Henry Marrow

Henry D. Marrow, Junior, called Dickie by his friends and family, was 23 when he was murdered in Oxford, North Carolina on May 11, 1970. Henry Marrow's three killers were all found "not guilty". This verdict spurred a rebellion by blacks in the county and influenced events across the country.

Biography

"Dickie" Marrow was born to Henry D. Marrow, Sr. and Ivey Hunt Marrow around 1947. His parents separated early on, and when Henry, Sr. died in a violent quarrel, Ivey could not provide for her son alone. While his mother was working in New Jersey, Henry lived with his mother's parents in Oxford during his childhood, eventually moving in with the Chavis family during his adolescence while he attended Mary Potter High School. After his graduation, Henry attended Kittrell College for about a year.

At the age of 19, Henry Marrow, Jr. joined the military and was stationed in Fort Bragg in the same state; however, Henry did not like Army life and sneaked home often, making a three-hour trip, sometimes to see one Willie Mae Sidney. Henry was subsequently discharged and moved back to Oxford, taking employment at Umstead Hospital in Butner, NC and marrying Ms. Sidney.

Willie Mae Marrow gave birth to two girls, Tammy and Tasha, and was carrying a third daughter when her husband was killed. Mr. Marrow was 5'9" (175.26 cm), and 140 lb (64 kg) at the time of his death.

The Murder

Though the details of the story remain uncertain, Marrow seems to have been shopping at a local general store owned by the when he made a passing remark to a white woman. Some say Marrow's words were flirtatious and the woman's husband, who was 18 at the time, deemed them so.

Confronted Marrow, who denied the remark was to his wife. Struck Henry with a wooden plank several times before Marrow managed to throw gravel at him and pull a knife out of his pocket. Meanwhile, grabbed their weapons -- a 12-gauge shotgun, an over-under .410-caliber shotgun, and .22 caliber rifle -- and rushed to the scene.

Seeing himself outnumbered, Henry fled, running for the highway, and the three men gave chase. Fired his shotgun, striking Henry in the thigh and knocking him down. When the three reached Henry, they pummeled him with the butts of their rifles, the plank, their fists and feet. The butt of the shotgun fractured Marrow's skull, breaking in the process. According to the witnesses, "Shoot the son of a bitch," and one of his sons pulled the trigger of the combo rifle and put a bullet in Henry's head.

Marrow died in the ambulance on the way to a hospital.

Aftermath

The Marrow murder prompted the first major stirrings of the American Civil Rights Movement in Granville County. On the day of Marrow's funeral, mourners marched from the gravesite to the Confederate monument in downtown Oxford, where leaders spoke about the significance of the murder. A similar march was held the next day.

As upsetting as the murder to the black community was the fact that the white establishment quickly rallied to support who were charged with the murder. A legal defense fund was established, and the Ku Klux Klan stepped up its activities in the area.

In reaction to these events, a group of black Vietnam veterans launched a campaign of arson against the white business community. The burning of several warehouses and shops was worth an estimated $1 million in damages.

At the murder trial, following a jury selection process which produced an all white jury, the defense team first attempted to portray the murder as self defense, then on the last day of the trial, produced as a witness who claimed that he had fired the fatal shot, but accidentally (several witnesses had identified as the shooter). The jury returned a verdict of not guilty on all counts, a result which the prosecutor declared "absolutely the worst miscarriage of justice I have ever seen."

After the trial, Benjamin Chavis, a local civil rights organizer, started a boycott of white-owned businesses in the area. This boycott was eventually successful in bringing about racial integration in Oxford. By late autumn of 1970, the white community was forced to agree to the integration of the town.

References

*Tyson, Timothy. "Blood Done Sign My Name". New York: Crown Publishers, 2004.
*http://indyweek.com/durham/2004-05-26/bookshelf.html
*http://archive.blackvoices.com/reviews/books/bk20040622blood.asp