Fourth Generation Inclusive

Historical Documents of Genealogical Interest to Researchers of North Carolina's Free People of Color

Category: Crime

May 18, 2014

Docket report.

Edgecombe Superior Court.

…

Griffin Stewart, a free negro, charged with the murder of Penny Anderson, was removed on his own affidavit to Nash county, to be tried on Wednesday next.

Alfred Hagans, a free negro, charged with a rape on a white woman, removed on his own affidavit to the Superior Court of Wayne county, to be held on the 1st Monday of April.

Malachi Anderson, a free negro, charged with grand larceny, moved likewise to Wayne, on his own affidavit.

Tarboro’ Press, 17 March 1849.

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May 18, 2014

Jail break, no. 6.

BROKE JAIL.

Fifty Dollars Reward.

I will pay a reward of $25 each for the arrest and delivery to me of JOHN AMMONS and WILLIAM PARKER, who broke out of the jail of Robeson county on the night of the 4th inst.

Ammons is a white man about 35 years of age, fair skin, florid complexion, light curly hair, blue eyes, looks down, but on the whole rather good-looking. He is fleshy and heavy built, and about 5 feet 8 or 10 inches high.

Parker is a bright free mulatto, with straight bushy hair; he stands erect and looks up; speaks freely, and has a pleasing expression of countenance. He is about 5 feet 6 or 8 inches high. He is well known about Lower Fayetteville, and as a boat hand on the Cape Fear River. REUBEN KING, Sheriff. Lumberton, Robeson Co., N.C., August 6, 1852.

The North Carolinian (Fayetteville), 4 September 1852.

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May 18, 2014

He stole a free negro pass.

$200 REWARD.

Ran away from the subscriber, on the 10th day of October last, a negro man named PETER, about twenty-one years of age, jetty black complexion, high forehead, teeth of snowy whiteness, and remarkable for the smallness of his ears. He has an impediment in his speech, and when closely examined or agitated, stutters. He is by trade a Blacksmith, is about five feet eight inches high, and carried off with him a variety of clothing. It is supposed he will make for some non-slave holding State. He stole a free negro pass, in the name of JAMES WEAVER, dated about five years ago, a copy of which is subjoined. No doubt he will call himself WEAVER. I will give the above reward for his apprehension and confinement in any jail in the United States, so that I get him again. JOHN HEADEN, St. Lawrence P.O., Chatham co. N.C.

The North Carolina Star (Raleigh), 26 February 1835.

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May 18, 2014

Sold to servitude for idleness and dissipation.

Law. – The Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions for Edgecombe county held its sittings in this place last week. No case of public interest was tried, excepting that of Allen Morgan, a free negro, who was condemned and sold to servitude for one year, under the act of 1826, requiring free negros who are spending their time in idleless and dissipation, to give bond for the industrious and peaceable deportment for one year, or be hired out for a term of service not exceeding three years.

North Carolina Free Press (Halifax), 5 September 1828.

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May 18, 2014

Two cases of murder.

From the Halifax Advocate, Oct. 29.

Our Superior Court. — …

The next case taken up was that of a free man of color named Morgan. He was indicted for the murder of James Wiggins, a white man. The prisoner was defended by Messrs. Whitaker and Spruill. The testimony, in substance, was that the prisoner and the deceased, not long before the homicide, had a quarrel and that a few days thereafter, and before the homicide took place, the prisoner had been heard to make threats against the life of Wiggins, in the event of another dispute occurring between them; that soon after this the deceased, with three other men, went to the prisoner’s house in the night with a view of chastising him, and required him to open the door, he refused to do so, upon which the door after several attempts, was pushed open, and the deceased entered and as he did so the prisoner struck him with an axe burying the blade up to the helve in his bowels. The prisoner instantly fled and the deceased very soon died of his wound. After a lucid charge from Judge Donnell, the jury retired and in about ten minutes brought in a verdict of manslaughter.

The third case, was an indictment against Polly Carter alias Polly Harrison, a free woman of color, for the Murder of Nancy Combs, likewise a free woman of color. It appeared in evidence, that at the very moment when the deceased came in sight of the prisoner, the latter was listening to a conversation calculated to exasperate her against the former and immediately ran to her and struck her on the face. The deceased, who was a tall and athletic woman, and very far gone in pregnancy, threw the prisoner down with ease and while the parties were in this situation, a white man named _____ Hall came up and kicked the deceased violently in the side just above the hips. The parties were then separated, and soon afterwards the prisoner made another attempt to revive the fight. Upon this part of the case, there were direct contradictions among the witnesses. Some, and the greater number, affirmed that the person of the deceased was not touched, and others that she received a blow of some violence about the small part of her back. The deceased immediately complained of much pain in her side, and continued to linger in much distress for 6 or 7 days when she was delivered of a still born child, and did [sic]. In the opinon of the physicians who heard most of the testimony, the death was caused by the violence in the affray, and the prisoner was found guilty of woman slaughter, and imprisoned one month, and to pay the cost of the indictment. _____ Hall had fled from justice.

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The North Carolina Star (Raleigh), 6 November 1834.

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May 18, 2014

Beware the goller-headed swindler.

Beware of a Swindler.

WALTER BARROTT, of Moore county, N.C. eloped from his father’s house on the 11th December last, taking with him sundry articles of clothing and a large Sorrel Horse, belonging to his father, also a very likely bay horse, which he had just purchased from a man in Stokes county, and for which he gave a $100 counterfeit note. It is thought that he took about $4000 of counterfeit money with him. He also took away with him a free mulatto man named Berry Walden, and said that he intended to sell him and one of the horses, and then go low down in Georgia and So. Carolina, where he thought he could pass some of his counterfeit notes. Walden is about 5 feet 9 inches high, of a light copper colour. Barrott is about the same size, 30 years of age, of a dark complexion, down look, very curly black hair, black eyes, and think lips, hump-shouldered, knock-kneed and goller-headed. It is hoped the public will be on their guard against him, and that he may be arrested, and the stolen property restored. Moore County, January 1828.

Fayetteville Weekly Observer, 17 January 1828.

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May 18, 2014

Attempting to sell a free woman.

From the Raleigh Register.

A man by the name of Raiford Watkins, of Johnston, was brought before Justice Thompson, in this City, on Monday, upon a charge of attempting to sell Phoebe Flowers, a Free woman of color. He was bound over, in the sum of $200, to make his appearance at the next term of Wake Superior Court, and, failing to give bond, was committed to jail, to await trial.

Tarboro’ Press, 21 September 1850.

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May 17, 2014

The iron bars were sawed in pieces.

Sylvester Mayo, a free negro, and a negro man by the name of John, broke the jail of Halifax county, on the night of the 28th of September. They procured a case knife, a razor and a glass bottle; and with the razor the knife was made a saw, and the razor was kept sharp by being often applied to the glass bottle. With these instruments, the iron bars of the cage were sawed in pieces, and a hole was worked in the outer wall of the prison, which is constructed of bricks, and they escaped. The Sheriff of the county offers a hundred dollars reward for the arrest of Mayo. Mayo is a free negro and stands charged with the murder of Robert Roberts another free negro. John is a runaway slave, supposed to be the property of Miss Judith Turner, of Albemarle county, Va.

The North-Carolina Star (Raleigh), 19 October 1853.

In the 1850 census of Halifax County, Sylvester Mayhoe, 30, boatman, born in Virginia, and wife Tabitha, 22, born in Halifax.

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May 16, 2014

Twenty for the man, ten for the broken-down horse.

$30 REWARD.

Horse and Money Stolen.

STOLEN from the subscriber, on Thursday night the 26th Feb’y, a BRIGHT CLAY BANK HORSE, with a white blaze in the face, low in flesh and limps a little in the right hind leg, has a sore back. He was taken by a free negro by the name of Jacob Goings alias Morgan. There was a free girl with him by the name of Sara Jane Goings.

I will give a reward of Twenty Dollars for the arrest and confinement of Jacob Goings in Lumberton Jail, or ten in any other Jail in the State, and ten dollars for the return of the horse to me. DUGALD McDUGALD. Dondarroch, Robeson Co. – Feb’y 18, 1863.

Fayetteville Semi-Weekly Observer, 16 March 1863.

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May 16, 2014

20 dollars for his head.

State of North Carolina, Craven County, ss.

By RICHARD ELLIS, and WILLIAM TISDALE, Esquires, two of the Justices for the said County.

NEWBERN, June 27, 1777.

WHEREAS complaint hath been made to us, by James Davis, that a negro fellow named SMART, very black, about 5 feet 8 inches high, well made, and very likely, speaks broken English, but very artful and insinuateing, is run away, and is supposed to be lurking about committing many acts of felony.

These are therefore to command the said slave forthwith to surrender himself, and return home to his said Master. And we do also require the Sheriff of the said County to make diligent search and pursuit after the said slave, and him having found, to apprehend and secure, so that he may be conveyed to his said Master, or otherwise discharged as the law directs. And the said sheriff is hereby empowered to raise and take with him such power of his County that he shall think fit, for apprehending the said slave. And we do hereby, by virtue of an act of assembly of this state concerning servants and slaves, intimate and declare, if the said slave doth not surrender himself, and return home, immediately after the publication of these presents, that then any person may kill or destroy the said slave, by such means as he or they may think fit, without accusation or impeachment of any crime or offence for so doing, or without incurring any penalty or forfeiture thereby. RICHARD ELMS, WILLIAM TISDALE.

N.B. ‘Tis supposed he is harboured about South River, by one Abel Carter, a free negro, as he has been seen there several times. I will give fifty dollars if delivered to me at Green Springs, or 20 dollars for his head. JAMES DAVIS.

The North Carolina Weekly Gazette (New Bern), 14 November 1778.

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