Hunterdon County Democrat Excerpts concerning blacks from the 1800’s
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January 17, 1849, Vol. XI, No. 22, Whole No. 542
Fatal Camphine Explosion
The Baltimore Republican has the following account of a fearful scene in that city:
Last night between 9 and 10 o’clock the explosion of a camphine lamp, in the Asbury Methodist Church, (African), caused the death of one and serious injury to two females, whose name and residence we give below…. A colored woman, named Louisa Island, who lives in Salisbury street was almost instantly killed by being trampled upon. Another, named Ann Grant, was very seriously injured and it is thought she cannot survive. Another, named Green, had her collar bone broken by jumping out of a window.
December 13, 1848, Vol. XI, No. 17, Whole No. 537
Death of Col. Wm. Polk
Slave Rebellion – The Memphis Appeal, of the 23d ult, states that Col. Wm. Polk, residing at Walnut Bend, Arkansas, died on the previous day, and that his slaves, 300 in number, were in open rebellion….
Mar. 26, 1851, Vol. XIII, No. 32, Whole No. 654
A Horrible Tragedy in Mississippi
The following horrible and revolting act is taken from the Paulding, Jasper county, (Miss.) Clarion, of the 1st inst.
Since the time when the midnight murder of Dr. Longgon and family sent a thrill of horror through this community, no event has created a deeper sorrow and more pervading indignation than the assassination, on Tuesday last, of Mrs. Mary Dixon, wife of John Dixon, and her infant child, at her residence in the neighborhood of Wm. Bridges Esq., by Haley, a negro man belonging to Mr. Zachariah Thompson…
April 2, 1851, Vol. XIII, No. 33, Whole No. 655
Murders By Slaves
Mr. J. A. Gness, a resident of Barnwell District, S.C., was murdered on the 18th by a slave he was attempting to chastise. Mr. Strong, an overseer on Mr. Reading’s plantation, near Vicksburg, was killed by a blow from one of his negroes with an axe.
August 13, 1851, Vol. XIII, No. 52, Whole No. 674
Execution of Amos Green – Baltimore, Aug. 8
The colored man, Amos Green, convicted of rape, was executed at Ellicott’s Mills, today. He died protesting his innocence, repeating the same statement made to the Rev. Mr. Charter, admitting the intercourse, but denying force.
October 1, 1851, Vol. XIV, No. 7, Whole No. 681
Execution in New York
The execution of Aaron B. Stookey, for the murder of a colored man named Zeddy Moore, at the Five Points in March last, took place in N.Y. city prison on Friday, the the presence of several hundred spectators…
January 23, 1850, Vol. XII, No. 23, Whole No. 595
Man Killed
On the 20th ult., Jesse Woodward, a citizen of Green County, Alabama, was out hunting in the woods near his house and came across the camp of a runaway negro, who wrested his gun away from him, and beat him so violently with the barrel of it, that he died from the effects of it before he was able to reach his house.
June 5, 1850, Vol. XII, No. 42, Whole No. 614
By the will of Mrs. Sabra, who died near Brunswick, Mo., on the 3d of May sixteen or seventeen slaves are freed, and become heirs of the estate and plantation, and in such a way it is stated that they can never alienate the land.
November 20, 1850, Vol. XIII, No. 14, Whole No. 638
An old Negress died near New Orleans a week or two since. She was a native of Africa and from records in possession of her late master, Alex Grant., Esq., she is supposed to have been one hundred and thirty years old. She leave a husband only a little over eighty years of age.
January 7, 1852, Vol. XIV, No. 12, Whole No. 695
George Williams, a colored prisoner in the Monmouth County jail, died last week of lockjaw, resulting from running a splinter an inch and a half long in his hand.
March 3, 1852, Vol. XIV, No. 16, Whole No. 703
Mrs. Cooper, a young married woman, has eloped from Pompret, Windham county, Ct., with a “colored gentleman,” taking with her an only child. She is a decided “free soiler.”
May 19, 1852, Vol. XIV, No. 40, Whole No. 714
Killed By A Fall
Prince Hatfield, a colored man, who, for some time past, has been employed as a laborer in the liquor store of Dayton & Sprague, No. 107 Front street, N.Y., was found lying dead about eight o’clock Thursday morning, on the first floor of the premises. It is supposed that after closing the store on Wednesday evening, he had accidently fallen through the hatchway, and died before being discovered.
Aug. 24, 1864, Vol. XXVII, No. 3 (1357)
On Monday, 15th, by the same, Lewis Harris, to Lavina Raritan. (colored).
Dec. 20, 1864, Vol. XXVII, No. 19 (1374)
Married
December 8th, by Rev. J. P. Dailey, Samuel Epps, to Elizabeth Harris (colored).
At the same time by the same, Lorenzo Hackett to Mary Ellen Disbrough (colored).
Jan. 2, 1867, Vol. XXIX, No. 19 (1467)
Murder in Middlesex
A murder which seems to have been of the most wanton character occurred on the farm of Mr. Peter Perrine, near Englishtown, on Tuesday evening. A colored man named Joseph Rivers disputed with the wife of another colored man named John Redick. Rivers went up stairs got a gun and dared Redick who had been taking his wife’s part to go pit doors. He went and was shot by Rivers through the heart and lungs, expiring immediately. Rivers fled to Freehold and there gave himself up to the authorities, stating the murder was committed in self defense. A coroner’s jury found him guilty of wilful murder and he lies in jail at New Brunswick awaiting trial.
June 19, 1867, Vol. XXIX, No. 43 (1491)
Murder Near Plainfield, N.J.
A colored man named George West, was shot dead on Saturday evening by a man of his own color, named Sylvester, near a small place called Dog Corner, about two and a half miles from Plainfield, New Jersey….
Nov. 27, 1867, Vol. XXX, No. 14 (1514)
One of the three or four survivors of the old slave system in New Jersey, died recently in Paterson, at the ripe age of ninety-six years. – She was called Betty Peterson and was the last slave belonging to the estate of Abraham Van Houten, deceased.
Jan. 13, 1869, Vol. XXXI, No. 21 (1573)
Horrible Death
A colored man named Boice was suffocated by the caving in of a well on Wednesday last which he was engaged in digging at the new building in course of erection at Bound Brook by Mr. Jas. M. Thompson…
Mar. 10, 1869, Vol. XXXI, No. 29 (1581)
A negro girl named Louisa Fields, a nurse in the family of J. E. Mosely, of Louisville, Ky., caused Mrs. Mosely’s two year old boy to drink lye, which resulted in his death.
May 5, 1869, Vol. XXXI, No. 37 (1589)
Louis Lane, colored, was hanged for wife murder, at Pittsburg, last Thursday. He had four wives, and had served six years in jail for attempting to poison his third.
June 30, 1869, Vol. XXXI, No. 45 (1597)
Jere. Philyaw, formerly a colored U.S. soldier, but latterly a resident of Willmington, N.C., was bitten by a spider, last Saturday night, about twelve o’clock and the next morning expired.
July 28, 1869, Vol. XXXI, No. 49 (1601)
George Hasbrouck, a negro, while hunting near Port Jervis, last Thursday, shot a little daughter of Henry Hoffman, through the head, killing her instantly, under the impression that she was a wood-chuck.
Dec. 15, 1869, Vol. XXXII, No. 17 (1170)
On Tuesday evening last, Paul Gerard, brother-in-law of the Peruvian Minister at Washington, was married to Miss Wormley, daughter of a negro citizen of that city. The nuptial ceremony was performed by Rev. Dr. White, of the Roman Catholic Church, at his residence.
Feb. 16, 1870, Vol. XXXII, No. 26 (1180)
Alexander Gardiner, colored, was hanged at New Kent Court House, Virginia, on Friday for the murder of Mrs. Stewart and her colored farm manager, John Baker.
Apr. 6, 1870, Vol. XXXII, No. 33 (1187)
In Kent county, Delaware, on the 19th ult., Thomas Hagan, a Philadelphia peddler, supposed to reside on Pine street, was robbed and murdered. Two negroes named Lober and Young, have been arrested on suspicion, and one of them is reported to have confessed their guilt.
May 25, 1870, Vol. XXXII, No. 40 (1184)
A Notable Wedding – The much talked of marriage of Mark Rennie De Mortie, a Frenchman, with Miss Cordelia Downing, daughter of the well known colored caterer, George T. Downing, took place on Wednesday evening last, at the residence of the bride’s father, in Washington….
June 15, 1870, Vol. XXXII, No. 43 (1187)
A colored woman, named, “Mat”, who had lived in the Wyckoff family at Potterstown for 99 years, died last week, aged 105 years.
June 29, 1870, Vol. XXXII, No. 45 (1189)
James Vansycle, a colored man, accidentally fell into the Feeder, near Halstead’s basin, yesterday, and before any assistance could be rendered life was extinct.
July 6, 1870, Vol. XXXII, No. 46 (1190)
Lewis Kennedy, (colored), who ravished and murdered Mrs. Stewart, in New Kent county and killed John Baker, the farm manager, was executed last Friday morning, at New Kent Court House….
July 20, 1870, Vol. XXXII, No. 48 (1192)
A colored woman known in the neighborhood as Aunt Jenny Jackson, formerly a slave of John Van Horn, died at her residence near the Rocks, at Jersey City, on Thursday, at the advanced age of 113 years.
Dec. 7, 1870, Vol. XXXIII, No. 16 (1732)
An infant child of William Clark, colored, of Elizabeth, was found dead in bed on Thursday morning of last week, it having been smothered during the night by its drunken mother.
Mar. 1, 1871, Vol. XXXIII, No. 28 (1744)
Betsy Smock was a colored woman who has just died at New Brunswick, aged 108.
Mar. 29, 1871, Vol. XXXIII, No. 32 (1766)
Williamsport, Pa., March 22
Lloyd Britton, a colored, was hanged here today for the murder of Jacob Bray, a German, on the 6th of November last. He died protesting his innocence.
Nov. 21, 1871, Vol. XXXIV, No. 14 (1795)
Mrs. Thompson, colored, of Paramus, left her child alone in the house while she went out to hang up some clothes. On her return she found her child burned.
Feb. 13, 1872, Vol. XXXIV, No. 26, Whole No. 1807
Mary Suydam, formerly a slave of Cornelius Suydam, at Bedminister, died a few days since at the advanced age of ninety five years.
Judy Wiring, a colored woman, who has lived with a family of Friends named Woodruff, at Salem, for more than 50 years, died on Tuesday at the age of 106. She has a grand daughter living at Salem, aged 50.
July 16, 1872, Vol. XXXIV, No. 48, Whole No. 1829
A colored woman named, Weart, was killed at Wertsville on Wednesday by lightning.
Jan. 28, 1873, Vol. XXXV, No. 24, Whole No. 1855
Death of the Last Slave
Isaac Miller, or better known as “Old Ike”, of Green Village, Morris County, died in Madison a few days ago, at the advanced age of 86. He was the slave of Samuel Roberts, Sen., who died several years ago, and he belonged to that small class whom the State of New Jersey refused to liberate on account of their age when it abolished slavery….
Apr. 8, 1873, Vol. XXXV, No. 33 Whole No. 1864
The sudden death of John Moore, a colored citizen of this place, which occurred on Sunday evening last, occasioned a general feeling of regret throughout the village … He was sick but a few days.
July 22, 1873, Vol. XXXV, No. 48, Whole No. 1876
Died, Aged 122 Years
On Sunday Aunt Hager, a colored woman, died in the country near Alexandria. She was probably the oldest person in the United States, being 122 years old, having been born on the 21st of March 1751. She was native of Virgina, and was brought to Kentucky at an early day of
its settlement by Lewis Wilcoxen, whose wife was a sister of Ben Beall the elder, grandfather of Ben Beall, the present Circuit Clerk of Campbell county.
Jan. 20, 1874, Vol. XXXVI, No. 22, Whole No. 1893
Fatal Affray – A fight among the negroes on Sourland Mountain last Monday night, resulted in the death of one named Theodore Cruise (Cruse Jr.)…
Apr 7, 1874, Vol. XXXVI, No. 33, Whole No. 1904
Two Negroes Hanged
A dispatch from Sumter, South Caroline, dated Friday, says: ” Aaron Furman and Sam Vincent, two negroes, were hanged here today for the murder of a young white man of this town about eight weeks ago….
Apr 28, 1874, Vol. XXXVI, No. 36, Whole No. 1907
The Murder Trial
The third murder trial for Hunterdon county within the year, was commenced on Tuesday last, when Israel Morrocco and George Thompson, colored, were called to answer the charge of having murdered one Theodore Cruise, another colored man, on Sourland Mountain, in East Amwell township on the night of the 12th of January last….
May 26, 1874, Vol. XXXVI, No. 40, Whole No. 1911
A Colored Man Killed by His Mistress
A tragedy occurred about midnight on Saturday on the farm of Peter Barkley, between Dayton and Plainsboro, N.J., in the murder of Charles Timbrook, a colored man. The circumstances are as follows: Rachel Coward, colored, lived with her husband until about four months ago, when he, from some unknown cause, became deranged, and was taken to the Insane Asylum at Trenton, where he is now confined….
Jul 14, 1874, Vol. XXXVI, No. 47, Whole No. 1918
The two colored men, Lewis Rosentine and John Moody, who murdered Abraham Behm, near Harrisburg, in November 1873, paid the extreme penalty of the law at Harrisburg on Thursday…
Aug 25, 1874, Vol. XXXVII, No. 1, Whole No. 1924
Died of Obesity
A colored man named Charles Crook died a horrible death at Riverhead on Tuesday night last. He was a man of prodigious size and in consequence of a great accumulation of fat he had for some time been hardly able to get about…. His weight was 396 pounds.
December 8, 1874, Vol. XXXVII, No. 15, Whole No. 1888
Dr. Bird, Acting Hudson County Physician, gave a certificate on Thursday last for the burial of “Aunt Johnson”, a colored woman who was found dead in her room in Factory Lane. The woman was within a few months of 100 years of age, and during her first 40 years of her life was a slave and since then has earned a living by washing.
At Memphis, Tenn., on Wednesday last Charles Benson, white and Hattie Neal, colored, were committed in default of bail for violating a state law which forbids the marriage of white and colored persons.
January 5, 1875, Vol. XXXVII, No. 19, Whole No. 1892
Mystery In Cincinnati
In Gamble alley at the back of Central avenue in Cincinnati about ten o’clock on the night of December 29th, Mary Lee, a colored girl about eighteen years old, was murdered by some one at present unknown to the authorities. She was employed in the house of Mrs. Grant, a colored woman.
Murder
In Lee county, Miss., on the 26th ult., Richard S. Brown, his wife, two children and three colored boys were murdered, and their bodies were consumed in their house, which was fired by the murderers.
January 12, 1875, Vol. XXXVII, No. 20, Whole No. 1893
Lewis Adams, colored, was hanged Friday at Pittsylvania Court House, Va., for the murder of another colored man named Rice Wilson, in June last.
January 19, 1875, Vol. XXXVII, No. 21, Whole No. 1894
Mrs. Thomas Jefferson, well-known throughout Warren county as the “colored preacher,” died at her residence in Belvidere, on Monday last.
February 2, 1875, Vol. XXXVII, No. 23, Whole No. 1896
A Lively Wedding
Thursday evening of last week, says the Washington (N.J.) Star, Mr. Joseph H. McClary was united in the holy bonds of matrimony with Miss Malvina Hoff, all colored. The ceremony took place at the residence of the brides father, Mr. George Hoff, Rev. J. W. Myers, pastor of the Union Church (colored) officiating.
February 9, 1875, Vol. XXXVII, No. 24, Whole No. 1897
Nelse Seymour (Thomas Nelson Sanderson) the well known negro minstrel, died Tuesday from asthma and Brights disease of the Kidneys. He was the son of Col. Henry S. Sanderson, Collector of the Port of Baltimore at one time, and his mother, who is still alive at the age of 77, is the lady who made the original “Star Spangle Banner,” He was 40 years old.
March 2, 1875, Vol. XXXVII, No. 27, Whole No. 1900
Lucy Hawkins, colored, died in Washington on Monday, at the age, as reported of 115 years.
May 4, 1875, Vol. XXXVII, No. 36, Whole No. 1909
Two colored women, mother and daughter, named Elizabeth Thomas and Harriet Fisher were found murdered in their beds at Detroit, on Wednesday evening. Their bodies had been frightfully hacked with an axe. John Thomas, the husband of the former, has been arrested on suspicion. He is 62 years of age.
Sudden Death
George M. Snook, an old colored man who had been living in the family of Dr. Merriam, on Sourland Mountain, was found sitting in a chair dead last Wednesday morning.
June 29, 1875, Vol. XXXVII, No. 44, Whole No. 1918
Henry Logan, colored, was assassinated near Shelbyville, Ky., on Friday.
July 6, 1875, Vol. XXXVII, No. 45, Whole No. 1919
Albert Brown, colored, was hanged Thursday at Towanda, Pa., for having in August last feloniously assaulted and murdered a girl of five years.
August 3, 1875, Vol. XXXVII, No. 49, Whole No. 1923
John Smith, colored, was hanged last Friday at Charleston, S.C., in the presence of several thousand persons, for the murder of a white man, committed in February last.
George Harde, colored, was killed by lightning during a severe thunder storm in Baltimore on Tuesday afternoon.
August 10, 1875, Vol. XXXVII, No. 50, Whole No. 1924
Eugene Archie Kelley was hanged Friday at Selma, Ala. For the murder of another colored man.
August 31, 1875, Vol. XXXVIII, No. 1, Whole No. 1927
A telegram from the Indian Territory reports that Emeline Jones, who was to have been a principle witness in a murder trail has been brutally assaulted and murdered by a gang of ruffians. Also, that John Hatchell, a Cherokee, has been murdered by a colored desperado, named Howard
Cornelius Williams, colored, was hanged Friday at Jackson, N.C., for the murder of an old bridge keeper at Weldon, a few months ago. He made a confession implicating three other negroes.
April 10, 1883, Forty-Fifth Volume, No. 34
Many former visitors at the Roaring Rocks will remember Andrew Polhemus, a very talkative old colored man, who lived there. He died on Monday morning, the 26th ult.
April 24, 1883, Forty-Fifth Volume, No. 36
Mrs. Ann Cornish, a colored woman, died at her home at Milford, Camden county, a day or two since, at the reputed age of 100 years. John Cornish, her husband, who is still living, is said to be 105 years old.
May 8, 1883, Forty-Fifth Volume, No. 38
Obituary
Died on Wednesday morning, April 25, at the Township House of Hillsborough, Henry Schenck (colored), well known throughout Somerset and Hunterdon counties as “Uncle Harry” Schenck. He was born September 16, 1801, as a slave of Dr. Henry Schenck, whose residence was two miles west of Neshanic, near the South Branch of the Raritan. He lived with him for 14 years, until he moved to New Brunswick, N.J., and after an interval of some 7 or 8 years, during which he lived a part of the time at Harlingen, and a part with the Van Deripe family near Neshanic, he went to live with Dr. Jacob R. Schenck, son of Dr. Henry. He was liberated from slavery by him. May 23, 1823, he married Lucy Van Liew, a servant of the father of Dominie John Van Liew, who was for many years the pastor of the Readington Church. She was a year younger than he, and survives him. They were the first colored couple married by Dr. Gabriel Ludlow, of Neshanic.
Charles Manning, an Albino, died near Eatontown on Thursday of last week. He and his brother Peter, who survives him, were perfectly white, out of a family of six or eight who were black. At one time they were with Barnum, and also with other exhibitions and museums.
Murders In Morris County
The following is a brief history of the murders committed in Morris county, as gleaned from the Dover Iron Era:
In February, 1837, a colored girl working for Mr. Robt. Hight near Chester, killed her mistress. Mrs. Hight was about 70 years of age and was engaged in reading her Bible, when the colored girl became enraged at Mrs. H. ordering her to prepare the dinner… The girl was executed in May 1837.
June 12, 1883, Forty-Fifth Volume, No. 43
Mrs. Eliza Crusen, a negress, died in Trenton on Monday last, aged 103 years. She was born of slave parents on the farm of Charles Welling, near Pennington…. At twenty-one years of age her master set her free. She afterwards married James Crusen and removed with her husband to Lower Makefield township in Bucks county. Her husband died fifteen years ago aged 90. The couple had thirteen children, of whom seven are still living.
June 19, 1883, Forty-Fifth Volume, No. 44
Samuel Bond, colored, aged 14 years, was drowned in the creek at Salem, on Sunday afternoon. He was standing on a bridge across the creek, watching a number of colored men and boys who were swimming, when Dennard Roberts and Peter Johnson, both young men, seized Bond and told him they were going to throw him into the water. Bond, who is very small of his age, begged to be let alone, telling them he could not swim. Notwithstanding this, Roberts and Johnson carried him to the middle of the bridge, and, after swinging him two or three times, threw him into the current, where the water was over twenty feet deep. Bond sunk immediately. His body was recovered a few hours afterward. Johnson was arrested and held for trial, but Roberts had left town for Philadelphia, and officers are now seeking him.
On Tuesday, at Rockford, Coosa county, Ala., Jordan Corbin (colored) entered the house of Benjamin Carden and shot him while he was lying on his bed. His wife jumped up and the negro shot her down. Carden’s son started for the door to give the alarm, when he also was shot. All three were instantly killed. Mr. Carden’s daughter made her escape.
July 17, 1883, Forty-Fifth Volume, No. 48
