A Year of History: Martinsville Seven executions remain 'a raw wound' for many. All but one were young and single, and all were employed three in a sawmill, one a plasterer's helper, one a stonecutter and one a foundry man. The campaign included picket lines, a demonstration by hundreds rallying in Richmond to try to persuade Gov. They should not have been executed," he added. Use code: FLICKR10. 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. THIS is the harrowing moment vengeful villagers burned to death the alleged ringleader of a violent gang they say had been terrorising them for months. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. "I am not excusing rape. The last to be arrested, Joe Hampton, was taken into custody on January 10. 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 money owed her by Ruth Pettie, a woman to whom she had sold clothing. On 8 January 1949, 32-year-old Ruby Stroud Floyd was out collecting money for some clothes she had recently sold. The judge ruled that there was no evidence that discrimination was involved in imposing the Martinsville death sentences. But, none was selected for any of the seven juries, as the prosecutors rejected all of them on various grounds. 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. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. The night of Feb. 1, 1951, hundreds of people of both races gathered at the state Capitol to pray. The next morning, a Friday, 75 people were praying at the Capitol when several blocks away at the penitentiary on Spring Street, Department of Corrections records show that Hampton, 21, was seated in the electric chair at 8:04 a.m. SHELBY- Annie "Ruby" Raines Stroud, 89, of 329 Reece Road, Shelby, departed this life on April 11, 2015, at Hospice of Wendover. The appellate courts upheld the convictions and sentences, and the US Supreme Court twice refused to hear the cases. "This is about righting wrongs," Northam said. Though they varied somewhat in detail, the accounts of what happened that night from the perpetrators, the victim, Martin and other witnesses in large part agreed. 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. W.F. John S. Battle. "Booker T. gave the little colored boy a quarter and told him to go (away)," Hampton told police. "Their punishment did not fit the crime. But the remaining three men were executed on Monday, Feb. 5. "But we don't really know what happened.". cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Two days later, on Sunday, 100 people picketed the White House in Washington, and Josephine Grayson, wife of Francis Grayson, unsuccessfully sought to see President Harry S. Truman. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. Residents warned her not to stay too long, noting the time as late afternoon. 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. Records unavailable at the time of the Martinsville Seven appeals show that from 1626 until 1908, at least three whites and 99 blacks were hanged for rape or attempted rape in Virginia. On January 30, 1951, 400 protesters arrived in Richmond, appealing to Battle on the issue of racial disparity in sentencing. All seven men were convicted and sentenced to death within eight days. 1 ranking in country. Baseball legend Jackie Robinson's name misspelled as "Jakie" on road sign, Serena Williams honored at NAACP Image Awards, City, family reach $2 million settlement in Florida fatal police shooting, How these 3 hashtags from Black Twitter changed America, announced new steps to streamline the pardon process. The juries were all white and all male. Hodge-Muse said it was common knowledge that the victim spent a great deal of time in the black community. The low IQ low life disregard they are the biggest killers of themselves. / CBS/AP. James Walter Grayson is the son of Francis DeSales Grayson, who was one of the seven. Both African American newspapers, the Richmond Afro-American and Norfolk Journal and Guide concluded the national and international crusades by the CRC hurt the defendants' chances for clemency. He said none of the men had attorneys present while they were interrogated. John S. Battle to grant clemency to no avail. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. It must be tried as though both parties were members of the same race. 69-year-old suffers stroke in his N.C. home; Realtor showing house leaves him there. 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. Please reset your password. Eric W. Rise, Race, Rape, and Radicalism: The Case of the Martinsville Seven, 1949-1951. The Journal of Southern History LVIII, no. Within hours . He sobbed loudly when Northam told the family members he would grant the pardons after meeting with them Tuesday. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password. Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina, USA. Now they've been pardoned | CNN, Shocking moment thief is burned to death by villagers who say he led a violent gang. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. [8] Since Virginia started using an electric chair in 1908, all 45 of the men sentenced to death for rape had been black men convicted of raping white women. [2] The NAACP did not want the CRC to participate in the litigation directly. 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. The Martinsville 7 were seven African American men sentenced to death for the rape of a white woman in Virginia. [4] Authorities showed increased professional conduct and procedures since the controversial arrest and execution of Odell Waller during World War II (he was initially represented at trial by the Trotskyite Revolutionary Workers League and ultimately executed).[5]. All six juries convicted the young men of rape and recommended the death penalty. He was appalled at the nature of the crime.[2]. [8][16], On August 31, 2021, Governor Ralph Northam posthumously pardoned all seven men. Racism was less explicit in the trial than in cases known as "legal lynchings" in the South, in which innocent men were convicted (e.g., the Scottsboro Boys, Willie McGee), and the Groveland Boys. One of the convicted men's parents contacted the CRC directly and asked one of its lawyers to defend their son DeSales Grayson. Virginia law authorized capital punishment for accessories, parties to the act of rape who did not take part in the act. The "Martinsville Seven," as the men became known, were all convicted of raping 32-year-old Ruby Stroud Floyd, a white woman who had gone to a predominantly black neighborhood in. [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. *. 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 . All six juries convicted the young men of rape and recommended the death penalty. (Figures for 1949 are not available, but one-third of the 1,505 rape victims in the state in 2009 were black women. All Rights Reserved. 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. Smyth Jr., the penitentiary superintendent, wrote a succinct response: "No white person has ever been electrocuted in Virginia for the crime of rape; or attempted rape. There is a problem with your email/password. The image is a Civil Rights Congress flyer for a rally in New York City in 1950. Each were tried and sentenced to death within an eight-day period by all-white juries. While Ruby Stroud Floyd was being treated in hospital after the alleged rape, police arrested six suspects, and two days later a seventh. They were not assigned a lawyer. The "Martinsville Seven" were convicted of raping 32-year-old Ruby Stroud Floyd, who had gone to a predominantly Black neighborhood in Martinsville, Virginia, on Jan. 8, 1949, to collect money for . As the final execution dates of Feb. 2 and Feb. 5, 1951, approached the governor's office was flooded with thousands of telegrams, including one from Moscow, asking that the men not be executed. Weve updated the security on the site. After Virginia became a state and until the end of the Civil War, state law allowed only blacks to receive a death sentence for rape. Much of that attention was focused on Richmond, home of the governor, the legislature and the state's top civil-rights lawyers, as well as the location of what was then the Virginia State Penitentiary and its electric chair. She was emotionally upset, said the doctor, her underclothing was missing and her coat, dress and slip were "extremely dirty.". Appeals to the Virginia and U.S. supreme courts followed but also failed. Martin and his uncle later testified that the uncle warned Floyd not to make the trip in the dark. This is a carousel with slides. Four of the Martinsville Seven were electrocuted on February 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. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Despite the letter-writing campaigns, editorials, and local vigils, newly-installed Virginia Governor John S. Battle refused clemency. By the spring of 1949, all seven men were charged with rape. Please login and add some widgets to this sidebar. "[17], National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, False accusations of rape as justification for lynchings, "These 7 Black Men Were Executed For An Alleged Rape. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. The seven men, ranging in age from 18-37 years old, were arrested in 1949 for the reported rape of 32-year-old Ruby Stroud Floyd, a white woman who lived in Martinsville. Any monthly plan. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. It was the largest group of people executed for a single-victim crime in Virginia's history. Grayson said he was 4 years old when his father was executed. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. This page was last edited on 6 February 2023, at 23:13. By Tamantha / 08.31.2021 Photo: AFP via Getty Images Their quick arrest assured the community that stability was being preserved. Before their executions, protesters picketed at the White House, and the governor's office received letters from around the world asking for mercy. The Martinsville 7 Project, according to their website, seeks to highlight the case, share their stories, collect and post records related to the case, and promote the pardon request. Eric W, Rise, an associate professor at the University of Delaware who wrote a 1995 book on the case,The Martinsville Seven: Race, Rape, and Capital Punishment,said Floyd told police she was raped by a large group of Black men and testified at all six trials. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. All seven men were convicted and sentenced to death within eight days. In Richmond, more than 200 people, most wearing black armbands, marched to Capitol Square from a memorial meeting at Third Street Bethel AME Church. View Source. 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. Search above to list available cemeteries. First published on August 31, 2021 / 3:17 PM. All but one man were in their early 20s. Failed to report flower. 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. . 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. The image is a Newspaper Enterprise Association photograph printed in a newspaper that has not been identified. Each man was charged with rape and aiding and abetting rape both crimes punishable by death at the time. In this January 30, 1951 file photo, as temperatures drop below freezing, demonstrators march in front of the White House in Washington, in what they said was an effort to persuade President Harry Truman to halt execution of seven Black men sentenced to death in Virginia on charges of raping a white woman. "Thank you, Jesus. The Associated Press contributed to this report. 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. "Their punishment did not fit the crime. [9][10] An editorial in New York's Amsterdam News read, When we consider the fact that in the entire history of the Old Dominion state, no white man has ever received capital punishment for rape, then of necessity we must conclude that the death penalty for seven men for a singular crime was neither righteous, nor compassionate, nor wise. cemeteries found in Duplin County, North Carolina, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. The mass executions were the largest in Virginia in modern times. The mass executions were the largest in Virginia in modern times. The case of the Martinsville Seven was cited during the legislative debate as an example of the disproportionate use of the death penalty against people of color. MARTINSVILLE -- On April 19, 1949, Judge Kennon Whittle addressed prosecutors and defense lawyers gathered in his second-floor chambers of the Henry County courthouse. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. After being questioned by local police officers, the defendants initially confessed to committing or witnessing the crime. There were no black jurors because the prosecution vetoed all potential black jurors. African American History: Research Guides & Websites, Global African History: Research Guides & Websites, African American Scientists and Technicians of the Manhattan Project, Envoys, Diplomatic Ministers, & Ambassadors, Foundation, Organization, and Corporate Supporters. [2], The officials separated the men. Howard Lee Hairston, age 20, denied having sex with Floyd. What happened to the white American Ruby Stroud Floyd more than 70 years ago in a black neighborhood in the small town of Martinsville, Virginia, will probably remain unexplained forever. At the time of their arrest, all but one were between the ages of 18 and 23. "It means so much to me," he said of the pardon. He and his older brother (below) were not related to Frank Hairston Jr. Francis DeSales Grayson, age 38 and of Richmond, Virginia, denied having sex with Floyd; only defendant without local ties. Rise said two men said they had consensual sex with her, one man denied any involvement, and another man said he was so intoxicated he could not remember what happened. At the time, rape was a capital offence. The Martinsville Seven were a group of seven African American men from Martinsville, Virginia, who were convicted and executed for raping a white woman in 1949. She had previously distributed Jehovah's Witnesses materials in the neighborhood. The remaining three were executed on February 5, 1951. The case attracted national newspaper coverage. Three days later, the remaining three were also electrocuted. The Spotsylvania County Sheriffs Office has decided to end its participation on a national television show, at least for now. After being held by police overnight, the first six all signed confessions, implicating themselves and each other. At a hospital where she was examined for internal injuries, she told police that a group of black men raped her. Thank you, Lord," he said, as he wept while being embraced by two other descendants of the men. [2] The men were executed in early February. In advance of a large planned CRC demonstration in the state capital, Governor Battle doubled the capital guard and alerted the state militia. Try again. When she and the boy returned, Hampton said he grabbed her and the others joined in the assault, according to his confession. Ralph Northam, left, looks over the. Family members linked to this person will appear here. The "Martinsville Seven," as the men became known, were all convicted of raping 32-year-old Ruby Stroud Floyd, a white woman who had gone to a predominantly black neighborhood in Martinsville . His signed confession, like those of the others, was read into the record and can be found in the old files. Switch to the dark mode that's kinder on your eyes at night time. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. Three days later, the remaining three were also electrocuted. Their trials and the electrocutions became a cause clbre similar to the Scottsboro Case of the 1930s. All admitted to being present at the crime, including Joe Hampton, although not all took part in rape. "[2] Their concern was ensuring a fair trial.[2]. Cries and sobs could be heard from some of the descendants after Northam's announcement. A unique soul with a great personality has an amazing sense of humour, diligent and caring. Oops, we were unable to send the email. Why Movieland says you have to be 17 to attend a movie after 7:30 p.m. Ashland dairy farm announces Farmview Creamery to help modernize business, Farmville native caught with 42 lbs of cocaine, $862K in drug money gets 17 years, Diablo Doughnuts dishes up Unicorn Farts and more yeast doughnuts in Glen Allen, Norment, long among the most powerful in the Capitol, is retiring, Bezos 'ban' may speed up Commanders sale as league meeting looms, Mechanicsville man charged with 10 child porn counts, Millions at Risk of Slipping Into Poverty as COVID-Era SNAP Benefits Set to End, More than 300 words have been added to the English dictionary, Citizens travel to Peru's capitol Lima to protest against Boluarte, Russia accuses U.S. of intent to use chemical weapons in Ukraine. ", 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.". Switch to the light mode that's kinder on your eyes at day time. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Two of the men were tried together. 7 Black men executed in 1951 for rape granted posthumous pardons The Martinsville Seven were convicted of raping 32-year-old Ruby Stroud Floyd, a white woman who visited a predominantly Black community in 1949 to collect money for outfits she sold. "A white lady and a little colored boy came by and the lady asked where Ruth Pettie lived we all planned to get her when she came back.". Washington and Lee University law professor David Bruck said that even if the trials were fair and the men guilty, "the idea that you could have a 45-to-nothing ratio and that does not prove anything tells you that this was simply a judicial system that was not prepared to do the right thing.". The mass executions were the largest in Virginia in modern times. "We all deserve a criminal justice system that is fair, equal, and gets it rightno matter who you are or what you look like. 20072023 Blackpast.org. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. When the NAACP appealed their convictions, its defense team noted that when the police had questioned the men, they had been drinking for some time, and they were not allowed to consult lawyers or their families. August 31, 2021 / 3:17 PM Ruby Stroud Floyd always brought light to every room entered. While we can't change the past, I hope today's action brings them some small measure of peace. The prosecution vetoed all potential black jurors so that all-white and all-male juries heard the cases. "[6], In December 2020, the Martinsville 7 Project asked Virginia Governor Ralph Northam to pardon the Martinsville Seven posthumously and issue an apology. The Court of Appeals upheld the rulings on March 13, 1950, with Chief Justice Edward W. Hudgins writing: "one can hardly conceive of a more atrocious, a more beastly crime". Virginias court system repeatedly rejected the NAACPs arguments and the US Supreme Court rejected the case twice without review. All of the appeals by the NAACP failed. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Do you find this information helpful? 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. You have permission to edit this article. Your email address will not be published. I suppose that's how the electric nigglet was found innocent too. Floyd identified Grayson and Hampton as her rapists but struggled to identify the others because the attack happened at night. Together representatives, both black and white, of the CRC and NAACP, as well as other citizens, met with Battle in June 1950 to appeal for a pardon or clemency for the defendants in the case. 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. Try again later. In 1866, the state legislature changed the law so that execution remained an option for both races in rape cases. What makes the Justices so elite? [1] On August 31, 2021, the Governor of Virginia pardoned the convictions of all seven men, 70 years after their deaths. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. After being questioned by local police officers, the defendants initially confessed to committing or witnessing the crime. On the evening of January 8, 1949, Ruby Stroud Floyd accused 13 black men of raping her while she passed through a poor African American neighborhood in Martinsville, Virginia . Rarely. The hope generated by the Scottsboro campaign in the 1930s was followed by bitter setbacks in the post-World War II period. The young men were arrested, interrogated & charged with rape & attempted rape. All they are celebrating is the dismantling of White laws, laws which have held . The Civil Rights Congress and the Virginia Committee to Save the Martinsville Seven publish a flyer November 8, 1950 explaining why the Virginia case of seven black men sentenced to death was important for the fight against white supremacy. Ruby Stroud Floyd obituary is not public at the time, we will share more as we learn about the obituary and possibly the funeral. I will not have it otherwise.". To protect them from mob violence, they took them to other jails outside Henry County. On January 8, 1949, a white woman named Ruby Stroud Floyd was raped in a black part of Martinsville, Virginia. 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. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Thanks for your help! Image courtesy of Papers of the Civil Rights Congress. Have the opportunity to fulfill your request photo: AFP via Getty Images their quick arrest assured the that. Many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem `` Booker T. gave the little colored boy a and. State what happened to ruby stroud floyd 2009 were black women more detail or edit captions for you. American men sentenced to death within an eight-day period by all-white juries Hampton as her but. Ensure you have chosen this person will appear here or on the b! 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