One of 20 people whose names were not reported
He was one of about twenty Black men in the custody of the State of Alabama who died on January 31, 1936, at the Scottsboro Prison Camp. That winter morning they were locked inside a caged transfer truck to be taken out to shovel snow and ice, and gasoline in the truck caught fire. Trapped behind the cage, the men could not escape the flames. Officials blamed the prisoners themselves, and the state later paid each family between $1,000 and $1,500. His name has been lost.
Cause of death, as reported: Died in an accident. Accounts reported in 1936 said gasoline in a caged transfer truck caught fire on the way from the Scottsboro Prison Camp, and columnist John Archibald repeats that account.
Reported by: 1936 news accounts as described by columnist John Archibald (reporters).