Victoria Price and Her Mother * Victoria Price – born in Fayetteville, Tennessee * Victoria lives with mother, Mrs. Ella Price – unpainted shack in Huntsville * Victoria – Confident young woman, arrogant, pretty * Victoria worked in mills – almost 10 years (Earned good money) * Known as prostitute throughout Huntsville and Chattanooga * Mrs. Russell – Neighbor of Prices’ ; Victoria cause of divorce between Mr. and Mrs. Luther Bentrum ; Caught Victoria one morning – lying in backyard unconscious with a man in her lap
Plausibility of the Charges Questioned * Girls pressed no charges against Negroes – changed mind until put into custody * Victoria Price – Enjoys attention and publicity; The case meant nothing – showed no emotion and seemed unbothered by experience as long as they are charged with death penalty * Ruby Bates – Against position Victoria put her in; People at trial thought she was slow and stupid; Victoria wanted trial to hurry so death charges will be against Negroes
The Trial * April 6, 1931 – 5:45 in the morning – nine Negroes locked in county jail at Scottsboro * Thousands of people from nearby countries and states – came for trial – only people with special permits allowed in
The Return to Huntsville * March 25 – 10 in the morning; couldn’t find any work at mills, returned home to Huntsville – train * Met seven white boys – Ruby; did not speak to boys but Victoria talked, laughed, sang with them; Victoria declared they both talked to them (Interview) * Near Stevenson – 12 Negroes came on to train – Ruby did not know amount; Victoria said 12 (Interview)

The Alleged Rape – Victoria’s testimony * Charlie Weems – came first waving a pistol * Negroes fought white boys – forced them to jump off train; as the white boys left, they attacked the two girls * 6 raped Victoria and 6 raped Ruby; 3 who touched ruby left * Clarence Norris – first to attack Victoria; followed b four others holding her down * Negroes captured by authorities; alerted by white boys

Why Society Neglected the Boys * Never given a chance to do anything – illiterate, jobless, denial of civil, social, economic rights * White race not concerned about African American needs * Earns money by them doing the work * No interests to Whites – same legal and social rights

Scottsboro Case
Ruby Bates and Her Family * 17 years old – quiet and polite until she met Victoria * Ruby and her mother, Mrs. Emma Bates – only white family who lives in shack – Negros section of town * Scottsboro case meant nothing to Ruby – thought of her life having the same status as Negroes – going against white supremacy * Astringent towards Victoria for putting her in this situation * Mrs. Emma Bates – worked at largest cotton mill – Lincoln Textile mill
Negroes Tried in Four Separated Cases * First case – Clarence Norris (Molina, Georgia) 17 years old; Charlie Weems – (154 Piedmont Avenue, Atlanta) 20 years old * Second case – Haywood Patterson (Chattanooga) 18 years old * Third case – Olin Montgomery (Monroe Georgia) 17 years old and nearly blind; Andy Wright (Chattanooga) 18 years old; Eugene Williams (Chattanooga) 17 years old; Willie Robeson (Atlanta) 17 years old and suffered venereal disease; Ozie Powell (Atlanta) 16 years old * Last case – Roy Wright (Chattanooga) 14 years old * White boys did not go on trial * Lawyer for defense, Mr, Roddy – asked if possible to differentiate spermatozoa of white man and coloured man – not possible * Judge Hawkins – decided eight Negroes be electrocuted on July 10