The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-05-28 00:00:00

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Of siavß& IX rim *Mr
• INDIES.! .
THE ZING AGAINST HUGGINS.
Otinutsi of the Issial before the Mst.4l,treiev 4a the Mead of
Nevis, for cruelty towards are Nature Slaves. Taken from
the Papers nsw printed, wad before Parliament.]
Examination of Pram': Newton.
Q. You were the manager of Mr. Collie's estate
. .
on the 28111 of March ?—A. I was.
Relate to the Court all you know of what padsed
i! II the estate that day.—On the 28th of March Mr.
Huggins came to the estate, and after a little conver-
sation with Ine, lie went 'up to Mr. Cattle's house,
where he remained some time. L then sent him a
nese, informing him tbst one of the negroes, named'
Wm: Nolan, had been complained against for rob.'
- Nog a black woman in town of same calico, and two
or three pair -of stockings; and that I bad the pre-
, ceding day tracid i pair to the possessioo of Richard.,
1. lath Itioherd, if he would bring maths stockings, I
would pay him what be had given for them, which
stals2forrititts. 1 desiredlim to bring rheas at none,
which he peomised .to do, bet did .net. I again
asked him in the' ofteronbn for ; his reply
was,'" I line,got them, Sir ;" a second time I re-
limiter answer. I then told. him, if they
Were not brongls in_the orn_ieg..j would flog him.
I stated ip Mr..lloggins by note, that as he was pre-
sent, it 'vastly whh that he shouts:llm ate matter in-
Itifigetell„ sod punished; his answer was, lie would
sei.me directly. When be came down, the Negroes
•
were coming into the yard for their allowance, and
' ihelAn:y IftcortEtit the seine time came in with the
111.
, Tart. , 'psi asked bias about the stockings,
ata'di;ect ce tire, driver to flog him. Richard'
then pulled outne stockings from his pocket, and
addressing himself to me," that he would have
• brought them io.,tjte morning, bet that I had com-
pany."—ne waifiddL down and flogged with the cart-
whip, I reckoned ,flO latches whilst I was there. I
!ten left the' place, ,aid went up stairs, where I live.
During that tithe, the flogging continued; and after
had gone up stairs (which are a considerable flight of
stew) and gone to a window, three lashes were
given. TO the best of my knowleds7,e, he received
'then
100 lashes. The boy, W. Nolan, was
'then called, and he said, • negro, named David,
liarl bought a pair ; that 'David acknowledged that
• he hatl potight them; and that the third pair was
. sold to ono of Mr.Bousin's negroes. David was
,then raid dOwn and dogged. During the punish-
ment of Oa* I was up stairs; lie received 80
• lashes aid, the' cart whip fiom the ;awe driver..--
W. Nolan (the Wet) Visi-then laid down, and re..
spited from 25 to 40. Tetshes. lie had been linged
' the preceding day by me, and had received about the
time number oT Isbell.- He denied having stolen the
• stockings tome; but;is soon as he was celled by
Mr, flaggins, lie confessed it. 'Mr. Huggins then
"'ealhd.nat,," Bring out the ladies that were crying ;"
b• e, t pointed to a, woman, named Thisbe. She was.
' laid flown, and rec,eiied V 2 or 2; lashes. I did not
; hell any trinieriation or eaplanaooin used before
• cfii was floggedi if there was, r must have heard
it, haviog liea'rd all other words that were spoken.—
Mr. Doggies thensaidt"Thareare Mime more;" arid
the driver pointed out anothei woman, named Cressy.
Stie *as laid dew n, and recerved about 20 lashes; after
which Mr. Iluggins said," Cry now.".. Thisbe said,
" I did not cry,Sir."' William Nolen, Richard, and ,
Dall id, were at that time in the field; Int that Richard
waited on Mr. Cottle when he was here, and David
on him (the witness). When Mr. Cottle went to Eng-
land they were both put in the field, and another boy
given him in David's stead. Thisbe had the care of
M r. Cot tie's house, and was his house-servant, arid oc-
casionally attended Hie sick. Cressy was constantly em-
ploy d carrying guinea-grass out of crop, and tops
during crop, on a jack-ass, for the stock. That during
the punishment of the negroes, he observed the driver
reins in his milieus, a hen Mr. Hogging said," You
d•---d rascal, did I not order you to flog him ?" that
this threat was once or twice repeated by Mr. Hug-
gins; that the driver appeared alarmed, and, at one
time put his hand to his hat, and said, " Do, Sir;
do, Mr. noggins; that is enough;" that he sup-
poses every lash did not take effect, or they would
have been more severely cut, from the number of
lashes; that it was with great difficulty Richard was
held down; that he required all the negro men to
hold him.
Q. Were these five negroes the only ones that were
that day flogged ? —A. Yes.
At the time this punishment took place, was there
' ant disposition amongst the gang to riot or distur-
''trance ?—Not any, or I should have stepped forward.
Do you know any cause why there should he so
leech feeling shown by the women that cried ? Be-
cause I always understood they were brothers. to
Thisbe and related to Cressy.
After the punishment what became of the negroes ?
—f Observed them that day laying on their bellies on
a planksin the cooper's shop, with their breeches off,
end their shirts bloody.
Did they go to the sick house ?—•I did not see
them the following day, as I was the whole of that
,liy.employed in the rum Cellar filling ram; but the
sick nurse told me, they had gone there, and that
Richard had the fever ; I law David leaning with
both hands upon a stick, coming round as if from
the sick house.
flow tong have you lived upon the estate ?—About
two years and five mouths.
During that time, what was the general mode of
punishment or, the estate?—(Phis was over-ruled by
the Covet.)
Cross-examination.—You have lived on Mr. Cot.
lle's estate about two years and five months ?
Y.'s. Do you live there now ?—No. Who dist
missed ynu ?—Myself. aid you any other place
in slew ?—No. Where do you live ?—With a
friend. Why did you dismiss yourself ?—Because
I wrote Mr. Huggins a letter, which he did not an•
tower but in the mean time offered my situation to
another Gentleman, and as soon as I heard it, I re.
signed. DA you assign that as a reason wrote
to Mr. Iluggins, stating, "that I bad been labour-
ing ender suspense for some time, and that I bad
to inclination to be made a tool of." Was that
the purport of your note?—Yes. Did you write
mica bly, or with anger ?—t have no ill-will towards
Mr. Huggins ; but I could not he pleased. Did yoo
Wow Mr. noggins of the theft that bad been cora.
ruined, lay •Williern Nolan did? Was that the
first iutimatinn he had' of it ?—I believe it was;