Ralph Benton, 1938 October 28

BENTON, Ralph October 28, 1938

Benton, a 3/-year-old black man, was serving a sentence on the
Fulton County, Ga.,y chain gang at the Sandy Springs Prison Camp »

One evening in 1937, Benton, the prison barber, and another inmate,
John Jenks were engaged in a crap game and got into an argument.
Benton tried to get Jenks to leave the game and step outside to
settle their differences but Jenks refused, Benton then left the
game and went to the prison barber shop where he obtained a patr of
scissors and returned, Jenks had then quitz playing and was stand-
ing by a stove when Benton walked over and stabbed him with the sci-
ssors, inflicting a fatal wound, His claim at his trial of self-
defense in which he stated that Jenks had first charged at him with
a prison-made knife was not substantiated by the witnesses to the
murder, fellow inmates and guards, and he was convicted and sentenced
to die, His execution was delayed by an unsuccessful appeal to the
Georgia Sppreme Court and also by a write of habaes corpus, He re-
ceived another respite when the electric chair was moved from

Milledgeville to Tatnall Prison, These and other legal maneuvers
esulted in his being sentenced to die on five different occasions

before he was finally e er ee ak the Georgia State Prison at

Reidsville on October 25, 1938,

ATLANTA JOURNAL, 19-28-1938; 10-25-1938; 10-21-1938; . 19 SE 166

BENTON, Ralph October 28, 1938

Benton, a 37-year-old black man, was serving a sentence on the
Fulton County, Ga., chain gang at the Sandy Springs Prison Camp,
One evening in 1937, Benton, the prison barber, and another inmate,
John Jenks were engaged in a crap game and got into an argument.
Benton tried to get Jenks to leave the game and step outside to
settle their differences but Jenks refused, Benton then left the
game and went to the prison barber shop where he obtained a patr of
scissors and returned, Jenks had then quite playing and was stand-
ing by a stove when Benton walked over and stabbed him with the sci-
ssors, inflicting a fatal wound, His claim at his trial of self-
defense in which he stated that Jenks had first charged at him with
a prison-made knife was not substantiated by the witnesses to the
murder, fellow inmates and guards, and he was convicted and sentenced
to die, His execution was delayed by an unsuccessful appeal to the
Georgia Sppreme Court and also by a write of habaes corpus. He re-
ceived another respite when the electric chair was moved from
Milledgeville to Tatnall Prison, These and other legal maneuvers
egulted in his being sentenced to die on five different occasions
before he was finally e poresg ee at the Georgia State Prison at
Reidsville on October 28, 1938,
ATLANTA JOURNAL, 19-28-1938; 10-25-1938; 10-21-1938; . 19), SE 166

BENTON, Ralph October 28, 1938

Benton, a 37-year-old black man, was serving a sentence on the
Fulton County, Ga, chain gang at the Sandy Springs Prison Camp.
One evening in 1937, Benton, the prison barber, and another inmate,
John Jenks were engaged in @ crap game and got into an argument,
Benton tried to get Jenks to leave the game and step outside to
settle their differences but Jenks refused, Benton then left the
game and went to the prison barber shop where he obtained a pair of
scissors and returned, Jenks had then quite playing and was stand-
ing by a stove when Benton walked over and stabbed him with the sci-
ssors, inflicting a fatal wound, His claim at his trial of self-
defense in which he stated that Jenks had first charged at hin with

knife was not substantiated by the witnesses to the
murder, fellow inmates and guards, and he was convicted and sentenced]
to die, His execution vas delayed by an unsuccessful appeal to the
Georgia Supreme Court and also by a writm of haba: He re
ceived another respite when the electric chair was moved from
Milledgeville to Tatnell Prison. These and other Legal maneuvers

erent occasions

Pepsre ash, betty afte peg ct Ute Cestyia Gvete Prisen at
Reideville'on October 28, 1936,
ATLANTA JOURNAL, 19-28-1838; 10-25-1938} 10-21-19385 . 19 SE 166

‘Ontober 28, 1938

pei
ATLANTA SOOTBUL, 19-2 foe 25-19; 19-21-19785 19