CARTER, RUBIN "HURRICANE" & JOHN ARTIS PIN (1970'S)

On June 17, 1966, at about 2:30 AM, two black males entered the Lafayette Bar and Grill in Paterson, NJ, and started shooting. The bartender and one male customer were killed instantly. A badly-wounded female customer died almost a month later, while a third customer survived the attack, despite being shot in the head and losing the sight in one eye. Carter and a companion, John Artis, were brought to the scene and questioned extensively before being released. There was little physical evidence, and no eyewitness identified Carter or Artis as the killers. However, several months later, two petty criminals named Alfred Bello and Dexter Bradley - who had been near the Lafayette that same night identified the two black males that they claimed to have seen carrying weapons outside the bar as Carter and Artis. This, plus the identification of Carter's car by another witness, and the presence in Carter's car of ammunition similar to that used in the murders, convinced an all-white jury that Carter and Artis were the killers. Both men were convicted and sentenced to life in prison. In 1976 John Artis and Rubin "Hurrican" Carter" were granted a new trial, but were again convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. Eventually, the convictions would be thrown out and the State of New Jersey would not seek a new trial against the pair. Presented here is an original 1970's protest pin proclaiming, "FREE RUBIN CARTER & JOHN ARTIS."
This is an original, circa 1970's, metallic protest pin which pictures both Carter and Artis. Issued by the Workers Comm. Against Police Repression. Bold color and print. Bold, clear images. Pin firmly attached to back. Clean with no rust or pitting. No dents. 1 5/8" in diameter. Rare, the only example we have offered for sale.