The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-11-06
his age, not merely as gifted poet but as a
brave and successful explorer of the dark places
Of the earth. J. q. w.
HOMICIDE CASE IN CLARKE COUNTY,
VIRGINIA


enacted in Clarke county, of that State. A
slave of Colonel James Castleman, it was stated,
had been chained by the neck, and whipped to
death by his MASTER on the charge of stealing.
The whole neighborhood in which the transac-
ton occurred was incensed; the Virginia pa
pers abounded in denunciations of the cruel
act and the People of the North were called
upon to bear witness to the justice which would
surely be melted out in slave State to the
master of slave. We did not publish the &C
count The case was horrible; it was, we
were confident exceptional it should not be
taken as evidence of the general treatment of
slaves; we chose to delay any notice of it till
the Courts should pronounce their judgment
and we could announce at once the crime and
its punishment so that the State might stand
acquitted of the foul deed.
Those who were so shocked at the transac-
ton will be surprised and mortified to hear
that the actors in it have been tried, and acguit-
ted and when they read the following ac-
count of the trial and verdict, published at the
instance of the friends of the accused, their
modification will deepen into bitter indigna-
ton
From the Spirit of Jefferson.
COLONEL JAMES CAsTLEMAN.-The following
statement, understood TO have been drawn up
by counsel, since the trial, has been placed by
the friends Of this gentleman in our hands for
publication.
At the Circuit Superior Court of Clarke
county, commencing on the 18th of October,
Judge Samuels presiding, James Castleman and
his son Stephen d. Castleman were indicted
jointly for the murder of negro Lewis, property
of the latter. BY advice of their counsel the
parties elected TO be tried separately, and the
Attorney for the Commonwealth directed that
James Cestlemap should be tried first
1t was proved on''this trial, that for many
months previous to the occurrence, the money
drawer Of, line Tavern kept by Siepnep s. Chs
tleman, and the liquors kept in large quaint
ties in his cellar had been pillaged from time
to time, until the thefts had attained to con-
siderable amount Suspicion had from various
causes been directed to Lewis, and another
negro named Reuben, IA blacksmith the prop
erty of James Castleman; but by the aid of
two of the house servants they had eluded the
most vigilant watch.
On the Goth of August last, in the afternoon,
S. ID. Castleman accidentally discovered a clue,
by means of which, and through one of the
house servants implicated, he was enabled full
ly to detect the depredators, and to ascertain
the manner in which the theft had been CON-
mitted. He Immediately sent for his father,
living near him, and after communicating what
he had discovered it was determined that the
offenders should be punished at once, and be-
fore they should know of the discovery that
had been made.
Lewis was punished first and in manner as
was fully shown, to preclude all risk of injury
to his person, by stripes with broad leathern
strap. He was punished severely, but to an ex-
tent by no means disproportionate to his offence,
nor was it pretended in any quarter, that this
punishment implicated either his life or health.
He confessed the offence, and admitted that it
had been effected by false keys, furnished by the
blacksmith, Reuben.
The latter servant was punished Immediately
afterwards. IL was believed that he was the
principal offender, and he was found to be
more obdurate and contumacious than Lewis
had been, in reference to the offence. Thus it
was proved, both by the prosecution and the
Defence that he was punished with greater
severity than his accomplice. 1t resulted in a
like confession on his part, and he produced the
false key, one fashioned by himself by which
the theft had been effected.
1t was further shown on the trial, that Lewis
was whipped in the upper room of ware
house, connected with Stephen Castleman's
store and near the public road, where he was
at work at the time that after he had been
fogged to secure his person. whilst they went
after Reuben he was confined by chain
around his neck, which was attached to joist
above his head The length of this chain, the
breadth and thickness of the joist its height
from the floor, and the circlet of chain on the
neck, were accurately measured and it was
thus shown that the chain unoccupied by the
circlet and the joist was foot and half Ion
ger than the space between the shoulders of
the man and the joist above, or to that extent
the chain hung loose above him that the cir
clct (which was fastened so as to prevent its
contraction) rested on the shoulders and breast.
the chain being sufficiently drawn only to pre-
vent being slipped over his head, and that there
was no other place in the room to which he
could be fastened, except to one of the joists
above. His hands were tied in front-a white
man, who had been at work with Lewis during
the day, was left with him by the Messrs. Cas-
teman, the better to insure his detention,
whilst they were absent after Reuben. II was
proved by this man, (who was u witness for
the prosecution) that Lewis asked for box to
stand on or for something that he could Jump
of from that after the Castlemans had left
him, he expressed fear that when they came
back he would be whipped again; and said if
he had knife, and could get one hand loose,
he would cut his throat The witness stated
that the negro "stood firm on his feet" that he
could turn freely in whatever direction ne
wished. and that he made no complaint OF the
mode of his confinement This man stated
that he remained with Lewis about half an
hour and then left there to 90 home.
After Furnishing Reuben, the Castlemans re-
turned to the warehouse, bringing him with
them their object being to confront the two
men, in the hope that, by further examination of
them jointly all their accomplices might be
detected.
They were not absent more than half an
hour. When they entered the room above,
Lewis was found hanging by the neck, his feet
thrown behind him, his knees few inches
from the floor, and his head thrown forward
the body warm and supple, Tor relaxed) but life
was extinct.
Il was proved by the surgeons who made a
post norton examination before the coroner's
inquest, that the death was caused by strangu-
lation by hanging; and other eminent surgeons
were examined to show, from the appearance of
the brain and its blood vessels after DEATH las
exhibited at the post norton examination. that
the subject could not have tainted before stran-
gulation.
After the evidence was finished on both sides
the jury from their box, and of their own mo-
ton, without word from counsel on either
side, informed the court that they had agreed
upon their verdict. The counsel assented to
its being thus received, and verdict of "not
guilty" was Immediately rendered The Attor-
ney for the Commonwealth then informed the
Court that all the evidence for the prosecution
had been laid before the jury, and as no new
evidence could be offered ON the trial &c Stanhar