In total, the Scottsboro nine were found guilty in three separate trials. To Kill a Mockingbird: Historical Context Essay: The "Scottsboro Boys It was as if the exclusion was so ordinary as to be unconscious. November to December: Patterson and Norris' cases both end in the death penalty. "[80], Her dramatic and unexpected entrance drew stares from the residents of the courtroom. [11] The posse brought the women to the jail where the accused were being held, and they identified them as their attackers. https://www.thoughtco.com/timeline-of-scottsboro-boys-45428 (accessed May 1, 2023). A group of white teenage boys saw 18-year-old Haywood Patterson on the train and attempted to push him off, claiming that it was "a white man's train". The humiliated white teenagers jumped or were forced off the train and reported to the city's sheriff that they had been attacked by a group of black teenagers. The motion was denied. January 23: Patterson is retried. [25], Dr. Bridges testified that his examination of Victoria Price found no vaginal tearing (which would have indicated rape) and that she had semen in her for several hours. [78], Haywood Patterson testified on his own behalf that he had not seen the women before stopping in Paint Rock; he withstood a cross-examination from Knight who "shouted, shook his finger at, and ran back and forth in front of the defendant. "[72] Paint Rock ticket agent W. H. Hill testified to seeing the women and the black youths in the same car, but on cross-examination admitted to not seeing the women at all until they got off the train. She had had surgery in New York, and at one point Leibowitz requested that her deposition be taken as a dying declaration. . The first two times that he did so, Leibowitz asked the court to have him alter his behavior. And now they come over here and try to convince you that that sort of thing happened in your neighboring county. to 75 years in prison. During the long jury deliberations, Judge Callahan also assigned two Morgan County deputies to guard him. There was a wrong amount of Black jury officials. . [38], This trial was interrupted and the jury sent out when the Patterson jury reported; they found him guilty. This astonished (and infuriated) many residents of Alabama and many other Southern states. Early in 1936, Patterson was convicted for a fourth time, but sentenced to 75 years in prison. Judge Hawkins declared a mistrial. The Alabama Supreme Court denies the defense motion for new trials. race, is [131] In January 2004, the town dedicated a historical marker in commemoration of the case at the Jackson County Court House. The Court will not pursue the evidence any further. The two years that had passed since the first trials had not dampened community hostility for the Scottsboro Boys. Andy Wright, Eugene Williams, and Haywood Patterson testified that they had previously known each other, but had not seen the women until the train stopped in Paint Rock. He continued, "These defendants were confined in jail in another county and local counsel had little opportunity to prepare their defense. An African American, Creed Conyer, was selected as the first black person since Reconstruction to sit on an Alabama grand jury. A doctor was summoned to examine Price and Bates for signs of rape, but none was found. [citation needed], Olen Montgomery testified that he had been alone on a tank car the entire trip, and had not known about the fight or alleged rapes. "[65] The National Guard posted five men with fixed bayonets in front of Leibowitz's residence that night. and the by Governor A fight broke out, and the black . is reversed [80], Bates admitted having intercourse with Lester Carter in the Huntsville railway yards two days before making accusations. Scottsboro: An American Tragedy, PBS. 3 days How long did the first trial last? and Patterson At one point, a white man stood on the hand of 18-year-old Haywood Patterson, who would become one of the Scottsboro Nine, and almost knocked him off the train. When he resumed the next morning, he pointed out many contradictions among her various versions of the rape. ", Ruby Bates was apparently too sick to travel. is sentenced Ozie Powell, Willie Roberson, Eugene Williams, and Andy This sentence was a negotiation between the foreman and the rest of the jury. Leibowitz asked her whether she had spent the evening in a "hobo jungle" in Huntsville, Alabama, with a Lester Carter and Jack Tiller, but she denied it. The issue of the composition of the jury was addressed in a second landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that race could not be used to exclude anyone from candidacy for participation on a jury anywhere in the United States. Rape charges Chief Justice John C. Anderson dissented, agreeing with the defense in many of its motions. January: Noted attorney Samuel Leibowitz takes the case for the IDL. But when deputies questioned two white women, Ruby Bates and Victoria Price, they accused the boys of raping them while onboard the train. "If you don't, they will kill you, Red", said the judge. Leibowitz was escorted to the train station under heavy guard, and he boarded a train back to New York. All Rights Reserved. [6][7][8] A fight broke out between the white and black groups near the Lookout Mountain tunnel, and the whites were kicked off the train. "[99] The many contradictions notwithstanding, Price steadfastly stuck to her testimony that Patterson had raped her. Thomas Knight maintained that the jury process was color blind. The landmark set of legal cases from this incident dealt with racism and the right to a fair trial. Governor Graves interviews Scottsboro boys. "[87], The defense moved for a retrial and, believing the defendants innocent, Judge James Edwin Horton agreed to set aside the guilty verdict for Patterson. One letter from Chicago read, "When those Boys are dead, within six months your state will lose 500 lives. What you can do now is to make sure that it doesn't happen to some other woman." [105], Haywood Patterson took the stand, admitting he had "cussed" at the white teenagers, but only because they cussed at him first. After a demonstration in Harlem, the Communist Party USA took an interest in the Scottsboro case. This was near homes of the alleged victims and in Ku Klux Klan territory.[59]. "[102], Closing arguments were made November 29 through November 30, without stopping for Thanksgiving.

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