Samarcand Arson Case of 1931

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The Samarcand Arson Case of 1931 was a noteworthy but now little known case involving sixteen female inmates at the Samarcand Manor State Industrial Training School for Girls.

[edit] Incident

The incident occurred at dusk on March 12, 1931 at the Samarcand Manor State Industrial Training School for Girls, located twenty miles away from Carthage, North Carolina.

Two buildings, Bickett Hall and Chamberlain Discipline Hall, were completely destroyed.

Sixteen suspects between the ages of thirteen and eighteen were charged the following day with arson, at the time a capital crime in the state of North Carolina.

Having just received her license to practice law twelve days before the arson, Nell Battle Lewis agreed to take the case as defense attorney. Through a plea bargain, in exchange for a guilty plea, the charges were reduced to attempted arson.

Twelve of the sixteen girls received adult sentences of eighteen months to five years, two were discharged and two received suspended sentences.

[edit] References

All information so far taken from

Bickford, A.L. (2007). Imperial modernity, national identity and capital punishment in the Samarcand Arson Case, 1931. Nations and Nationalism 13 (3), 437-460.