The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-11-07
new HEARINGS
IN SCOTTSBORO
CASE ORDERED
Convictions of Negroes in
Alabama Unfair, Says
Supreme Court.
Continued from Page one)

the girls, threatening them with
knives and guns, had torn their
clothing from them and ravished
them.
Mrs. Price said once that five
Negroes had assaulted her. Another
time she said it was six. Again she
said that three had attacked her
and three her friends.
Ruby Bates equally was uncertain
about her assailants. Mrs. Price
was said to have been taken from
the train unconscious.
Yet both women identified with
out hesitation the Negro boys, who
hal been arrested as the ones who
had molested them. They discussed
in detail the caliber Of the guns
they said had been drawn against
them, and the knives.
Though Mrs. Prices story as
serted that the Negro boys and the
white boys shouted back and forth
while the assault was taking place,
the message wired ahead to Paint
Rock did not mention the women
at all.
The charge involved a crime COM
mitted in an open car in the early
afternoon, on train that passed
through Scottsboro and several
other towns and villages. Witnesses
were produced who saw a fight on
the train but none that saw any
thing else.
Within two hours after the girls
had been taken from the train at
Paint Rock, they were examined by
a physician.
Girls Not Excited
The evidence he gave was used
by the prosecution as establishing
its claim yet he found no evidence
OF hysteria or excitement in the
girls, and as to injuries inflicted in
the struggle" they described he
testified that both had few minor
scratches on their hands and arms.
The Bates girl had some bruises on
the lower part of the groin
about the size of a nickel and
bruised place on her shoulder; and
the Price girl if remember had a
bruised place here on her throat
and on her hip behind and a few
scratches on the forearm"
While the Alabama court held,
during the trial, that the char
acter and reputation Of the girls
was not an issue, defense commended
in its supreme court brief that it
is, in view of the medical testi-
mony, and asks that their where
abouts the night before the train
ride be investigated.
The story the girls told was noised
around the little town of Paint
Rock the day of the arrest, and
crowd gathered. 1t was decided to
hold the girls in Jail as well as the
boys.
During the night all of them were
taken to Scottsboro. Next day a
special grand jury was hastily en-
paneled. The nine boys were in
dicted.
Troops Guard Trial.
Trial was set for April 6, just
eleven days ahead. The Negro boys
had no counsel so for the purposes
of arraignment the presiding judge
designated all the members of the
Scottsboro bar to look after their
interests.
Meanwhile the local newspaper
had told of the occurrence under
big headlines, a large threatening
crowd gathered, which peace officers
addressed, asking them to let the
law take its course.
The Governor had been asked for
troops and three national guard
companies were on the ground even
before the indictments were re-
turned, a few hours after the
charges were placed.
The Negro boys had no friendly
visitors during the short time be-
tween accusation and trial. Their
folks said later they were afraid to
90 into that part of the county.