John Revels, a coloured barber, formerly of the City, put a period to his existence in Salisbury, last week, by taking laudanum. Raleigh Register.
Fayetteville Weekly Observer, 3 December 1833.
Coroner Wood held an inquest yesterday over the dead body of a free colored man, named Jordan Howard, employed at the Wilmington & Weldon Railroad, who came to his death from the effects of a shot from a pistol, accidentally discharged, on Saturday last, while in the hands of Mr. Strouse, who keeps a store above the Railroad. The man died on Monday.
The verdict of the jury completely exonerates Mr. Strouse from any blame in the matter.
Wilmington Journal, 2 May 1856.
…
Mary Brooks, a free woman of color was drowned while drunk at one of the wharves at Washington a few days since. Wouldn’t care if all the free negroes in Newbern were drowned. Also a slave, an old man, was drowned in the river near Washington on Sunday last. Sorry for him. Can respect a slave but have no good feelings for free negroes.
Newbern Daily Progress, 23 April 1859.
Witness: Love McDaniel
On the 30th March 1860 I was in Goldsboro with Henry Simmons. I accompanied by Simmons called upon William B. Fields for Simmons and told him that Henry Simmons had come there to have a settlement with him about his Wife & children according to their bargain & that he Simmons had the money to pay up what he owed him, when he told me to mind my own business & then left me. This was on Friday night. On the next day upon some information received by me myself & Henry Simmons attended at the Office of Wm T Dortch in Company with George B Strong Attorney for Simmons. This meeting was for the Purpose of a Compromise but we could not do so. Fields presenting and account which was Considered on the Part of those acting for Simmons as extravagant & outrageous for the Keeping of Jenny & her children making his claim to amount of $2300,00 The account being objected to he Fields offered to take $2200.00 and refusing to take anything less. Simmons through his attorney Mr Strong offered to Pay Fields $1800.00 which he refused to take. Mr. Strong then offered to Pay $1900.00 in Cash & the amount of Simmons account against Fields in addition on One part of Simmons stating that had the money and offered to pay it & I know the fact that he had the money present at the time. This Fields refused and swore that would not take less than $2200.00. I had no interest in the negroes except to befriend Simmons and had no secret understanding with him that I was to own the negroes nor did I then nor do I now desire to own any of them. I know Henry Simmons to be a good Carpenter having employed him to build a house for me and employed him at the recommendation of Wm B Fields who said he was a smart good Workman. Simmons was in my empoyment at teh time I went to Goldsboro & went at his request to take charge of his money & have a proper settlement made with Fields for the negroes.
Cross Examined by Defendant
Did you hear Simmons admit in a conversation in Mr Dortch’s office that he had taken back from Mr Fields one hundred Dollars in small notes which were insolvent for which he had given Fields in Part Payment
Answer — I have no distinct recollection about it. Question 2 — Was any money exhibited to Fields in this conbversation of which you speak in your examination in chief. Answer Mr. Strong had it in his pocket & put his hand & his breast pocket & told Fields the money was there for him but did not show it. I know that Strong had it in his pocket. The money was Bank Rolls on different banks in ther State. /s/ Love McDaniel
Sworn & Subscribed W.A. Haskin(?) Clk & Mast
This affidavit was filed in support of the plaintiff in the bill of complaint of Henry Simmons, a free man of color of Cumberland County, against William B. Fields of Wayne County alleging that Fields had purchased for $1500 from the estate of L. Dortch slaves Jenny and her children Jane, Mary and Charles, who were Simmons’ wife and children. Fields allegedly agreed to convey the slaves to Simmons when Simmons repaid the purchase money, plus interest, but refused to turn them over when Simmons presented his cash. Documents in the file of Records of Slaves and Free Persons of Color, Wayne County Records, North Carolina State Archives.
DROWNED. – The Newberne Journal of the 3d learns that a white boy, named Edward Smith, and a colored man, named William Mitchell, both of Newberne, accidentally fell from the deck of the schooner Dolphin, on Friday last, off Cape Hatteras, and were drowned.
Wilmington Journal, 12 October 1855.
A free negro by the name of Wm. Jones, was run over and killed near Goldsboro’, on the Central Railroad, a few days ago.
Asheville News, 4 October 1855.
THE DEATH OF COPES. – The sudden death of Edward Copes, a free negro, was announced in our issue of yesterday, as having took place in the street on Saturday evening. An inquest was held over the body on Sunday morning, at 9 o’clock, by Henry Whitherst, acting Coroner, with the following jury: Jas. McBrinson, Foreman; E. W. Deford, C.J. Nelson, John Mildrum, H.H. Brinson, John Sears, T.J. Barrett, John Dibble, T.J. Hughes, W.H. Bucklin, H.B. Lane, and C.S Haskins, who, after a post mortem examination by Dr Jas. Hughes, rendered a verdict to the effect that deceased came to his death by a disease of the heart consequent upon the sudden excitement of an arrest. It was the opinion of Dr. Hughes that deceased might have come to his death by excitement from any cause.
As this case has been the cause of some little speculation we deem it to be our duty to give the facts in the case as far as in our power to do so. It seems that Copes was master of a small boat or smack that was lying at the wharf, and that on Saturday night he went ashore for the purpose of getting some articles, and while in the store of J.W. Danner he was discovered by the watch, who arrested him as soon as he merged therefrom, it being past the hour that colored persons, free or slave, were allowed to be in the street. They started to the watch-house with him, but when they had gone twenty or thirty yards the negro fell and died in a few minutes. There were no marks of violence upon his person, nor had he received any punishment from the watch so it seems to us that there can be no doubts upon the minds of any but he come to his death from an affliction of the heart. In fact we learn that he had been subject to disease of the heart heretofore and had suffered considerably therefrom.
Newbern Daily Progress, 14 September 1858.
In the 1850 census of Craven County: Edward Copes, 41, boatman, wife Francis, 28, and children Isaac, 11, Jackson, 9, Margaret, 7, Jacob, 4, Henry, 8, and Jane, 9.
DISTRESSING. – A free colored man named Hugh Cherry, a carter, left this place with a horse and buggy on Wednesday last, for Williamston, for the purpose of brining a person home; but finding that the person had not arrived there, determined to return home that evening. The evening was stormy and an immense quantity of rain fell. Next morning he was found about twelve miles from this place dead in a ditch, and the horse upon him. The horse was blind and it is supposed, the man being unable to guide him in the excessive darkness, that the horse plunged into the deep ditch, which gave the buggy a sudden jerk, throwing the man forward and breaking his neck in the fall, plunging him into the ditch. The horse in his scuffle to get out got upon the man, and their [sic] remained until he was found next morning. Strange to say the horse and buggy were not injured. – Washington Dispatch.
North Carolina Argus (Wadesboro), 8 September 1859.
FOR THE PRESS.
WENTWORTH, N.C., Jan. 11th, 1859.
DEAR SIR:
On Friday last, according to the sentence of His Honor, Judge DICK, Lucy Hine, a free woman of color, and a resident of your county, was publicly executed about 1 ½ miles East of town, in the presence of an unusually small crowd, compared with the number generally attending executions. I was glad to see so small a crowd in attendance, as I think such spectacles have anything but a good tendency. – Instead of morality, immorality is taught on all such occasions.
The day of execution was a little damp, and the roads muddy, but not sufficiently so to be disagreeable. About 11 o’clock the Sheriff proceeded to the jail with the attending officer, robed the criminal for execution, placed her in a wagon, and conducted her to the gallows. – She was attended by three ministers, Rev’s Day, Fields and Norman. Arriving at the gallows, she ascended the scaffold with a firm and resolute step. On being asked, if she had any confessions to make, she relied, none more than she had already made to the jailor, which in substance is, that she was innocent of the murder, and that there was no plot whatever between Frank and herself to kill her husband, and that she lent no aid either for or against him, and that she helped to conceal the body after the murder was committed.
She then exhorted all persons present, mostly negroes, to beware of their acts and conduct and not so as she had done. Said that she had been a great sinner, but felt that she was forgiven, and was willing to die. After which Rev. B. Field of the Methodist Church, delivered a short and appropriate address; and at 1 o’clock, the rope being adjusted, the drop fell, and her spirit took its flight to that last resting place “whence no traveler returns.”
Much credit is due Rev. Wm. Gay of the Episcopal church at Leaksville, who visited the criminal the day before her execution, and prayed with attended her to the gallows. AVO.
The People’s Press (Winston-Salem), 14 January 1859.
In the 1840 census of Bethabara, Stokes County: Lucy Hine, a free woman of color aged 24-36, living alone.
Ten Dollars Reward.
RAN AWAY from the subscriber on the 8th inst, my negro man MINGO, aged about 45 years, of ordinary size, rather dark complexion, a white streak near the sight of one of his eyes, (which eye is not recollected) has rather a bad look out of his eyes. It is supposed that he is lurking about the lower edge of Edgecombe, or the upper part of Pitt, or he may have got as low down as Washington, Beaufort county, as his wife is a free woman of color, named Julia Read, lately of Pitt and has relations in Beaufort. The eyes of both him and her have been injured, his by a splinter and hers by a burn. The above reward will be given for the apprehension of Mingo, if delivered to me near Tradesville, in Edgecombe county, or if secured in any jail so that I get him again. All persons are forbid harboring, employing, or carrying off said negro under penalty of the law. MATTHEW WHITEHEAD. Nov 15, 1843
Tarboro’ Press, 10 February 1844.
Fourth Generation Inclusive 