photo by RamseyCountyMN
1931:
- March 25: A fight broke out between young white and black men.
- The fight was aboard the Southern Railroad freight train.
- Train was stopped in Paint Rock, Alabama.
- An angry lynch mob had the black men arrested for assault.
- Two women who were also on the train accused the black men of rape.
Photo by washington_area_spark
1931 & 1932:
- March 25: The boys were sent to Scottsboro jail in Alabama.
- April 6-9: Eight of them were tried, convicted, and sentenced to death.
- The case against youngest (Roy Wright) ends in a hung jury.
- June 22: Executions were approaching the Alabama Supreme Court
- May 27, 1932: The US Supreme Court agrees to hear the case.
Hung Jury: they couldn't agree upon the verdict extended deliberation and is unable to change its votes. In his trial, 11 jurors wanted a death sentence when 1 wanted life in prison
Victoria Price & Ruby Bates
- Apr 3, 1933: Price states that she feared arrest for Mann Act Violation.
- Samuel Leibowitz brought evidence that proved she was arrested for adultery
- Apr 6, 1933: Bates appears as a surprise witness for the defense.
- Witness (Ory Dobbins) who claimed that they were raped was caught lying
- Oct 1, 1934: 2 ILD lawyers arrested for bribing Price to change testimony
-She was scared of being arrested for a Mann Act violation (crossing state lines for bad purposes)
when she met the mob in Paint Rock, so she and Bates made false accusations of rape to redirect attention away from their crimes.
-Bates denies of ever being raped, and testifies that she was with Victoria Price. Also, on January 5, 1932, a letter from Ruby to her boyfriend is found, stating that she denies that any rape occurred.
- According to law2.umkc.edu, they asked Dobbins if he was sure that it was a woman he saw. Dobbins answered, "She was wearing women's clothes." Everyone who had followed the case knew that Bates and Price both were wearing overalls. "Are you sure it wasn't overalls or a coat?," Judge
Horton asked. "No sir, a dress," Dobbins said
-ILD: International Labor Defense; they were trying to bribe Price into changing her testimony.
when she met the mob in Paint Rock, so she and Bates made false accusations of rape to redirect attention away from their crimes.
-Bates denies of ever being raped, and testifies that she was with Victoria Price. Also, on January 5, 1932, a letter from Ruby to her boyfriend is found, stating that she denies that any rape occurred.
- According to law2.umkc.edu, they asked Dobbins if he was sure that it was a woman he saw. Dobbins answered, "She was wearing women's clothes." Everyone who had followed the case knew that Bates and Price both were wearing overalls. "Are you sure it wasn't overalls or a coat?," Judge
Horton asked. "No sir, a dress," Dobbins said
-ILD: International Labor Defense; they were trying to bribe Price into changing her testimony.
What happened to the Scottsboro Boys?
This case had a lot of evidence that proved the Boys' innocence, but because of their race, the jury has proven them guilty and has tried in every trial to sentence them to death.
Haywood Patterson
- Was first sentenced to death in electric chair in 1933.
- 1936: He was found guilty and was sentenced 75 years in prison.
- Was never released
- Dies of cancer in 1952
Roy Wright
- Was only about 13 years old when accused
- 1931: His case ends in a hung jury.
- July 24, 1937: Rape charges were dropped.
- August 1959: Shot himself after killing his wife for cheating on him.
Clarence Norris
- 1931: Sentenced to death
- 1938: Death Sentence becomes sentence to life in prison
- 1946: Norris was put on parole.
- January 23, 1989: Clarence Norris dies from Alzheimer's disease
- Before he died, he was the last of the Scottsboro boys.
Charlie Weems
- Weems was first sentenced to death in 1931.
- His trial ended in conviction and a sentence of 75 years in prison.
- Was put on parole in 1938, but was put in jail again for leaving Alabama .
- He was the oldest of the Scottsboro Boys
- No one knows when, or where, he died.
Olen Montgomery
- 1931: Sentenced to death.
- 1937: Rape charges were dropped
- Spent his time out of jail drinking and helping the NAACP.
- Death is unknown.
Eugene Williams
- Was also only age 13 when accused in 1931.
- 1931: Sentenced to death
- 1937: Rape charges were dropped
- Death is also unknown.
Ozie Powell
- 1931: Sentenced to death
- 1934: Gets shot in the head after slashing a knife at an officer.
- 1937: Sentenced to 20 years; rape charges dropped.
- Released on parole in 1946.
- Death is unknown.
Willie Robinson
- 1931: Sentenced to death.
- 1937: Rape charges dropped.
- Was arrested a short time after released.
- Died from asthma attack due to the lack of fresh air in prison
Andrew "Andy" Wright
- 1931: Sentenced to death
- 1937: Found guilty and sentenced to 99 years.
- 1944: Was released on parole with Clarence Norris
- Death unknown
Connection to "TKM"
- Tom Robinson was also wrongfully accused of rape
- The Scottsboro Boys' case was Lee's inspiration for Tom Robinson's
Also...
- The Scottsboro Boys case was made into a Broadway musical
- Had 12 Tony nonminations
