The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-12-01

hsSemDlcQ House,
were sworn in, when the prisoners arraigned for
trial. being charged with attempting raise an
rection among the blacks against tho whites in viola,
tonoi statute Of l74o, which runs as follows;--
Every who shall raise or attempt to raise an in
surrecton " this provinces or shall endeavort dende or
entce any slave to run away and leave the province,
every such slave and slaves and his their
| pices, aiders and abettors, shall, on conviction
thereof, as aforesaid suffer DEATH Provided, always,
| that u Shall and may be lawful TO and for tho
Justices who shall sentence slaves,
by and with the advice and counsel of the reehoders as
aforesaid IL veral slaves shall receive sentence
time, TO NIT ate and alter the sentence Of any slave
other than such shall be convicted of homicide Of q
WINE peFson who they shall think deserve mercy,
ana may nnct such corporeal punishment (oher than
deaib on any such slave they discretion shall think
nt Provided that one or mo5n0Pf the said slaves who
where several are concerned shall be executed for ex
ample, TO deter others from offending in the like kind.
was decided that no should be tried but in tho
presence of his master attorneys that the testimony Of
one witness, unsupported by circumstances, should lead
to no conviction involving capital punishment and that
the statement of the accused himself should be heard in
explanation of such particulars seemed against
him.
The first prisoner tried Roa the slave Of Governor
Bennett and in the of the trial appeared that
Rolla had represented himself the commander Of the
force which to assemble his masters Mills that
he had explained the division of his forces and the
order of attack, and said that his troops their
way into town would fix his Old Buck (his mastery and
The lntendent On being asked By the uesses whether he
intended TO XIII he and children he remarked " When
hare done sa the knoo otat to do Nth the
men," On this testimony he was found guilty, and SEN
fenced to be executed on the I'd of July.
Peter Poyas, the slave of Mr. James Poyas, was the
next rngeader tried. proved that he had made
great efforts TO induce others 10 join the
he principal cheftain, and to him be en-
trusted the dangerous assault on the guard
house. He had spoken with great confidence Of
the aid he expected from San Domingo. Peter was
found guilty and sentenced to death the ID Of July
The following curious letter-found in his trunk-re
erred to in foregoing part Of this narrative exhibits the
fauatlcal and religious element in the enterprise
DEAR SIR--Wth pleasure give you an answer. will
endcavor to do T. hoping that God will be in the mid
help his Be particular and make a work. Fear
not the Lord that delivered Daniel is able to deliver u.s.
ABRAHAM POYAS.
On this letter-whch Abraham admitted he had writ
ten to Peter-he himself put trial; but there
other testimony against him he found "not
guilty"
AS far Peter 1t out the trials of the other
spirators that he the active and efficient Of all
the leaders, and possessed the largest share Of the
dence Of Denmark veey, who the father of the plot
Peter slave of great vaue-a first rate ship carpea
ter He possessed the confidence of his master in a re-
hberaity and kindness.
Denmark Vesey-the chief and prime Of the con-
spiracy-was next put trial. He free black man.
1t was proved that he had spoken is conspiracy npcayds
on years previously All the channels Of communication
and intelligence traced to him. His house was the rem
devious Of the conpators where he always presided at
the meetings encouraging the mid by the hopes Of sue
cess, remoe5a9 The scrpIes Of the religious by the grosse
prrrsion Of the Scriptures, and influencing the bold by all
the sardSe destinations Of blood beauty and booty 1t
afterwards proved though not his trial. that he had
been carrying correspondence with certain persons in
San DcBliego, OF which he alone could fully reveal the
nature, extent and Importance; but he kept his
mouth closed, comparatively little discovered about
II. AS he occupies large spac, In the conspiracy
brief notice Of this will not be devoid Of interest
During the Revolutionary War, Captain vesey, an old
resident Of Charleston, commanded soop that traded
between St. Thomas and Cape Francois, Cape Henry
San Domingo He engaged in supplying the French
Of the island with slaves In the year 1881 he took
on board at St. Thomas 800 slaves and sailed for the
Cape On the passage he struck with the beauty of
boy then about fourteen years age OF whom he and
the officers made pet taking him into the cabin chang
ing his clothes for better appsrel, and calling him Tele
maque which afterwards corrupted by the negroes
10 Temark, and then TO Denmark. On the arrival of
| the ship at the Cape, Captain vesey having no
use for The boy, sold him among his other slaves On
his next voyage the Cape he surprised TO learn
that Telemaque would returned his hands accord
ing the law Of the place. he found to be subject
epeptc fits though sold for sound. he compelled
him back and thus the youth escaped the chance
OF being distinguished the bloody events OF San Dom-
90 which took place in 1891. The and relon
hoarerer that island suggested TO him the conspiracy in
ich he embarked at Charleston, and from thence he
pected aid in his enterprise He aspred to the distinction
Of second Tousant Capt. vesey did not repent having
taken back Denmark, for twenty years he proved
faithful slave In 1900 he drew prize Of 81 500 in
lottery with part Of which he purchased his freedom his
master letting him 60 for $780, much less than his value
From that time to the day Of his he worked as
carpenter in Charleston and distinguished for great
strength and activity. Among the Of his color he
| looked up TO with ave. His temper impetuous
and domineering. All his passions were ungovernabe,
and to his wives and children he displayed the
naughty and caprcious cruelty of Eastern barbarian
When arrested he found secreted in the house one
OF them. For three days search made for him in
vain and it not till the night Of June %, amidst
tempest, that he found by Captain Dove, Of the
City Guard. He had very nearly escaped. He was
ffty.hve years Of age at the time of his arrest
jesse was next convicted and 1t proved that he
had said his way to the rendezvous that 'f his
father did assist he would off his head He con-
fessed his guilt and excited small sympathy from the
sincerity of his contron and from the mild and un
| ostentatious compoaure with which he met his fate
| Sentence Of death passed him on the 2sth OF
June, and he and the five others who were the ring.
| leaders Of the conspiracy were executed the
! Cd Of Jnly With the exception of Jesse and Rola,
| they made no confessions. The rest obeyed the
and emphatic injunction Of Peter Poyas their COM
rade, Do not open your lips Die sent you shall sec
| me diel'
The only other two ringleaders Monday Cell and
William Garner The latter escaped, but afterwards
arrested and executed From the confession Cell after
his conviction important facts elected and numbers
Of persons implicated Cell, however, concealed some
Of the circumstances about himself and Persult,
Of the prisoners told him to his face that he (Ge
had crten tao letters to st. Domingo, and that he (Pe-
rau went TO the wharf with him in April May give
L thnrn in charr nf nd ne