The ugly spectre of anti-Semitism reared its head here in the Morgan County courthouse, where Haywood Patterson, one of the nine Scottsboro Negroes, is being retried for his life. Formerly convicted of criminally assaulting two white girls, the United States Supreme Court upheld a plea for retrial, recently begun here.
Wade Wright, Solicitor of Morgan County, put into words the feeling of hostility against the defense, represented chieflly by Samuel Leibowitz, well known New York criminal lawyer.
Addressing the jury, Wright shouted: “Let it be demonstrated by you that Alabama justice cannot be bought and sold by Jew money from New York.” Mr. Leibowitz moved for a mistrial. He made a second motion for mistrial when Wright referred to the “New York clothes” worn by Ruby Bates, one of two accusing girls. And a third when Wright said that Lester Carter, witness for the defense, had probably changed his name from Carteretsky.
Mr. Leibowitz, in his reply, asserted that he was representing the Negro boys without any fee and at considerable cost to himself.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.