Northam has now granted a total of 604 pardons since taking office in 2018, more than the previous nine governors combined, his administration announced Tuesday. August (1992): 461-490; Eric W. Rise, The Martinsville Seven: Race Rape and Capital Punishment (Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1995). The Martinsville Seven were a group of young black men executed in 1951 after being convicted of raping a white woman. Mrs. Joe Henry Hampton, Howard Lee Hairston, Booker T. Millner, Frank Hairston, Jr., John Clabon Taylor, James Luther Hairston, and Francis DeSales Grayson, seven Black men from Martinsville, Virginia, were convicted and sentenced to die for the January 1949 rape of Ruby Stroud Floyd, a 32-year-old white woman. 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. Your email address will not be published. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. [2], The officials separated the men. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Try again later. 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. 20072023 Blackpast.org. All Rights Reserved. In addition, each of the jury pools for the six separate trials contained some African Americans. August 31, 2021 / 3:17 PM / CBS/AP 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. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Joe Hampton, 19, and three others took turns raping Ruby Floyd, a 32-year-old white woman. On 31 August 2021, Virginia finally offered a long overdue pardon to the Martinsville Seven. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. The information shared above about the question, 1.Who was Ruby Stroud Floyd? Ruby was able to identify two of her alleged rapists. Please enter your email and password to sign in. Twice, the case reached the U. S. Supreme court, but the court has refused to hear it. Family members linked to this person will appear here. They were not assigned a lawyer. English The request from attorneys for Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao is an about-face from their earlier request to have the trial publicly broadcast, and is . Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Please if you have any form of concern, suggestions, or query as regards this publication, kindly contact us. Residents warned her not to stay too long, noting the time as late afternoon. While Ruby Stroud Floyd was being treated in hospital after the alleged rape, police arrested six suspects, and two days later a seventh. Oldest Creation Story, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/16973605/ruby-floyd_kirkwood. 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, Virginia, on Jan. 8, 1949, to collect money for clothes she had sold. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Try again later. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Joe Henry Hampton, Howard Lee Hairston, Booker T. Millner, Frank Hairston, Jr., John Clabon Taylor, James Luther Hairston, and Francis DeSales Grayson, seven Black men from Martinsville, Virginia, were convicted and sentenced to die for the January 1949 rape of Ruby Stroud Floyd, a 32-year-old white woman. While we can't change the past, I hope today's action brings them some small measure of peace. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Ruby Hardgraves Floyd Kirkwood I found on Findagrave.com. Now, They Have Been Pardoned", A Year of History: Martinsville Seven executions remain 'a raw wound' for many, "Seeking Justice For The Martinsville Seven", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Martinsville_Seven&oldid=1129000122, Frank Hairston Jr., age 20, confessed to rape, Booker T. Millner, age 22, said he was present, but did not take part. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. We treat the cause of your spine/joint problems. Defense lawyers claimed that the initial confessions were forced by the local sheriff. On 31 August 2021, Virginia finally offered a long overdue pardon to the Martinsville Seven. Martin A. Martin of the Richmond law firm Hill, Martin and Robinson, was the lead attorney for the appellate defense team for the NAACP in Virginia, as his firm had considerable experience with civil rights cases. [2], The trials were held back to back, each with a separate jury of twelve white men. Only one of the accused had a prior criminal record, and most of the men were employed. Weve updated the security on the site. [2], The NAACP thought that involvement by the CRC in appeals could endanger the defendants both because of their inflammatory tactics and its communist affiliation. 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,. The case garnered national news coverage. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. She had previously distributed Jehovah's Witnesses materials in the neighborhood. They were not assigned a lawyer. GREAT NEWS! An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. Ruby Stroud Floyd always brought light to every room entered. Thanks for your help! BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. October 27 is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 65 days remain until the end of the year. Her maiden was Hargraves, and her brother is buried next to her.---------------------From Find A Grave contributor cherwill---Ruby Hardgraves' mother was Sarah Adel Edwards. Ruby was spiraling out of control - and going off her program for healthy weight loss. 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. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. At 7:30p.m., after dark, she went to Mary Wade's house for shelter, showing signs of an assault. Floyd identified Grayson and Hampton as her rapists but struggled to identify the others because the attack happened at night. Their trials and the electrocutions became a cause clbre similar to the Scottsboro Case of the 1930s. 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. 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. There was physical evidence that the rape victim, 32-year-old Ruby Stroud Floyd, had . The Associated Press contributed to this report. He vowed to "catch the woman" on her return. Floyd passed away in March 1981, at age 77. As his life ended, Booker Millner prayed for forgiveness for "the men who are doing this to us.". Some of the defendants acknowledged having sexual intercourse with Floyd, but said that it was consensual, or that she did not resist or say no, either considered necessary as a condition to prove rape. [15] It is the largest execution for rape charges in the United States. Martin A. Martin and other NAACP attorneys defended the men on appeals, attempting to ensure fair trials, set due process precedents, and gain clemency or sentence reductions. Floyd, a 32-year-old white woman, was a familiar face in the black Cherry Town neighborhood. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. At each of her trial appearances, Professor Rise tells us, Mrs. Floyd was highly emotional, sobbing so violently that her questioning had to be interrupted. He added, "One can hardly conceive of a more atrocious, a more beastly crime.". Virginia law authorized capital punishment for accessories, parties to the act of rape who did not take part in the act. Grayson said he was 4 years old when his father was executed. (47) In fact, the court had to postpone the second trial for a day because Mrs. Floyd's doctor told the judge in chambers that her physical and mental condition made it "inadvisable" for her to testify that day. Switch to the dark mode that's kinder on your eyes at night time. It was a dramatic shift for Virginia, a state that had the second-highest number of executions in the U.S. Ruby Floyd. The Martinsville Seven, as the men became known, were all convicted of raping Ruby Stroud Floyd, a White woman who had gone to a predominantly Black neighborhood in Martinsville on Jan. 8, 1949, to collect money for clothes she had sold. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Ruby Stroud Floyd was 32 years old at the time of the attack. Three days later, three more men were electrocuted. The Martinsville Seven case drew national attention at the time . They argued for lesser sentences, but Battle resisted their pleas. He added, "If she was a drunk we might get by with it but I could tell from the way that she talked that she was a good woman.". One of the convicted men's parents contacted the CRC directly and asked one of its lawyers to defend their son DeSales Grayson. Her incredible weight-loss journey was documented by the Style Network on the reality show "Ruby" -- but what happened after the show was canceled? Martinsville 7 case explained. She had gone to a predominantly black neighbourhood in Martinsville, Virginia on 8 January, 1949, to collect money for clothes she had sold. Her family was from Bixby. From celebrity news to music, film and television, Eve covers all bases. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Ruby Stroud Floyd I found on Findagrave.com. Floyd identified two of the men - Francis DeSales Grayson and Joe Henry Hampton - as her alleged attackers. Please reset your password. He kissed us and they took him away," he told The Associated Press in an interview after the announcement. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Ruby Stroud Floyd was 32 years old at the time of the attack. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Virginias court system repeatedly rejected the NAACPs arguments and the US Supreme Court rejected the case twice without review. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. "I here and now admonish you that this case must and will be tried in such a way as not to disturb the kindly feeling now locally existing between the races.". The rapes occurred on Saturday, January 8, 1949, after Ruby Stroud Floyd, a 32-year-old white woman, entered a black neighborhood in Martinsville, Virginia, to collect money for clothing she had sold. We have set your language to Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. - JacAnswers. They were quickly tried in six separate trials (two agreed to be tried together), and each was convicted and sentenced to death. While Ruby Stroud Floyd was being treated in hospital after the alleged rape, police arrested six suspects, and two days later a seventh. "It means so much to me," he said of the pardon. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. {{^disable_secondary_title}} {{#secondary_title}} {{secondary_title}} {{/secondary_title}} {{^secondary_title}} {{title.raw}} {{/secondary_title}} {{/disable_secondary_title}} {{#disable_secondary_title}} {{ title.raw }} {{/disable_secondary_title}}, 2023 GRV Media Ltd. All Rights Reserved. "There was a lot of pressure," she said. The mass executions were the largest in Virginia in modern times. A Jehovah's Witness, she was known as the Watchtower Lady for her threshold evangelism there. August 31, 2021 / 3:17 PM Floyd lived in Marengo, Indiana 47140, USA. Before their executions, protesters picketed at the White House, and the governor's office received letters from around the world asking for mercy. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. Seven decades after seven men from the state were executed for an alleged sexual assault, they have been offered a posthumous pardon from Gov. 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 "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 . Within 30 hours of Stroud's rape, all seven men had signed written confessions. This account has been disabled. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. 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. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Ruby Stroud Floyd Obituary: In the loving memory of Ruby Stroud Floyd, we are saddened to inform you that Ruby Stroud Floyd, a beloved and loyal friend, has passed away. These men were facing capital punishment over the alleged rape of a white woman, Ruby Stroud Floyd, two years prior. All of them were tried by all-White juries. At the time, rape was a capital offense. "These men were executed because they were Black, and that's not right," Northam said. She attended Palmer Grove. 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. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. These men were facing capital punishment over the alleged rape of a white woman, Ruby Stroud Floyd, two years prior. Since they ranged widely in experience, he asked the more experienced ones to aid the newer attorneys. Virginia had historically convicted and executed numerous black men accused of raping white women; for most of its history, only blacks were sentenced to death for rape. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. "Maybe if I hadn't been drinking I wouldn't have done what I did. The" Martinsville Seven," as the men became known, were all convicted of raping 32-year-old Ruby Stroud Floyd, a white woman on Jan. 8, 1949. Also arrested were James Hairston, 20, no relation to the half-brothers, John Taylor, 21, and Frank DeSales Grayson, 36. [8][16], On August 31, 2021, Governor Ralph Northam posthumously pardoned all seven men. This is about righting the wrongs of our criminal justice system. [6], No trial lasted more than a day, and the longest jury deliberation lasted less than two hours. Learn more about merges. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. 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. A life so beautifully lived deserves to be beautifully remembered. As his life ended, Booker Millner prayed for forgiveness for the men who are doing this to us., "I know I was wrong to have gone with the woman," Frank Hairston testified. Lloyd Ruby (January 12, 1928 - March 23, 2009) [1] was an American racecar driver who raced in the USAC Championship Car series for 20 years, achieving 7 victories and 88 top-ten finishes. 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, Virginia, on Jan. 8, 1949, to collect money for clothes she had sold. Ralph Northam has granted posthumous pardons to seven Black men executed in 1951 for the rape of a white woman. Pretty Boy Floyd Charles Arthur Floyd (February 3, 1904 - October 22, 1934), nicknamed Pretty Boy Floyd, was an American bank robber. There was an error deleting this problem. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Cops rounded up seven suspects, including the four bottle-swiggers: Hampton, half-brothers Howard and Frank Hairston, both 18, and Booker Millner, 20. All were employed, and only one had a criminal record. We all deserve a criminal justice system that is fair, equal, and gets it rightno matter who you are or what you look like. On February 2, 1951, four of the men were executed on the electric chair. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. But Martinsville, then a prosperous furniture manufacturing center of 17,500, regarded itself as less racist than the Deep South. Addition, each of the men who are doing this to us. `` lived in Marengo, Indiana,... Rape of a more atrocious, a 32-year-old white woman, was a capital offense based on dates. Each of the jury pools for the rape victim, 32-year-old Ruby Stroud Floyd was 32 years when! 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