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re ew] ht ‘ “ é Cs few ae vt 4s a | 7 BHP re Ly Citizens Memorial Committee for the - ; Martinsville Seven and JOHN DERRICK poe It is noted that the Martinsville Seven were Beven Negrocs who were convicted of the crime of rape an Martinsville, Virginia, and were sentenced to death and electrocuted in February, 1951. _ V that the Communist Party, he Civil Rights ongress and the Communist Press gave considerable publicity to the case of the Martinsville Seven in 1951 in efforts to} free the convicted Negroes. eee ep La ee The "Daily Worker" issue of February 8, 1951, page 5, contained an article announcing a mass memorial meeting for "the recently executed seven framed Negroes of Martinsville, Virginia, and for JOHN DERRICK, 27-year-old veteran slain by New York cops" to be held in Harlem, New oo York, The article noted that the announcement was made by =~ a newly formed Citizens Memorial Committee for the Martinsville Seven and JOHN DERRICK, and listed PAUL ROBESON as being among the sponsors of the group. (e) Committee to Defend ALEXANDER TRACHTENBERG ALEXANDER TRACHTENBERG was indicted on June 20, 1951, in the United States District Court, Southern District of New York, for violation of the Smith Act of 1940, and was ... convicted of the violation on January 21, 1953. On October - 14, 1954, the United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, affirmed the conviction and on January 11, 1955, TRACHTENBERG was remanded to the custody ¢ of the United States Marshal. veal ces ee nn = aren