Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-04-24

Jay Siht 'saohf&tAi sNAu III H~A ''S-
upon these negroes before he Purchaselt hem
Witness-ies sir, l believe he did. / ,hnS , r. sa' '"''
Eastman heard there wRs some Difficulty "
Mr.. Wnlislns-You think then, when 'anpe!t came 10 see
you,h he told you that Eastman heard there was some d'"'""S
Wi:ness~Ycs. he wanted to bny them, and asked me not
10 he hard upon him, tina. they cos, him a great deal before.
MIR Wiilisns-Do YOU recunect whether you stated /"
any nersun tin, you had given any authority to Noah j.
Hurnrr 10 sell any Of this property? Did you make = re-
Burucr WAS authorized, at your Instance, 10 sell property
that you had given 4 deed OF trust upon!
Wi,ncss-l did not authorize him 10 sell any OF my prop
iii. wiIliams-llal you anything Ia do with getting NJ
this prosecution
any ,nan should suffer innoccn,ly on my account.
Mr. Bird here offered as testimony In behalf Of the Com.
monwralth. the deed Of trust given by Israel J" Rnrncr Ola
considerable amount Of property, real and PERSONAL IN
Guiding the slaves, Julia md Jane, in reference 10 whose
sale and purchase this prosecution arose.
Mr.. Williams said il would be agreed that the other pro-
pcrly. exclusive OF these slaves, would more than pay the
amour, of Mr.. Burners Indebtedness.
SIR. WiIIism.-Don' you believe tia, IL bis property VA,
sold for half ita value, it woGld yield 4 sufficient amount I"
pGy his debts:
Sir. Bird II don't know. / never made any calculation.
MIR. w~illiams-wculd not the res, Of his property be-
sides the negroes, sell for :, 900:
MIR Iiird-i believe II would.
Mr.. John iinnsrluck was next called upoh inc staa"'
Mr.. Bi.d-State what's Your relation to Mr. burner
W!lnrss-I am married 10 his sister.
Mr.. Birl-State what you know In reference 10 lhe re-
.aoYal OF the negro woman Julin and her children from the
possession Of Mrs. Burner.
NilneSs-SOdh j.. burner WIS III my hpuSS ~ y"
d,ys nhou, the time the negroes were carried oil. lclrft
a, that time, but came soon after. Mrs. Sarah Burner wa
then boarding "a a, ny s ,S1S 10 S know Se @hs .G ef her n IHH T"y
Dan. could take my cart TO carry Julia and the child upio
Noah burners. said lie could.
NJ. Hird-lIad she only one Child ~ mat ""e'
W:tness-Shc had three?
Mr. Eird-Wcre the negroes taken 4 ay tieh'
Mr. Blrd-wh'en did Neal, Burner Sc:
Wi,ues-About the game time or Il little after, the Me-
sroes went.
Witnrs>-N". sir.
Mr. HIrd-Did you hear any conversation between old
Mrs. Burner and Noah At this time in reference 10 These me-
: Wi,ucss-So, sir; 1 was OF, at work at the time.
Mr.. Bird-Did you hear anything said about the hiring
our M = from Noah Burner. Mrs. Sarah burner
told me that evening that Noah had got a place Tor ''''"i'
Mr.. liird-Did she Inform you where:
Witnrss-Up the country, somewhere about Mount Jack.
son or New Market, she thought.
MIR. BirI-Did you hear her say AM thing about me au-
thority which Noah had from her rs 10 any gale or DISPOSE
ton Of the ~negro,s?
Witu.ss-No, gh; [ did not. She said nothing about his
ar. lard.-when did Noah leave after the negroes:
Witness - don't know; believe he went TO III, house
after he LEI. my house.
MIR. Hird-po you know whether or not Mrs. Sarah burn
.r authorized Noah Euraer 10 sell the negroes:
Mr. IHrl-punt you know that size did not authorize him
witne<s-Shs never .cld me that She did-she told 'ur is
wanted 10 hire them.
Mr.. Tird-Dii You ever ,ec the negroes after that:
Witness-No, sir.
Wi.ncss-l knew nothing abou: it until heard i from
the folks about town. l did not hear oil 1t until the NO
yrml,er following, perhaps.
Mr.. Hird-Can you state whether or no' you ever 81"
the prisoner:
WitncSs-feS, l did.
Mr.. E.rd-wlcre?
WiiueSs-IIere.
MI. Bird-Did you see him in another part OF The county
wi;ucss-Nrvcr before saw him here last November ~
the trial. ~
J. Burner failed?
Wilpess-ln March, lSJ,.
Mr. Bird-wil you state whether his failure produced
Wi,ness-Yes, ii did. II was very much talked about.
Mr.. nird-Will you state to tile court what ~ds lie con-
dition Of Mrs. Burners mind At the time the negroes "ere
Witnrss-iirr mind was good thea.
Mr.. Bird Did she exercise much control over liz he'
, Wi,ness-sLe had no, much control OF any,hinr-she was
Hnerely = boarder living with me, and ta not aaEs niue"
concern in anything, she would Instruct some times.
Sir. lird--Can you state the time whe;i these negroes
were removed from your house!
Wi;ncss-lt was about the latter part oil septeihhe., OF
the I.l Of 0ctober-I had some seeding done At The i'rnr'
AMI was getting ready 10 TO more.
Mr.. GIrd-TlIat Was in the fali OF ls'':
Wi;ness-IeS, sir.
Mr.. Wilisms-l understand the old laly was boarding
with you, and she had this woman and TWO children mere
and wanted to get them away:
Witurss-Yes, sir.
Mr.. W!liams-She wanted Isresl Burner TO take them;
lu, I,r.al did not GO for them as she desired. You were out
IN The field when Noah Burner came for them afterwards,
and Mrs. Burner asked you to let her boy Dan take Your
horses and wagon 10 carry the negroes AWAY, anu you uu
30. but YOU know nothing about what trans pred between
the parties; St.
Mr.. willialns--You said that this failure of Noah Burner
was a great deal talked abont2
Wi,arss-res, sir.
Mr. wiliiams-Do you know wl'etheri it WAS nuci' talked
| about In Rockingham aud Frederick
Wiiness-No, sir, I was not in either Of Ih<ie places At
Mr.. Wiliams--you only Lnow il was talked about in yorr
part OF the Stale:
Witness-fes, sir.
s.,nu,i If EUwuan wa. The next witness called.
Nj. Eird-wiI you state whether you were acquainted
with IL negro woman named Julia, that hel"":ed to Moan y
Burner?
Nj. Iird-How did you become acquainted With her:
Wituess-Thc first time that l saw her, Was on one occa.
sion that l went to rurner's house 10 buy her: ] understood
ut that time that she was the property Of Mrs. Sarah Bur
her. She had but one child at the uIne.
Mr.. Bird-Did you make Il propo'ition to buy Der. 10 Tie
'T w1inrss-1 dan, think I did. The first time went there
they priced her TO me. l d"n't reco!lect how much Was
asked for her, hut / was satisfied it was too high. saw
the woman, and talked with her. The second tune l. Msnt
rather disposed to sell her. ! Thought then size was not IN
her sound mind.
witness-l think it was the spring after Noah J. buFi'eT
keE, ''s Springs The , iI,i' year year; y;.i,. made in the sam.
.Wi,ne3s-Yes, sir. | went there the Frs; time 10 buy
another woman; Lu: whe.i | went there, they talked I"
me about buying this woman but they fixed to" h'rha
Mr.. Bird-wRl you state where you saw Julia and her
children the next time:
Witn.>s-The next tine | saw them, I saw them in led
River county, Texas.
Mr.. Uird-p!a You recognize Ialii IL priho the ''"'c
womun
Mr.. Uird-In whose possession did you find Julia at that
Wi,ness- found her and her children In the possession
OF Jas. Il. Eastharn-a;l least he was there with them.
Mr.. lird-Eid he claim them
Witness-it think he did. He claimed three neErots-of
course he claimed them all while I was there.
Mr.. lird-Did you ever see Noah J. Burner In possession
Witness-No, l did not. At the time that l saw Them they
were a, MIR. liauseiuck's house. Mr.. burner was there
boarding ut the time. understood the property belonged
to Mrs. Burner. Twas So informed by Mrs. Il. herself, and
by Mr.. Hause1ucE.
Mr.. Eird-iIRd you any conversation with Eastman In re-
ference 20 tieac negroes:
Witness-very little. The only conversation I had with
him amounted to this 1 asked ium how George &. iicnealc
got hold Of these negroes when fhey were under L deed ui
trust.
Wiiness-I have no recollection whether he made any
rcrlv ut all | made the remark IN presence OF other per-
SONS; but have no recollection Of his making any reply.
MIR, Dird-When did that conversation take place!
Wi;ness-I was trying 10 Tx the date to-day, and the on
IL way thai | can fix it 1T all is If the first day Of last Janu-
airy, u year ago, Tus Oh Saturday, the conversation TOOK
mace on the night of,hc Saturday after the lst Of January.
got to Texas about the 9TH OF 9Th OF january anu The
conversation took place on the following SATURDAY "sh''
which would make IL about the SuI Of january.
Mr.. lirl-rlat would be January sih, le's. DO you
knew anything abOu, the removal Of THOSE negroes from The
county OF Rockingham:
WitucSs-i do not.
&r. Ihrd-Did you know Noah j. Burner shortly before
the negroes were said to he removed, In The county ni
Rockingham!
Wi,ness-So, 1 did not.
Nj. l:r,I-l!ad you any further conversation with East
hau?
Wltness-I think not, II so very little; l wen, 10 his house
and staid there sl night; | had very little CONGREGATION with
him apart from that relating 10 an attachment which l
Served upon him.
MIR. williaus-Who WAS II suggested to you 10 buy this
woman?
Wi,ness-I don't know whether il wns Mr. IGausefSk o:
Mrs. burner herself, in the first INSTANCE.
MI. Wlliams-Who was II In the second instance?
Witncss-l WAS advised By Mr.. liauseAuck In the second
instance; | went there but made Up my uInd that the ue-
gro woman WAS not sound In mind.
Mi Wiliams-l understood you 10 say that Mrs. Burner
was not sound in mind.
WilneSs-No, sir, l meant the negro woman.
vi Williams - Did you understand that the negro woman
and children belonged entirely TO The old lady. or that she
had only u life interes; In them
Withess-l am moi prepared 10 say; | understood that