On March 25th, 1931, Victoria Prince and Ruby Bates claimed they were gang-"taped" by 12 black men on a Memphis-bound train. Nine black youths on the train were arrested and charged with the crime. Twelve days later the trial of Haywood Patterson, Charles Weems, Clarence Norris, Any Wright, Ozzie Powell, Olen Montgomery, Eugene Williams and Willie Roberson took place at Scottsboro, Alabama. Their defense attorney was an alcoholic, who drunk throughout the trial. The prosecutor, on the other hand, told the jury, "Guilty or not, let's get rid of this n's ." After three days all nine men were found guilty: eight, including two aged 14, were sentenced to death and the youngest man, who was only 13, was given life imprisonment.