-
B. Poisoning Trial Transcript
- Louisiana State University Press
- Chapter
- Additional Information
] APPENDIX B [ Poisoning Trial Transcript James Williams, under his original name Shadrach Wilkins, and three other enslaved people, Warner, Tabby, and Mary Jr., were brought to court in Essex County, Virginia, on August 18, 1834, in connection with the attempted murder of a neighboring couple, Dr. Augustus Gustavus Dunbar Roy and his wife, Lucy Carter Garnett Roy. Warner and Tabby were tried and found guilty, while the attorney for the commonwealth declined to prosecute Williams and Mary Jr. (a male, also recorded as Merry Jr. or possibly Merry Jo in Joseph Janey’s estate inventory). The governor reprieved both Warner and Tabby and ordered them to be sold and transported instead. On October 27, 1834, John McMurry purchased them, with John B. Williamson also posting bond, and McMurry agreed to “carry out of the United States all and every of the said slaves so purchased by him.” Dr. A.G.D. Roy received reimbursement of $1,050, the court-ordered value of the slaves. (Auditor of Public Accounts, Condemned Blacks Executed and Transported, Miscellaneous Reel 2549, October 28, 1834, and Condemned Slaves, Court Orders and Valuations 1833–45, Miscellaneous, Reel 2553, pp. 0160–0161, Library of Virginia, Richmond.) A transcript of the legal proceedings on August 18, 1834, is reprinted here, from Essex County Court Orders, no. 48, 1833–36, Reel 97, Library of Virginia, Richmond. ] At a Court of Oyer and Terminer called and held for Essex County at the Courthouse in Tappahannock on the 18th day of August 1834 for the trial of Warner and Tabby negro slaves the property of A.G.D. Roy charged with plotting and conspiring to murder the said A.G.D. Roy and Lucy his wife. 152 appendix b Present Austin Brockenbrough Laurence Roane Gentlemen Justices Warner Lewis and James Semple Larkin Hundley The prisoners are led to the bar in custody of the Keeper of the common jail of this County, whereupon the Court doth assign, Wm B. B. Seward counsel to the prisoners, and the prisoners being arraigned upon their arraignment plead “Not Guilty,” and divers Witnesses being sworn and examined and the arguments of Counsel as well in behalf of the Commonwealth as the prisoners being heard, it is the unanimous opinion of the Court are guilty of the criminal offence aforesaid, with which they stand charged and doth accordingly adjudge and order that the prisoners be hanged by their necks at the public gallows on Friday the nineteenth day of September next until they be dead, and that execution of this judgment be done by the Sheriff of this County between the hours of Nine O’Clock in the morning and 4 O’Clock in the evening of the same day. And it is further Ordered to be entered of record that a Majority of the Court recommend the prisoner Tabby to the clemency of the Executive of this Commonwealth, and it is Ordered to be certified to the executive that the negro slave Warner is worth six hundred and fifty dollars and that the negro slave Tabby is worth four hundred Dollars. The deposition of Harriet a negro woman slave the property of A.G.D. Roy, being first charged and sworn according to law, Deposeth and saith that she was lying down, in the kitchen of her master Dr. A.G.D. Roy on thursday the 7th Instant, in the evening immediately after dinner. Warner (the prisoner) came into the kitchen and inquired of her (the Witness) if she had a phial, she told him she had none, that she had given hers to Tabby (the prisoner), the witness told Warner if he wanted a phial, for any particular use, she the Witness would loan it to him, he replied he wanted it for a very particular use, the phial was on the kitchen shelf and she gave it to him. Warner took the phial & went up stairs. Tabby (the prisoner) came in and asked what was that which had been mentioned of a phial, she the Witness told Tabby that she had loaned Warner the phial that she had given her[,] the prisoner, then Tabby remarked is that the way you do, you give away a thing to one person, and then take it away and give it to some other person, the Witness told Tabby she had not given it to Warner, but only loaned it to him, and when he was done with it, he [3.85.38.100] Project MUSE (2024-03...