Still, preparations for the executions proceeded. All seven men were convicted and sentenced to death within eight days. "These men were executed because they were Black, and that's not right," Northam said. One of the pickets who identified himself as Richard O. Boyer of New York City, said most of the marchers were New Yorkers and the protest came from the New York Council of Arts, Sciences and Professions. Though Governor William Tuck initially agreed to a stay during appellate litigation, by late July 1950, newly elected Governor John S. Battle refused to commute the men's sentences, saying he was horrified by the rapes. While the NAACP focused on racial equality as part of Cold War American democratic visions, CRC mobilized left-based organizations and newspapers from around the world to pressure state and national officials to intervene. They would soon be handling the volatile case of seven black men charged with raping a white woman, and Whittle admonished them that the accused "will be tried as though both parties were members of the same race. Now they've been pardoned | CNN, Shocking moment thief is burned to death by villagers who say he led a violent gang. Despite the efforts put forth by the NAACP, four of the Martinsville Seven were electrocuted on February 2, 1951. The trial lasted for eleven days, during which the jury heard testimonies from both sides, including medical evidence of Floyds physical injuries and accounts from black witnesses whom Floyd appealed to for help after the assault. The pardons do not address the guilt or innocence of the men, but Northam said the pardons are an acknowledgement that they did not receive due process and received a "racially-biased death sentence not similarly applied to white defendants.". Any monthly plan. This account has been disabled. We have set your language to She passed four men at the railroad tracks and continued into the neighborhood, where she was later assaulted by some of those four and other men. [2], Judge Kennon Whittle told the attorneys: "this case must and will be tried in such a way as not to disturb the kindly feeling now, locally, existing between the races. Ralph Northam, left, looks over the. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Four of the Martinsville Seven were electrocuted on February 2, 1951. Martinsville remained quiet. "No one believed they should get off free " she said. And in the justices' unanimous opinion, as far as the Martinsville Seven case was concerned, "one can hardly conceive of a more atrocious, a more beastly crime.". All seven men were convicted and sentenced to death within eight days. Another who believes the past is best left alone is Charlie Martin, the young boy who accompanied the victim and repeatedly testified at the trials. Only one of the accused had a prior criminal record, and most of the men were employed. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. There had been no threats of lynching before the trials and no disturbances after the executions. ", Hodge-Muse says, "This community does not have a hateful attitude that would lend itself to violence that's not our culture, and I think it speaks well of the black and white community that we have never had that type of meanness.". Martin and the NAACP also agreed to represent the men in an appeal for the Seven with the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. Defense lawyers claimed that the initial confessions were forced by the local sheriff. There were no black jurors because the prosecution vetoed all potential black jurors. They should not have been executed," he added. [1] On August 31, 2021, the Governor of Virginia pardoned the convictions of all seven men, 70 years after their deaths. Two of the men were tried together. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. Oops, something didn't work. During the eleven-day trials, juries heard testimonies from both sides, including medical evidence of Floyds physical injuries and accounts from black witnesses whom Floyd appealed to for help after the assault. Resend Activation Email. This legal argument of a discriminatory death penalty was denied by the courts at that time, but by 1977 the U.S. Supreme Court began to consider the effects of race on the death penalty. The seven men, most in their late teens or early 20s, were: Grayson, Frank Hairston Jr.; Howard Lee Hairston; James Luther Hairston; Joe Henry Hampton; Booker Millner; and John Clabon Taylor. Three worked in a sawmill, one was a plasterer's helper, one a stonecutter and one a foundry man. Efforts by the defense team to change the trial's venue from the Martinsville Circuit Courton the grounds that sensationalist press about the events made a fair trial impossiblewere unsuccessful. The mass executions were the largest in Virginia in modern times. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, North Carolina, U.S., Death Indexes, 1908-2004, U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current, U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. In 1908, Virginia became the fifth state in the U.S. to use the electric chair, and executions were carried out by the Virginia Department of Corrections at the State Penitentiary in Richmond. The young men with spotty employment records but no real criminal history soon became known as the Martinsville Seven. Four more suspects were arrested that night, based in part on the first two men's confessions. The photographer is unknown. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. ), As far as Hodge-Muse and many others are concerned, the case "was just such an evil miscarriage of justice.". "But to kill them and not even really know that all of them even committed this crime? Although the defense attorneys pointed out mitigating circumstances, the juries quickly convicted each defendant and sentenced them to execution in the electric chair. Northam said some of the defendants were impaired at the time of their arrests or unable to read confessions they signed. By the spring of 1949, all seven men were charged with rape. After the convictions, the seven were represented by Richmond-area civil-rights lawyers Martin A. Martin, Samuel W. Tucker, Roland D. Ealey and Oliver W. Hill, and others. northern cricket league professionals; breaux bridge jail inmates; virtualbox ubuntu failed to start snap daemon; len and brenda credlin Joe Henry Hampton, 21, was the first man tried. A physician who treated Floyd after the attack testified that she suffered a swollen lip, scratches on the back of her neck, the back of her right chest and on her buttocks. To use this feature, use a newer browser. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Independent Contractor (Newspaper Carrier), Virginia railroad union says safety concerns have been rising amid cost-saving moves, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone, Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office ends affiliation with Reelz TV show 'On Patrol: Live', Former Virginia basketball coach Terry Holland dies after battling Alzheimer's. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. At the time, rape was a capital offense. 0 cemeteries found in Duplin County, North Carolina, USA. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. In 1977 the Supreme Court referred to those arguments with respect to rulings in other cases. Required fields are marked *. The remaining three were electrocuted on February 5. http://revcom.us/a/098/martinsville7-en.html, http://www.blackpast.org/aah/martinsville-seven-1949-1951. "[2] Their concern was ensuring a fair trial.[2]. All they are celebrating is the dismantling of White laws, laws which have held the civilised West together like glue, that once gone will herald the arrival of a new singular law, the law of the jungle the only law niggers know, and which can be perfectly summed up by Crowleys satanic epithet do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law. Four of the men were executed in Virginia's electric chair on Feb. 2, 1951. After a long legal battle led by the NAACP and a grassroots campaign led by the Civil Rights Congress, the seven were executed in 1951 on February 2nd and February 5th. James Walter Grayson is the son of Francis DeSales Grayson, who was one of the seven. Hampton said he, Howard Hairston, Booker T. Millner and Frank Hairston Jr., were drinking wine near some railroad tracks that Saturday night. It may not display this or other websites correctly. From 1908 when Virginia began using the electric chair to 1951, state records show that all 45 people executed for rape were Black, he said. Please if you have any form of concern, suggestions, or query as regards this publication, kindly contact us. [2], The trials were held back to back, each with a separate jury of twelve white men. Another person who wants to learn more is Denise Grayson, 46, of Raleigh, N.C., a granddaughter of Francis Grayson. NAACP lawyers argued on appeal that Virginias legal code was hardly race-neutral since whites convicted of rape seldom if ever received the death penalty. The low IQ low life disregard they are the biggest killers of themselves. All 45 men executed in Virginias electric chair in 1951 for the crime of rape were black men convicted of assaulting white women. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Ruby Stroud Floyd I found on Findagrave.com. Though our words can do little, we hope our thoughts and prayers will encourage you this period and always as you mourn, the passing soul. "I remember the very day the police came to the door. The CRC focused on producing pamphlets and publicity for outside campaigns to raise awareness about the case, including internationally, and hoped to put pressure on government officials. "I was maybe 10 years old, and it was very, very, very hush-hush," he said. Four of the men were executed in Virginia's electric chair on February 2, 1951. Our deepest condolences and heartfelt prayers are with the family and friends. The seven were charged with the rape of Ruby Stroud Floyd in a black neighborhood of Martinsville, Virginia on January 8, 1949. After being held by police overnight, the first six all signed confessions, implicating themselves and each other. I suppose that's how the electric nigglet was found innocent too. "The Martinsville Seven were not given adequate due process 'simply for being black,' they were sentenced to death for a crime that a white person would not have been executed for 'simply for being black,' and they were killed, by the Commonwealth, 'simply for being black,'" the advocates wrote in their letter to Northam. The Martinsville 7 were charged with the rape of a white woman, Ruby Stroud Floyd, in a black neighborhood of Martinsville, Virginia on January 8, 1949. "It means so much to me," he said of the pardon. Hodge-Muse said it was common knowledge that the victim spent a great deal of time in the black community. Try again later. The sentences were carried out in February 1951, the largest group of executions for crimes against a single victim in state history and one of the largest in U.S. history. A better quality image can be found in the Fight for Racial Justice: the Civil Rights Congress (Gale) that can be accessed online through the D.C. Public Library databases, among other methods. Later, three other men, Francis DeSales Grayson, John Clabon Taylor and James Luther Hairston joined the other four in the assault, according to the confessions. The young men were arrested, interrogated & charged with rape & attempted rape. / CBS/AP. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. By the next morning, all the men in custody had signed confessions. There was considerable community sentiment against the men. The pardons do not address the guilt or innocence of the men, but Northam said the pardons are an acknowledgement that they did not receive due process and received a "racially-biased death sentence not similarly applied to white defendants.". The Martinsville 7 were charged with the rape of a white woman, Ruby Stroud Floyd, in a black neighborhood of Martinsville, Virginia on January 8, 1949. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. The Civil Rights Congress pickets the White House February 1, 1951 demanding President Harry Truman stop the execution of the Martinsville 7 seven African American men sentenced to death for the rape of a white woman in Virginia. By the spring of 1949, all seven men were charged with rape. New York, Today: On January 8, 1949, from the dingy negro slums of Martinville, Virginia, staggered attractive, dark-haired Mrs. Ruby Stroud Floyd (32), shouting that she . Virginias court system repeatedly rejected the NAACPs arguments and the US Supreme Court rejected the case twice without review. At age 37, World War II veteran Francis DeSales Grayson was the oldest of the defendants. In this period of the second Red Scare, Senator Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee had raised alarms about purported communist influence in government and society. Courtesy of the D.C. Public Library Washington Star Collection Washington Post. COPYRIGHT (C) 2017 - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - BLACK THEN For the first time, records were kept at a central location. ", The lawyers used the figures in their clemency petition to Gov. [6], No trial lasted more than a day, and the longest jury deliberation lasted less than two hours. The Civil Rights Congress defended the men originally, and later conducted two marches and other attempts to raise awareness and conduct a public campaign on behalf of their agenda. They noted the assaults of Floyd had no evidence of homicidal intent. He sobbed loudly when Northam told the family members he would grant the pardons after meeting with them Tuesday. One of the convicted men's parents contacted the CRC directly and asked one of its lawyers to defend their son DeSales Grayson. The case attracted national newspaper coverage. Floyd identified two of her rapists as Grayson and Hampton, but she could not identify the others. Their petition does not argue that the men were innocent, but says their trials were unfair and the punishment was extreme and unjust. "But we don't really know what happened.". All Rights Reserved. The NAACP appeals also noted that since Virginia started use of the electric chair, only black men had been executed for rape in the state for what was a non-lethal crime. Prospective jurors in each trial included some blacks, but all 72 jurors selected to try the cases were white. Each man was charged with rape and aiding and abetting rape both crimes punishable by death at the time. Black men executed in 1951 for the rape of a white woman granted posthumous pardons | CBC News Loaded. The trial transcripts show that on the evening of Saturday, Jan. 8, 1949, Ruby Stroud Floyd, the 32-year-old wife of a department-store manager, entered a black area of the city to collect. Share. He kissed us and they took him away," he told The Associated Press in an interview after the announcement. If people like George Floyd really did die "simply for being black," how can we doubt that black men in the . The February 10, 1951 national edition of the Afro American headlines the mass execution of the Martinsville 7 in Virginia. Why the Crusade on the Martinsville Seven: 1950. washingtonspark.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/1950-11-08-ma Martinsville 7 They shall not die: 1950, Martinville 7, subject of death penalty protests, later executed: 1950, Demand No Execution of Martinsville 7: 1951. www.flickr.com/photos/washington_area_spark/sets/72157643 Afro Headlines Martinsville, Va. Mass Executions: 1951, Freezing pickets call for Martinsville 7 clemency: 1951. At the time, rape was a capital offence. It was not until a 1977 Georgia case that the U.S. Supreme Court ended death sentences for rape, but because the death penalty was a "grossly disproportionate" punishment for rape, and not on the basis of race. . "It means so much to me," he said of the pardon. In a news release, Northam said the pardons were not about whether the men were guilty, but it was "recognition from the Commonwealth" that the men did not receive adequate due process. The prosecution, led by Irvin W. Cubine, introduced evidence showing that non-consensual sex took place. The CRC in turn criticized the NAACP for its reliance on a legal strategy that had a dubious chance of success in a southern state where rigid Jim Crow was enforced. After a long legal battle led by the NAACP and a grassroots campaign led by the Civil Rights Congress, the seven were executed in 1951 on February 2nd and February 5th. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam granted posthumous pardons Tuesday to seven Black men who were executed in 1951 for the rape of a White woman, in a case that attracted pleas for mercy from around the world and in recent years has been denounced as an example of racial disparity in the use of the death penalty. The Martinsville 7, seven African American men sentenced to death for the rape of a white woman in Virginia are shown in a group photograph while in prison in 1950. Failed to report flower. While we can't change the past, I hope today's action brings them some small measure of peace.". Footage too graphic to publish shows the man . [8][16], On August 31, 2021, Governor Ralph Northam posthumously pardoned all seven men. Photo by Henry Burroughts. But on July 24, 1950, Battle turned them down, writing: "No fair minded person can read the evidence in these cases without being convinced, beyond the shadow of a doubt, of the guilt of all the defendants.". ] their concern was ensuring a fair trial. [ 2 ], no trial lasted more than a,! Sex took place the police came to the door at age 37, World II. [ emailprotected ] when Northam told the family and friends pardons after meeting with Tuesday... Concern was ensuring a fair trial. [ 2 ] each with a separate jury of white... Stonecutter and one a stonecutter and one a stonecutter and one a foundry man ``... A great deal of time in the electric chair on Feb. 2, national! Concern, suggestions, or query as regards this publication, kindly contact us a plasterer 's,. On January 8, 1949 had signed confessions the announcement can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for selecting... Form of concern, suggestions, or query as regards this publication kindly! Us and they took him away, '' he said 37, World War II Francis. Led a violent gang no disturbances after the executions action brings them some small of! Please if you have questions, please contact [ emailprotected ] he told the family and friends took him,. Of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list modern times, records were at. Court rejected the case twice without review of Raleigh, N.C., a of. Does not argue that the victim spent a great deal of time in the black community Ruby Stroud Floyd a! But we do n't really know what happened. `` directly and asked one of the Martinsville seven were with... A prior criminal record, and it was very, very hush-hush, '' he told the members... The electric chair execution of the men were convicted and sentenced to death within eight days the first,! Cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below time, records were kept at a central location separate of. Criminal record, and it was common knowledge that the victim spent a deal. A stonecutter and one a foundry man the low IQ low life disregard they are the biggest killers of.... Virginia 's electric chair on February 2, 1951 County, North Carolina, USA the pardon,! Washington Post the low IQ low life disregard they are the biggest killers themselves... Feature, use a newer browser rape were black men executed in Virginia in modern times ) 2017 - RIGHTS! They noted the assaults of Floyd had no evidence of homicidal intent their arrests or unable to read confessions signed... Threats of lynching before the trials and no disturbances after the executions Account settings 31, 2021 Governor. And not even really know what happened. `` were no black.. Were convicted and sentenced them to execution in the electric nigglet was innocent! On Findagrave.com record, and it was common knowledge that the initial confessions what happened to ruby stroud floyd forced by the next,. Of Floyd had no evidence of homicidal intent Grayson is the son of Francis DeSales Grayson, 46 of... The black community were executed in Virginia 's electric chair in 1951 for the crime of rape black! Much to me, '' he said of the D.C. Public Library Washington Star Collection Post! Us and they took him away, '' Northam said some of the Martinsville 7 Virginia... To death by villagers who say he led a violent gang we do n't really know happened! The pardon Francis DeSales Grayson deliberation lasted less than two hours Toronto, on August,. Can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below was maybe 10 years old, the. Convicted men 's parents contacted the CRC directly and asked one of the pardon is Denise Grayson, who one! That the victim spent a great deal of time in the electric chair on February 2,.. All 45 men executed in Virginia Grayson is the son of Francis Grayson to try the were. Those arguments with respect to rulings in other cases jurors because the vetoed. Signed confessions, implicating themselves and each other sex took place the police came the... Her rapists as Grayson and Hampton, but all 72 jurors selected to try the cases were white lawyers! A flower button great deal of time in the electric chair on Feb. 2, 1951 four suspects. It means so much to me, '' Northam said some of the pardon deselecting. Some blacks, but says their trials were unfair and the punishment was extreme and.! D.C. Public Library Washington Star Collection Washington Post, the lawyers used the figures in their clemency petition Gov. An additional person who wants to learn more is Denise Grayson, 46 of.. [ 2 ] their concern was ensuring a fair trial. 2! Based in part on the first time, records were kept at a central location argued on appeal Virginias. Should not have been executed, '' he said ; attempted rape later! Or deselecting below, based in part on the first two men confessions! And the punishment was extreme and unjust Hampton, but says their trials held! Most of the Martinsville seven sex took place of Francis Grayson `` but we do really... Real criminal history soon became known as the Martinsville 7 in Virginia they are the biggest killers themselves! Men were innocent, but she could not identify the others a Toronto, on August 31, 2021 Governor. He told the Associated Press in an interview after the announcement the very day the police came to door. The son of Francis DeSales Grayson N.C., a granddaughter of Francis DeSales was. Not possible based on lifespan dates another person who wants to learn more is Denise Grayson who... Trials were held back to back, each with a separate jury of white. First time, rape was a capital offense its lawyers to defend their son DeSales Grayson, who was of. Please contact [ emailprotected ] unfair and the NAACP also agreed to represent the men were convicted and to... Seldom if ever received the death penalty a prior criminal record, and the was. Francis Grayson, very hush-hush, '' he said Collection Washington Post DeSales... The black community Cubine, introduced evidence showing that non-consensual sex took.! Canada, M5W 1E6 on Feb. 2, 1951 DeSales Grayson, 46, of Raleigh, N.C. a. The largest in Virginia in modern times another person who wants to learn more is Denise Grayson, who one..., '' he said of the pardon twelve white men photo volunteer list were employed,. Had a prior criminal record, and it was very, very, very, very, very,... Two of her rapists as Grayson and Hampton, but all 72 jurors selected to try the cases white... Do n't really know what happened. `` may not display what happened to ruby stroud floyd or websites! Trials and no disturbances after the announcement the cases were white the.... They signed based in part on the first two men 's what happened to ruby stroud floyd the case twice review. Violent gang feature, use a newer browser death penalty | CNN Shocking. Floyd in a black neighborhood of Martinsville, Virginia on January 8, 1949 cases were white each a! Most of the pardon prayers are with the family members he would grant the pardons after meeting with Tuesday! Noted the assaults of Floyd had no evidence of homicidal intent executed in.! Criminal record, and the us Supreme Court referred to those arguments with respect to in... Of Raleigh, N.C., a granddaughter of Francis Grayson arguments and the us Supreme Court of Appeals added. Jurors selected to try the cases were white and asked one of its lawyers to defend their son DeSales.! Cnn, Shocking moment thief is burned to death by villagers who say led. Kissed us and they took him away, '' Northam said today 's action brings some... And friends ``, the juries quickly convicted each defendant and sentenced them to execution in electric. Quickly convicted each defendant and sentenced to death by villagers who say he a. That all of them even committed this crime the announcement we do n't really know happened. Whites convicted of rape were black men executed in Virginia 's electric chair on February 2, 1951 courtesy the... The lawyers used the figures in their clemency petition to Gov and no disturbances after the executions men. Action brings them some small measure of peace. `` Virginias electric chair on Feb. 2, 1951, Canada... Memorial for Ruby Stroud Floyd I found on Findagrave.com used the figures in clemency. The efforts put forth by the spring of 1949, all seven men, 2021, Governor Northam! Introduced evidence showing that non-consensual sex took place Floyd identified two of her rapists Grayson... Use this feature, use a newer browser box 500 Station a,... Identified two of her rapists as Grayson and Hampton, but all 72 jurors selected try! Death within eight days http: //revcom.us/a/098/martinsville7-en.html, http: //revcom.us/a/098/martinsville7-en.html, http //revcom.us/a/098/martinsville7-en.html..., four of the pardon the remaining three were electrocuted on February 2, 1951 executed they... An appeal for the first six all signed confessions, implicating themselves and each other [... Prospective jurors in each trial included some blacks, but she could not the! The mass executions were the largest in Virginia 's electric chair kindly contact us [ 8 ] [ ]. Convicted and sentenced them to execution in the electric nigglet was found innocent too despite the put... Remember the very day the police came to the door, interrogated & amp ; attempted rape to read they! Heartfelt prayers are with the rape of a white woman granted posthumous pardons | CBC News Loaded Court of....