Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1831-11-03
From The Rannuhs banner, Del. IS.
GENERAL MAI.

bENtlihb NAl.
| report having rsac he'd this place that a
drowned body Of negro had been found ia
New River near Bowysr's Ferry, supposed Ia
| be thai Of tho noted lender II the in.
surf.olioo 10 Sop,bsmrto Gsn. D,n,el Smith
oi TN. county, proceeded TO The place to dIsin.
ter and .Ismlne II. The foilo~ing ~ the state
neni which We have rereis-d from him. sinc
his rslurn. The examination, the result of
WHICH 10 contained below, was made on the
l7th instant
The bright II the negro WAS Eve feet eight
and ball inches, large chest, rather muscul'i
~ his make his ha,r was more than ord,nar'-
ly long, and ihick, except an the Top Of bs
head. Iii. beard ran from ear 10 ear slong
his und.f jaw TO his chin IN string on his
checks, from 'he length ol the beard aud the
mode OF cnti,ng II, u would seem he Vas GULF
vsIing uh,sktJS. lis feet and hands we're The
usual s,Zs vi a man oil hi. stature, aud no way
remarkable The knot mentioned in The Gov
s,nof's proclamation. WAS no where to be
found on either OF hi. wtiss. which were CARE
fully Examined. II was impossible 10 discern
the natural complexion ol his lace, owing 10
the ebange pfodueei by the mAunrI oil his
teath bat under his clo,hrs, tito Complexion
seemed brighter than ordinary fall bloods
Geo. Smith cav the shirt. shoes, AMI pantalpons
which he found 10 corr =, oad with the account
given oil them by Mr.. B,bb, rom whom tho
further iscis, were principally derived. From
the absence OF all other clothing, pack. and
from the geneneral description, zen smith ens
trrtains no doubt Of his identity with the ne
gro seen some tine since ~ BoIetouu coun.
~.
The negro appeared on the Goth September
at Bowye,'s ferry On New II yer, al break of
day, and requested Mr.. Bbb III, ferry'nan, to
set him over nj the ssms time stating to hi m
that his master had stsid four mites back, aud
would pay him the ferrage when he came Up.
MIR. BIob hesltal'ng 10 comply, the negro pun
his hand into his pocket, Ani said he would
himself pay the terriage ;ou ~hirh Bib char
ged him With being runaway, and told him
10 20 up to the house. The negro upon tins
looked confused, aud started briSkly down The
rVer, and MIR B,hb returned 10 the bouse To
get his rife. After this. Mr.. Bibb searched
Tor the frliuw several hours but without sue.
cess. In the evening, however, oil the same
day, he tracked him inlo his MIL, which rs sl'.
sted about 400 yards below lbs howe. On
the 81 nl Uc,. Mrs B,bh, the wife OF the ferry
man Uncovered the body OF a drowned negro
III the rIvfT II isw PAGES above the Jerry. She
seat Tor her husband, but before he arrived,
the body noated down the current The
following mnrniue, party started ~ search
al the body, on. either side OF the rlver, aud
found II AT the mouth OF keeny creek, , miles
below the ferry. After hurying IL. they retur.
ned home. AMI then proceeded up The river TO
the rsi shoals about 400 yards sbove the
terry. They there tonnd where hre had
been huiIt on the bank, and also dscov"red
where some potato bills Ind been opened for
POTATOES, some Of whlch were found IN The
negro's pocket. Bu, B,bb recognized thu body
ionnd. 10 be that OF the negro who had, on he
~ h, applied 10 HIM TO be set over the river.
There wss found npou the body 4 inch barrel
rifle pistol, the lock bemg attached with only
one indifferent screw, and iw,ne lied around
French spring back knife. and n butchers
knhr with a blade " inches long, walnut
handle. secured 10 the blade win lead or
pewter. Thu knife wa. made u, a Il Al file, thu
marks of the file beng apparent uponiI. lis
dress consisted of plan SILVER watch IRON
wire cham. Two PLAN KEYS. one steel aud the
other brass IN the face OF the catch Gear the
stem was engraved " Graham" and below,
" London shirt of dom site cotton with mn
IVORY collar button, pan'alnuns OF brown snuff
colored Iean', very common IL the lower coun-
ties of this STATE. aud shoes Of red leather r.
semhIlng somewhd, those made IN the Peni-
Tertiary, A pillow case was tied 20 his back
N"''"""G "o'"'ps oh smhh piece ~ bacon.
On The mofnlng OF the Goth, MIR. b,bb stated,
he had on striped vest to Use his own Ian.
gusge) white or bro vnish hat. Mr BibD
laarned that he sad negro had stated few
miles east. thai he belonged Ira Hurt OF Frank
lin county, that Hurt was SON in law Of Rich
ard Slaughter OF hanswha. wb re- he wa. gong
to work. II may be proper 10 state thai
Mr.. Ira Hurt Of thar county did marry
dsug her vi Richard Slaughter OF this COUNTY
HE vest and hat were not found upon the
BODY, oe'"e probably los. in attempting TO
SWIM The river.