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The Fight That Started Everything
The nine young Scottsboro Boys were arrested as they exited the freight train that was stopped by an angry group of people because a fight had broke out and two young women, Victoria Price and Ruby Bates accusesed them of rape. www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/scottsboro/timeline/index.html
www.bet.com/news/national/2012/03/25/this-day-in-black-history-march-25-1931.html -
Two Down
Clarence Norris and Charlie Weems are both sentenced to death by the same judge, Judge A. E. Hawkins. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/scottsboro/timeline/index.html
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Eight Already Convicted
Olen Montgomery, Ozie Powell, Willie Roberson, Eugene Williams, and Andy Wright all have the same fate as Clarence and Charlie, also being sentenced to death. The day before this Haywood Patterson was sentenced to death. www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/scottsboro/timeline/index.html
www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/scottsboro/peopleevents/p_montgomery.html
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Hung Jury
The last to be convicted, Roy Wright, age thirteen, had a hung jury. The jury was eleven to one. Eleven jurors voted for the death sentence but one voted for life in prison. www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/scottsboro/timeline/index.html
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Physically Impossible
It was stated that Willie Roberson's syphilis was so severe that it would be physically impossible for him to have raped either Victoria or Ruby. http://www-tc.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/scottsboro/peopleevents/images/p_powell.jpg v -
A Bit of Hope
A letter is found written by Ruby Bates to her boyfriend stating that she had not been raped by the Scottsboro Boys. www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/scottsboro/timeline/index.html
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Ruby Confirms
Ruby appeared as a witness for the defenses as she states that Victoria Price remained with her througout the entire train ride. Her statement regarded the true explanation for the semen found in both her and Victoria. She stated that they were both with their boyfriends the previous night and that was where that came from. Dr. Bridges confirms that the sperm found were non-motile and that Victoria did not show very many physical wounds to have been raped by six men. http://law2.umkc.edu/facult -
Dr. Lynch
After Haywood was found guilty for the second time, Dr. Lynch explained to Judge Horton that "...the women had not been raped and thata they had laughed when he examined them." Dr. Lynch didn't provide this information at the trial because he was scared that he might loose his job. http://www-tc.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/scottsboro/peopleevents/images/p_powell.jpg -
Indecisive
On April 9, 1933 at the end of Haywood Patterson's second trial he was again sentenced to death by electric chair. It was said on this day, June 22, 1933 that his judge for the trial, Judge James Horton, disregardes his previous conviction and gives him a new trial. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/scottsboro/timeline/index.html -
I.L.D. Bribes Price
Two lawyers from the International Labor Defense (I.L.D.) were accused of bribing Victoria Price so that she would change her argument against the boys. They were arresteed by Nashville police but were not convicted. http://www-tc.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/scottsboro/peopleevents/images/p_price2.jpg
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Excluded
Haywood and Norris' verdicts were overturned by the US Supreme Court because during their trials, African Americans were not permitted to sit in the juries. http://www-tc.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/scottsboro/peopleevents/images/p_powell.jpg -
Final Verdict for Patterson
Patterson was sentenced to seventy-five years in prison after his final trial when he was found guilty. The foreman was the only one who found Patterson innocent, the rest of the jury thought he was still guilty. http://www-tc.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/scottsboro/peopleevents/images/p_patterson.jpg
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Bad Decision
Ozie Powell was shot in the head on his way to Birmingham Jail when he slashed a deputy's throat with a knife. Ozie was being threatened and that is why he slashed his throat. He and the deputy both survived. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/scottsboro/timeline/timeline2.htm
http://www-tc.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/scottsboro/peopleevents/images/p_powell.jpg
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Plea Bargain
Ozie Powell was only aloud to drop the rape charges if he pleaded guilty for attacking the deputy. http://www-tc.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/scottsboro/peopleevents/images/p_powell.jpg -
Justice
After 82 years of the Scottsboro Boys being accused of a crime that they did not commit, the Governer of Alabama signed a document that cleared the names of the Scottsboro Boys. http://www.scottsboromusicallondon.com/history/
