The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-12-17

JERSEY EXECUTIONS.
One Murderer Burned Alive
Some Exciting Hang
ings,


Since two death sentences have been re-
Gently given in our county, i have heard
it frequently said. mo one has ever yet
been hung in Somerset county" Believ-
ing that the facts were otherwise, says
7. E. Davis in Bound Brook "Chron-
icle," | nave made d careful study of the
records. with the result as given below:
Under the English laws, prior to State
independence, death for crime was by
burning or hanging. Only one criminal
in the county suffered the first penalty,
that I have been able to And. In Decem-
Der. 1903. Jacob Van Nest, living near
the junction of the north and south
branches of the Ratitan River, was bru-
tally murdered BY Abram, one Of his
slaves, for the simple reason; as tradition
states, of d leaf Of tobacco being taken
from the negroes box by his master.
MI. Var Nest had been away on horse
back, and came home late at night: AS
he entered the stable door with his horse
he was killed with In axe by the negro.
The horse was then turned loose with
the saddle under him, and the body was
dragged a long distance and buried under
some leaves at the foot Of an upturned
tree. Search was Made, the negro being
one of the most active participants. At
ter considerable time the body was
found. Suspicion was directed toward
Abe, n he was arrested. His masters
pocketknife was found upon him. He
was taken to Milestone, the county seat,
condemned and publicly burned at the
stake Abram Van Doren was Sheriff,
and enforced the penalty, man masters
having compelled their slaves to come,
hat the terrible punishment might be a
warning to them. The negroes formed
the inner circle around the fire, while
the. white people formed a circle on the
outside. During the burning the Sheriff.
on horseback, with a drawn sword In his
hand, rode between the spectators and
the fire to keep the people at a proper
distance.
On December Is, 1859, the following case
! appears on the docket Of Jacob Van Os-
trand. Esq, Justice of the Peace In and
for Somerset county
AN action In regard to J.. Cashiers
Harry and Jeronimous Van Nest, com
plaiiiant, for breaking his negro Jupiter's
head. Harry confessed to the crime and
was committed TO Jail December 22, 1859.
Esquire Van Ostrand associated with
himself two Justices OF the peace and five
freeholders. Several witnesses were ex-
amined. The justices and freeholders
brought in a verdict of guilty, and Har-
ry was ordered to be executed December
i, 176s.''
This proceeding was according to a law
passed in TIA, applying to murderers and
other offenses. the penalty to be accord
ing to the enormity Of the crime in the
Judgment Of the three justices and five
freeholders.
According to the records Of the Board
of Freehciders for Somerset county; this
action was taken on December s, 1779:-
Agreed that the sum of two hundred
shiiiings be paid unto Peter Dumont, late
Sheriff of said county, for executing the
sentence Of death on q negro convicted
At the June term. 1850, Of the aicourt Of
General Quarter Sessions of the Peace
County Of Somerset TobIe. a negro slave
Of Mary Middagh, was Indicted for felony.
The defendant being charged, pleaded
not guilty. and put himself on his God
1--WE tWalv snJ Jurors founs ana found die gaiity Sf'e On p bsing
brought before the Court. he was sem
fenced to be hanged by the neck until he
was dead, on Saturday, the 24th Of June.
1850. Thus he was Indicted on the 10Th
day Of June, tried on the list, and exc
cuted the oath day of the same. month.
There was nothing slow about Dutch Jer-
sey Justice a century ago.
The most prominent and exciting exeeu-
| was that OF Samuel Mcdonald. the son 81
Colonel Mcdonald. During the latter part
Of the year 17s5, probably in the month
Of December, Samuel Mcdonald was at
Bound Brook, drinking freely, which made
him reckless and quarrelsome. He finally
became engaged IN a fight with John Con-
net, WHO lived in the Battery House, whom
H. Ill = IL -
aid st shea m6 6alaieS E Eis h q knlf and a ssapIsd
for home, but was captured by John
Goldrap, Jr, living near Chimney Rock,
and others: At the January term Of
sented tie following bill: sThe State q
New Jersey against Samuel Mcdonald.
indicted for felony"
Every effort was made at the trial to
and sentenced to be hanged. The excite-
ment in the county was very great. Nc
Donald swore he would not be hung, and
a reckless crew of his friends pledged
were determined that the hanging should
o'Brien living On the mountain, a bold,
determined fearless man was placed ii
rickety building. with d strong armed
guard under him, All attempts to re-
Lease me prisoner were thus rendered
nfI oInnai Me On ne Day q the execution
captain Of the guard pretending to Be
from the Governor, ordering the execu-
tion to be delayed. O'Brien Sent The
paper by a swift horseman to Attorney
General ~Frelinghuysen. then living At
Milestone, who. pronounced the paper i
forgery and ordered the execution il nm
coed. Sheriff V~redenburg led out tbe
prisoner, surrounded by the guards under
O,Brien. followed by an Immense crnwa
Of people. The fatal moose was adinsfad'
the trap was sprung, and the penalty fnr
John Con1et's murder had been paid
The place of the hanging was near tba
present Court House, on a little tnnij0-
that was long after known as Ssa1lanss
Hill. Samuel Mcdonald was the on,Sv
White man ever hung under civil law X
Somerset county. ~" =
In 1873, there were three other nr,b,,e
executions of slaves III the county tTrb;r
crime was setting fire to an oufbuildinsYsI
ihefr names are given as Sam. fhe ejdsr
Snu sam the younger, slaves Of Richard
Mcdonald. and Dine, belonging to Petar
Dumont. They were tried Septemher 10
sam the elder, and Dine were hung az
October n, and Sam. the younger mn M
vember 14-all on Gallows Hill rhess
constitute all the death penalties n,,der
ciyil law that / have found il Sorherse