[Courts and Criminals by Arthur Train]@TWC D-Link bookCourts and Criminals CHAPTER VIII 36/41
William Morrott \ Esquires James Graham / quorum Jacobus Cortlandt \ Esquires Grandt Schuylor } Justices Leonard Lowie / of the Peace Jacobus Cortlandt, Esq., one of his Majestys justices of the peace for ye said City and County Informed the Kings justices that a peace of Linnen Ticking was taken out of his Shop this Morning.
That he was informed a Negro Slave Named Joe was seen to take the same whereupon the said Jacobus Van Cortlandt Pursued the said, Joe and apprehended him and found the said peice of ticking in his custody and had the said Negro Joe penned in the cage, upon which the said Negro man being brought before the said Justices said he did not take the said ticking out of the Shop window but that a Boy gave itt to him, but upon Examination of Sundry other Evidence itt Manifestly Appeareth to the said Justices that the said Negro man Named Joe, did steal the said piece of linnen ticking out of the Shop Window of the said Jacobus Van Cortlandt and thereupon doe order the punishment of the said Negro as follows vigt.
That the said Negro man Slave Named Joe shall be forthwith by the Common whipper of the City or some of the Sheriffs officers art the Cage be stripped Naked from the Middle upwards and then and there shall be tyed to the tayle of a Cart and being soe stripped and tyed shah be Drove Round the City and Receive upon his naked body art the Corner of each Street nine lashes until he return to the place from whence he sett out and that he afterwards Stand Committed to the Sheriffs custody till he pay his fees. Many changes are rung upon this device.
There is said to have been a case in which the defendant was convicted of murder in the first degree and sentenced to be executed.
It was one of circumstantial evidence and the verdict was the result of hours of deliberation on the part of the jury.
<<Back Index Next>> D-Link book Top TWC mobile books
|