Fourth Generation Inclusive

Historical Documents of Genealogical Interest to Researchers of North Carolina's Free People of Color

Tag: crimes against free people of color

August 10, 2015

He offered the boy for sale.

Kidnapping. — On Thursday last, a free boy of color, named Josiah Lomax, was abducted from the house of his parents, near this place, by an unknown white man, well dressed, of genteel appearance, and riding a good bay horse, with new Saddle and Bridle. In the absence of the boy’s father, this man told the mother that he had hired the son from her husband, and that he lived in this county. She thereupon permitted him to take away the boy. He has since been heard of in Richmond County, near Laurel Hill, about 45 miles S. West of this place, where he had offered the boy for sale, but refused to sign a bill of sale, or permit any conversation with the boy. Handbills having been forwarded in all directions on Friday morning, it is hoped that the man has ere this been taken up. We learn that before the above occurrence, an unsuccessful attempt was made to carry off a boy from another family. — ib. [Fayetteville Observer]

Tarboro’ Press, 23 May 1834.

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July 25, 2015

Acquitted.

Jesse Harris, a free negro, charged with the murder of Matthew Russel, also a free negro, was acquitted. The Hon. Edward STANLY, for the State; and Geo. W. HAYWOOD, H.W. MILLER and D.K. McRAE, Esqrs., for the prisoner.

…

North Carolina Star, 13 October 1847.

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June 7, 2014

With the intention of holding her as a slave.

HABEAS CORPUS CASE. – Yesterday forenoon, His Honor Judge Person, had Elizabeth Post, a free woman of color, brought before him on a writ of habeas corpus, the facts as we learn them, being, that Elizabeth was sold or hired out for a term of years, by the court of Cumberland county, and her term of the balance of it, was assigned by the original hirer or purchaser, to James Bryant of Bladen county. Day before yesterday said Bryant brought the woman down to Wilmington on board one of the steamboats, on the Cape Fear, and during the passage down she overheard some conversation, leading her to believe that it was designed to carry her out of the State with the supposed intention of holding her as a slave. On a representation of the facts to His honor, he issued a writ for the production of the woman, when upon an examination of the case it appeared beyond question that she was a free woman, and she was consequently set at liberty. We believe she was found on board the Manchester cars. No one appeared to contest her claim. – Wilmington Journal.

Weekly Raleigh Register, 9 December 1857.

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May 30, 2014

He tore up and destroyed his free papers.

KIDNAPPER ARRESTED.

Mr. James Franklin, a blind man, and a resident of Columbia, S.C., was arrested in this city yesterday, having been detected in endeavoring to sell a free negro into bondage. It appears that Franklin, about a week ago, went to Charlotte, N.C., where he made it known that he wished to hire a free negro to go with him and take care of him on a trip to the Virginia Springs. Harmon Proctor, a free negro, was recommended, and accepted the position. Franklin, having made his arrangements, went from Charlotte to Richmond, Va., when he changed his destination, and shortly after left for Greenville, Tennessee, where he has a brother living. After remaining there a few days, Franklin went to Louisville, and thence to Cincinnati, where he chanced to meet a free negro named A.W. Thompson, whom he engaged to accompany him to New Orleans, at which point it was understood that he intended to send Proctor home, taking Thompson for his body servant. In getting as far as Vicksburg, however, Thompson (who is a very bright mulatto, and a fellow of much shrewdness) learned of the disabilities imposed on free negroes by the laws of Louisiana, and prevailed upon Mr Franklin to return, which he did on the Edward J. Gay, which reached here on yesterday afternoon. While the Gay was discharging freight, Thompson prevailed upon Franklin to stop in Memphis for a day or two, and shortly after they made an attempt to sell Harmon Proctor as a slave. Proctor discovered what they were about after they had got him to the slave-dealer’s mart, and showed to the proposed purchaser the evidence of his freedom, which being shown to Mr Franklin, he immediately tore up and destroyed in the presence of the slave-dealer. These facts coming to the knowledge of the officers, the kidnappers, James Franklin (white) and A.W. Thompson (colored), were lodged in jail to await trial, as well also the negro whom they attempted to sell.

James Franklin is said to be a man of means living in Columbia, S.C., and a little fast in his expenditures for a blind man. It is supposed that the wily Cincinnati free negro first conceived the idea of selling Harmon Proctor into slavery, and then inveigled Franklin into it. Fortunately they are all in jail, and the guilty party will be made to suffer the full penalty of the law. – Memphis Enquirer.

The Charlotte Democrat, 9 October 1860.

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In the 1850 census of Cleveland County, Harmon Proctor, 18, in the household of white farmer William H. Cabaniss.

On 22 December 1856, Hermon Proctor married Anny Freeman. Rowan County Marriage Records.

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May 26, 2014

He sold me a free man as a slave.

$50 REWARD,

WILL be paid for the apprehension and confinement, so that he may be brought to justice, of WRIGHT ALLEN, who commonly calls himself Wm. Allen, who sold to me as a slave, a free mulatto boy named DENNIS. Said Allen is a very stout man, dark complexion, about 40 years of age, has an uncommon large hand and nose, the hand very covered with hair. I will give $200 reward for the recovery of the $500 which I paid Allen for the negro, or in proportion for any part of it. He carried with him from Fayetteville about ten days ago, a tall bright mulatto free woman named Mary, and it has been ascertained that they went North together by way of the Wilmington Rail Road. He wore a grey coatee with outside pockets without flaps, a black silk hat, made by J.R. & D. Gee, of Fayetteville, whose names are in the hat; his own name also is worked in the hat with yellow silk. Any information addressed to the Subscriber will be promptly attended to. DANIEL McKINNON. Stewartsville, Richmond County, N.C., November 27, 1838.

Fayetteville Weekly Observer, 28 November 1838.

 

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May 24, 2014

Miserable man, a strange being, kidnaps free boy of color.

Our Superior Court is now in session, Judge Caldwell presiding. … The next case taken up was the State vs. John Bullock, for stealing a free boy of color, named Nelson Dudley Richardson, from his parents in Raleigh, and bringing him to this place, where he claimed the boy as his property, and offered to sell him. The case was clearly made out on the part of the State, and after an absence of ten minutes, the Jury returned a verdict of guilty. The offender in this case has been well known in the Western part of the State as a great villain, having been twice whipped, once at Wadesboro’ and once at Asheville. … Carolina Watchman.

The Weekly Standard (Raleigh), 25 March 1846.

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JOHN BULLOCH – This miserable man, who has been lying in jail here for several months, for stealing a free boy of color, from his Parents in Raleigh, was discharged from prison on the 3d inst. He has been hanging about town ever since. One day this week he was detected in an attempt to decoy another negro. This is too much. Twice or thrice has he been whipped, and now just from a gloomy dungeon, he walks in our midst without the least terror of the law! Strange being! Has he common sense? Or is he led captive by the evil one at his will?

P.S. Since the above was written, this wretched man has experienced the “tender mercies” of a rail riding Court. On Wednesday night last he was rode on a rail. This is was wrong. The laws are our protection against such scamps. But the laws would not drive him from among us. We regret that he occasioned our young men to do an act they disapprove of as much as any people. We regret that he has been the means of bringing this stain upon our community; and we trust that he may never return to occasion a renewal of such a scene as our streets presented in the night of his late exit from Salisbury. – Carolina Watchman.

Weekly Raleigh Register, 17 July 1846.

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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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April 23, 2013

The hut was blown into fragments.

Outrage. – At Swift Creek, in this county, a few days ago, a most shocking and murderous attempt was made by some inhumane wretch, as yet undetected, to destroy the lives and property of a free man of colour and his family. It appears that the man had offended some one of his neighbours, who in order to be revenged, placed a keg of gunpowder under the poor fellow’s house, set fire to it, and blew it up, while its unsuspecting inmates were wrapt in sleep! The hut was blown into fragments, and the unfortunate man, his wife and child, were seriously injured. We sincerely hope that the miscreant who perpetrated this horrid deed will be discovered and punished.  Newbern Spect. 

Tarboro’ Press, 16 January 1835.

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April 15, 2013

Stealing free negroes of color.

Stop the Villains. Escaped from the Jail in Tarborough on the night of the seventh instant, William B. Crawford, a notorious counterfeiter, between sixty and seventy years of age, about six feet high, his head white; also, John M. Windham, about thirty years of age, five feet seven or eight inches high, with an uncommon long face and chin, his fore teeth very long and prominent; this villain was imprisoned at the last term of the Superior Court of Edgecombe to eighteen months imprisonment, for stealing free negroes of colour; also Elias Owens, about fifty years of age, who was in Jail for debt, and the principal instrument in breaking the Jail. I will give one hundred dollars reward for their apprehension and delivery in this place, or a proper portion for either of them.  BENJAMIN HART, Jailer.

Star, Raleigh, 23 July 1819.

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