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In a South Carolina prison sixty-six years ago, guards walked the 14-year-old boy, bible tucked under his arm, to the electric chair.
Standing only 5′ 1″ and weighing a mere 95 pounds, the straps of the chair didn’t fit, and an electrode was too big for his leg.
But that didn’t matter. The switch was pulled anyway and the adult sized death mask fell from George Stinney’s face. Tears streamed from his eyes. Witnesses recoiled in horror as they sat and watched the youngest person ever executed in the United States in the past century die.
Stinney was accused of killing two white girls, 11 year old Betty June Binnicker and 8 year old Mary Emma Thames, by beating them with a railroad spike then dragging their bodies to a ditch near Acolu, about five miles from Manning in central South Carolina.
The girls were found a day after they disappeared following a massive manhunt. Stinney was arrested a few hours later when white men in suits came and took him away. Because of the risk of a lynching, Stinney was kept at a jail 50 miles away in Columbia, SC.
Stinney’s father, who had helped look for the girls, was fired immediately and ordered to leave his home and the sawmill where he worked. His family was told to leave town prior to the trial to avoid further retribution. An atmosphere of lynch mob hysteria hung over the courthouse.
Without family visits, the 14 year old had to endure the trial and death alone.
The sheriff at the time said Stinney admitted to the killings, but there is only his word — no written record of the confession has been found. A lawyer with the case figures threats of mob violence and not being able to see his parents rattled the seventh-grader.
Attorney Steve McKenzie said he has even heard one account that says detectives offered the boy ice cream once they were done.
“You’ve got to know he was going to say whatever they wanted him to say,” McKenzie said.
The court appointed Stinney an attorney — a tax commissioner preparing for a Statehouse run. In all, the trial — from jury selection to a sentence of death — lasted one day.
Records indicate 1,000 people crammed the courthouse. Blacks weren’t allowed inside.
The defense called no witnesses and never filed an appeal. No one challenged the sheriff’s recollection of the confession.
“As an attorney, it just kind of haunted me, just the way the judicial system worked to this boy’s disadvantage or disfavor. It did not protect him,” said McKenzie, who is preparing court papers to ask a judge to reopen the case.
Stinney’s official court record contains less than two dozen pages, several of them arrest warrants. There is no transcript of the trial.
Community activists are still fighting to clear Stinney’s name, saying the young boy couldn’t possibly have killed two girls.
In several cases like Stinney’s, petitions are being made before parole boards and courts are being asked to overturn decisions made when society’s thumb was weighing the scales of justice against blacks.
“I hope we see more cases like this because it help brings a sense of closure. It’s symbolic,” said Howard University law professor Frank Wu.
“It’s not just important for the individuals and their families. It’s important for the entire community. Not just for African Americans, but for whites and for our democracy as a whole. What these cases show is that it is possible to achieve justice.”
I wrote a few days ago about Lena Baker, a black Georgia maid sent to the electric chair for killing a white man. She finally received a pardon for her crime 60 years after her state ordered execution, when her family pointed out she likely killed the man because he was holding her against her will.
[READ: NEVER FORGET: The Only Woman Ever Executed in The State of Georgia (Yes. She's Black)]
In the Stinney case, supporters want the state of North Carolina to admit that officials executed the wrong person on that fateful day in June 1944.
But these old cases all have a common thread… these American citizens were robbed of their lives. Murdered by the hands of a “government” that proclaims “justice for all”. They never received “justice” because of the color of their skin…. and neither did Troy Davis.
Never forget.
Read more about George Junius Stinney, Jr:
Sound Portrait: George Stinney, Youngest Executed (2004)
SC Crusaders Look To RIGHT Jim Crow Justice Wrongs (2010)
When Killing a Juvenile was Routine
Too Young To Die: The Execution of George Stinney Jr. (1944) in
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OMG GOD I am shame for this country I really wanna cry for this poor little boy, it’s obvious he couldn’t have killed those little girls he was only 8 years old. And they wonder why we<<(the black race) is crazy. They’ve raped our women, killed our men, and had us work ourselves to death. Wow I’m just pissed beyond words. No other race on this planet has been through so much humilation and it saddens me deeply
O, my… RIP. That is just horrible. BLESS HIS HEART.
wow this is crazy and its a shame! how could he drag two bodies at 80lbs soak and wet!? Even if he dragged one body at a time he wouldnt be able to do it. I hope he haunted the ish out of those people who gave him death
I would have preferred not to see this. Anything that has to do with children really makes me sick.
Wow, thank you for posting this! I never knew about this story.
The Execution of Willie Francis
Race, Murder and the Search For Justice in the American South
Gilbert King
On May 3, 1946, in picturesque St. Martinville, Louisiana, a seventeen year-old black boy was scheduled for execution by electric chair inside of a tiny redbrick jail. Charged with the murder of a local Cajun pharmacist, Willie Francis’s trial had been brief and a guilty verdict was never in doubt. Willie’s appointed lawyers called no witnesses, presented no evidence and had not filed a single appeal once he was sentenced to die by electrocution.
As the noontide church bells began to toll, a crowd of townspeople gathered in the streets surrounding the jailhouse. Inside, the executioners – still smelling of liquor after spending a late night in the local taverns — strapped Willie into the electric chair. Three hundred pounds of oak and metal, the chair had been dubbed “Gruesome Gertie.” At 12:08 PM, the executioners flipped the switch. Willie screamed and writhed under his restraints. The chair shuddered and slid across the floor. But Willie Francis did not die.
Having miraculously survived, Willie was soon informed that the State would try to kill him again in six days. Letters and telegrams began pouring into St. Martinville from across the country—spurred on by editorials and radio commentaries. Americans of all colors and classes were transfixed by the fate of this young man. Had he been saved from death by the hand of the Almighty? Could Louisiana really electrocute someone twice? Was the boy innocent—the victim of secrets and lies told by powerful whites in the cursed town of St. Martinville? Into the fray stepped a young Cajun lawyer just returned from WWII, Bertrand DeBlanc. After a visit from Willie’s shaken but resolute father, DeBlanc resolved to take on Willie’s case—in the face of overwhelming local resistance. Despite the fact that the murdered pharmacist was one of DeBlanc’s best friends, and the knowledge that his own family was rooted in white supremacy, DeBlanc would battle those on both sides of the color line in the hope of saving Willie Francis from an inhuman fate. He argued the case from the Bayou all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court where it caused a rift between the Justices. Felix Frankfurter, tortured by his vote to allow Willie to face the electric chair a second time, would make an unprecedented and covert last-ditch effort to overturn his own decision and save the life of Willie Francis.
willie francis a black teen executed twice for a murder he didnt commit. he’s accused of murdering his boss. a white pharmacist
Willie Francis
Born January 12, 1929
Died May 9, 1947 (aged 18)
Known for First known incident of a failed execution by electrocution in the United States[1]
Willie Francis (January 12, 1929 – May 9, 1947) is best known for being the first recipient of a failed execution by electrocution in the United States.[1] He was a black juvenile offender sentenced to death by electrocution by the state of Louisiana in 1945 (at age 16) for murdering Andrew Thomas, a Cajun pharmacy owner in St. Martinville who had once employed him.
Arrest and trial
Andrew Thomas’s murder remained unsolved for nine months, until August 1945 when Francis was detained in Texas due to his proximity to an unrelated crime. Police claimed he was carrying the wallet of Andrew Thomas in his pocket.
Francis initially named several others in connection with the murder, but the police dismissed these claims. A short time later, Francis, under interrogation, confessed to Thomas’ murder, writing, "It was a secret about me and him." The actual meaning of his statement is still uncertain, but author Gilbert King, in his book, "The Execution of Willie Francis," alludes to rumors in St. Martinville of sexual abuse by the pharmacist. Francis later directed the police to where he’d disposed of the holster used to carry the murder weapon. The gun used to kill Thomas was also found near the crime scene and belonged to a deputy sheriff in St. Martinville who had once threatened to kill Thomas. It, along with the bullets, disappeared from evidence just before the trial.
Despite two separate written confessions, Francis pleaded not guilty. During the trial of Willie Francis, the court-appointed defense attorneys offered no objections, called no witnesses and put up no defense. The validity of the confessions was not questioned by the defense. Just two days after the trial began, Willie Francis stood convicted of murder and was sentenced to death by twelve jurors and the judge.
Execution, appeal, and second execution
On May 3, 1946, the electric chair failed to kill Willie Francis. Witnesses reported hearing the teenager scream from behind the leather hood, "Take it off! Take it off! Let me breathe!" as the supposedly lethal surge of electricity was being applied [2]. Another report states that he called out, "I’m n-not dying!"[citation needed] It turned out that the portable electric chair known as "Gruesome Gertie" had been improperly set up by an intoxicated prison guard and inmate Erica Taylor. "Little-Known Black History Fact, Willie Francis". from the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. The sheriff, E.L. Resweber, was later quoted as saying: "This boy really got a shock when they turned that machine on."[2]
After the botched execution, a young lawyer, Bertrand DeBlanc, who was best friends with the victim, decided to take Francis’s case, much to the dismay of the small Cajun town. He appealed to the Supreme Court in Francis v. Resweber, 329 U.S. 459 (1947), citing various violations of his Fifth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendment rights. These included violations of equal protection, double jeopardy, and cruel and unusual punishment.
The preliminary vote was in Francis’ favor. A court clerk mistakenly informed Francis’ legal team he had won his appeal.[citation needed] In fact, in a 5-4 decision, the appeal was rejected. The dissenting opinion asked just how many attempted executions it took before it became cruel and unusual punishment. Behind the scenes, Justice Felix Frankfurter, who cast the deciding vote to re-execute Francis, asked his old college roommate to secretly petition the Governor of Louisiana for a commutation, which failed.
Subsequently, Willie Francis was executed at 12:05 pm (CST) on May 9, 1947
Thank you for posting this! It’s a shame that we hold titiles for youngest person being executed and first women to be executed! Justice is not blind, we must learn from that past and stop giving Justice and her crew reasons to put us in jail. I’m so tired of black men refering to being in jail as a vacation! That is one vacation I don not want to go on!
I usually do respond to anything, but this sadden me so. My heart goes out to George. He looked so innocent. All I can say is "Father forgive them for they know not what they do".
@Alisha Fancis… MY GOD, MY GOD!!!!! GOD BLESS US ALL!
this is far beyond a case of inhumane treatment….how can we as a people look forward to the future when our past is always a hurtful reminder of things unchanged. i myself am being tried in this RACIST jusctice system…..and now since we can fast forward 63 years ahead, we now have our own race involved in this systematic injustice. i just hope the All Mighty Allah intervenes…..and i pray for our generation, we’ve come along way and still have so far to go.
My heart broke reading this. I cried from the core of my being. Just the thought of him having to endure this alone…
Wow!!! Sad
And I say this IS a racist and classist society that still has its FOOT weighing the scales of JUSTICE against U AFRICAN-AMERICANS and POOR PEOPLE of these UNUNITED STATES!
So basically someone got away with killing 2 little girls is what it sounds like to me.
BREAKS MY HEART!!!!!!!!!!
The shame is that we once were innocently picked up and dehumanized,raped,killed and unjustly persecuted. These things still happen. Now we are also killing ourselves as well as being subjected to the hidden current day abuse of racism. We know use alcohol,drugs,black on black crime to numb our pains. We need to stop assisiting the racist in their plots to destroy us. Let us take these lessons of the pass to realize that we must love and uplift one another. All as a united group can we fight these injustices which still occur at the hands of ourselves and others.
The white man in America has been pathetic ever since he came here and started the annihilation of the American Indian, stole this land, than imported Africans as their slaves to build this country. This is no different, think about the thousands of young boys they lynched during, and prior to this period.
Disclaimer:
I do not like white people, I tolerate them.
Injustice, inhuman these atrocities, hopefully these days are mostly past.
God is just. Humans are sinful.
Blacks have very good reason to hate (yeah I know hate is strong) Whites yet we don’t but they continue to date in 2011 on the path of hate and supremacy and it doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. This is heartbreaking. How can sleep at night knowing this kid was innocent of the charges and yet they murdered him? They have no morals, no heart and just a bunch of nasty, nasty people. If there really is a hell, I hope this racist society’s Whites who are bent on destroying Blacks end up in it!
And to think that America thinks of its self as a civilised country, you are no more than a barbaric society, a disgrace to humanity.
The last public execution in the UK was in 1868, yet in America you still practise this, that is have a viewing audience behind a glass panel to watch the condemmed die and yet you profess to be a civilised society !! Don`t make me laugh, you are a disgrace to humanity !
stupid nigger! He didn’t die slow enough!!
Someone has already paid for this sin….I am sure!!!
Thank you for sharing.
thats fucked up foreeal
Everyone I see this story, I cry and fume at the same time.
So sad.
That’ South Carolina for ya*
Same bullsh*t….
Different decade !!!
Wasn’t that long ago really. Shame on the people allowing that to happen. Times are still dirty.
Wow I never knew this!! He was only 14 years old can`t believe they executed him. What a shame sad story, what if he was their child?
*Everytime*. Sometimes this auto correct is a mess!
hmmm i was just thinking about this and it’s technically NOT TRUE… I mean he might’ve been the youngest person that ever went through some type of trial, was found guilty, and sentenced… but what about the generals and military men who murdered all those Native americans? some of them were children.
wow…sad
and for Caleb, maybe u need a taste of execution!…Ignorance
Read this on Wikipedia
Lets go home people!!!! We have built this country why not build ours up!!! We did it once and cannot even enjoy the fruits of our labor!!! Black people lets go home!!!!!
SAD!(((
Sad touch my heart
I always cry when I read this story
Boy dem white folks got away with murder all the time in those days. kill ya wife, kids, husband and then blame it on a black person. smh a those disgusting and heartless bastards of the past. my comment is not to be prejuidice against anyones color but dem ppl, i just cant.
Wow, I never heard of this story b4, we’ve come a long way, but still have a far distance to travel for full equality in America!!
Wow!
george stinney made 2 confessions.At first he said both girls attacked him and he killed them in self defense.Then he admitted he wanted sex with the older girl so he battered the younger one in a surprise blitz-style attack to get her out of the way.He then chased down the older girl,tried to rape her and killed her when she resisted.He said he used a 15 inch long piece of iron to murder the girls which he hid after killing them.He then took police to where he hid the murder weapon.It turned out to be a 14 inch long railroad spike.He never recanted his confession,not even when asked for any last words before he aws executed,he refused to speak.If he was innocent,I think he would have recanted his confession-also-How did he know where the murder weapon was hidden if he was innocent?
If we were to reverse the races, most of you would be absolutely sure that he was guilty.
These things do happen. Children are capable of murder, it happens everyday. Popular sentiment these days is; It just doesn’t count when the victims are White, and the assailant is black.
Read the transcripts, forget who is black and who is white,..and you’ll see a 14.5 year old unsuccessful rapist and killer.
This is why I hate white people I really do with a passion
Just because you are mad about the past, doesn’t mean you should hold resentment in the future.
And we hate you,(Not the whole race ,just you…)
This artical is full of errors. Go back and read it again to find the mistakes.
Wow this is definitely deep & sad they did this back then
This is so sad
Amazing story!!
This is so sad! I have read this many times and each time it hurts more. A damn shame!
This story breaks my heart every time. Let us not ever forget.
All I can say it’s OH MY GOD!!!
Raymond Santana Yusef Abdus Salaam Sounds alot like your story huh?
Wow… At a lost for words
Wow that’s a shame
My Heart, This is very Sad…….
Read about the lynching of Ed Johnson. Very important because the Walnut Street Bridge is a popular tourist attraction in Chattanooga. People casually and happily walk over this bridge blissfully ignorant. His case is important historically because it made its way to the Supreme Court. Thank you for telling us these stories Straight From the A. We need to never forget the horrors that we have suffered as a people and honor the memory and legacy of our ancestors.
EXECUTED!!! A MINOR??!!!! I AM SPEECHLESS. Well let’s see what he did.
this makes me sick and sad- I cant even imagine- how wicked those people were.
Racism existed way back then…still existing today.