The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-04-22
0eps of tbe Dan.
NEGRO STEALING

Last week, we copied a paragraph from
the Columbia Times, stating that mer-
chant residing in Sumterville had been
arrested on the charge of negro stealing.
The annexed details of the theft and the
tragedy of the miserable criminal, WILLIAM
+. BYRD, we copy from the Sumter Watch-
man. BYRD, the guilty man, has only an
ticipated the sentence Of the court which
would be passed upon him after his trial.
[From the Sumter Watchman.l
/ CRIME AND SUICIDE.-Since our last
issue: case involving circumstances of deep
and exciting interest has been developed in
our very midSt-exciting in every detail
from the beginning but doubly more SO in
the tragical issue.
Our readers will remember to have seen,
some time since, an advertisement in the
Watchman, by our townsman Col. F. j.
Moses, of two slaves who were missing from
his premises. Their long absence, which
could not be accounted for on the score OF
any provocation or indign1ty offered them,
or of any expressed dissatisfaction on their
part taken in connection with the mysteri-
Gus disappearance, some time before, of
negro boy of another one of our citizens,
soon induced the belief in the minds of most
persons that they were stolen. Various
| circumstances fixed the suspicious of the
community upon a particular individual.
| The matter waSkept still, however, for some
time, until at last, after some fnessing, a
IL, - IL,
abouts of the negroes, to warrant gentle
man of our town in taking trip to the town
| of Americus in the lower part of Georgia.
Arrived there, he was not long in discover
ing the person to whom they had been sold,
and in identifying the negroes. The pur-
chaser, Mr.. Hooks, upon being convinced
that he had been yictimized, readily yielded
them up, and upon the suggestion of the
gentleman who had gone in quest of them,
consented to return with him to this place.
They arrived here on Tuesday evening, the
8th instant.
After some delay in making out the neces-
sary papers, Mr.. Hooks, accompanied by
our efficient sheriff and others, strolled by
the new store of Byrd and Louis. 1t was
brilliantly lighted up, and was filled with
jolly company. immediately, and without
hesitation. Mr.. Hooks declared, that, in the
person of VIM. Friendly Byrd, he reoog-
nized the individual from whom he had
purchased the slaves. The sheriff then
entered the store, accompanied by friend
of Mr.. Hooks. Telling him, that there was
some dissatisfaction about the titles 70 GER
tian property that he had sold, he was easily
persuaded to make confession of judg
ment. 1t is said that he understood the
allusion to be to another transactions; but
of that we cannot speak. This accom-
plished, the Sheriff produced a warrant,
arrested him on the charge of negro stealing,
and lodged him in jail. The Grand Jury
returned verdict of ''true bill'' on the
indictment, the next day, and the prisoner
was at once arraigned. But, at the request
of his attorneys, the trial was postponed |
until Monday.
In the meantime, Capt. Friersen, the |
sheriff, observed every precaution for the |
safe-keeping of the prisoner. He was con-
fined in dungeon and chained to the floor.
There are no iron cuffs for the ankles in the /
Jail. and accordingly it was necessary to
bind a common chain about his ankle, and
secure it with paddock. twill be seen at
a glance, that it is impossible to adjust the
unpliant links very closely to the limb with
out injury to it-still, he was thought to be
securely bound. This was deemed neces-
sary at first, from several considerations,
but especially so afterwards, when there
were good reasons to believe that he medi-
tated mischief upon himself. a note to his
wife, written in pencil on the margin of a
was intercepted. In It, he i'm
plored her to send him trychnine or lauda-
mum, saying that he wished to die; that the
whole world was against him; that the
sheriff had confined him so closely that he
could see no one out of his presence.
On Monday morning, when the jailor
opened the door of the cell to give the
prisoner his breakfast, he was startled with
a horrd spectacle. Suspended from the
iron grating of the window, with sheet
twisted into rope and tied about his neck,
Was the unfortunate man-dead. By dint
Of hard squeezing, of which his feet after
wards Showed the marks, be had forced them
from the loop of the chain. The rest was
easily done. He climbed to the window;
the sheet to one of the bars; passed
a slip-not over his head; tied his feet;
secured his hands behind his back with
and leaped to the floor. I'm
upon the discovery, physician
was called in, but he was beyond the reach
of remedy. Miserable man. A jury of in
quest was impannelled by Coroner NettleS,
and verdict rendered, in accordance with
the circumstances that we have detailed
The VIRGINIA SEARCH LAw.-The
steamer Maryland, which was detained at