Other
While most inquest cases fall into one of four distinct categories (homicide, suicide, accident, and natural death) some few defy easy categorization. The CSI:D team is not comfortable classing an aborted fetus as a homicide, but it’s certainly no accident. Executions are a similar political minefield. If the state gives a man the chair, has it committed murder? And then there are the many chronic alcoholics. A man who drinks himself to death has not died a natural death; he may, in a sense, have committed a slow sort of suicide, but we have no way to know his mental state or what drove his drinking. A man who binged and died of alcohol poisoning would certainly be classed as an accident. But the man who dram by dram destroyed his liver? He, like the condemned man and the aborted fetus, can all be found here—in the graveyard of ‘Others.’
Other Inquests
| Name | Deceased Description | Date | Inquest Location | Death Method | Inquest Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. G. Leek | February 23, 1859 | at A. G. Leeks Residence, Edgefield County, SC |
upon there oaths do say. . .he came to his Death by Excessive hard Drink |
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| Abraham Bever Van Waganan | February 2, 1824 | Union County, SC |
do say on our Oaths, that the Sd Waganan not Standing in the fear of god and not having a deep consideration of his immortal soul, did drink Spirit[?] Liquors . . .that it cuased him to come to his untimely death |
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| Benjamin Dixon | November 4, 1836 | Kershaw County, SC |
believe that the deceased Mr. Benj. Dixon came to his death by intemperance |
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| Betsy Scott | February 25, 1842 | at Camden, Kershaw County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Betsy Scott came to death from the effects of intemperance |
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| Caleb Chappell | January 22, 1835 | at or near house of John Ledbetter, Anderson County, SC |
was seen to fall from his feet by two Evidences who gave in their testimony on oath before us and that he died immediately and that he had no mark of violence upon him and died by the visitation of God by excessive use of ardent spirits. |
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| David W, Laney Jr. | October 31, 1886 | [no location given], Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said David W. Laney came to his death from the [?????] [?????] of ardent Spirts |
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| Elijah Pike | December 28, 1856 | at the residence of Elijah Pike, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that he came to his death at his Residence . . . by excessive use of ardent spirits |
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| Gabe Wilky | November 29, 1880 | at Gaffney City, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Gabe Wilky came to his death ... from his own impudence & excessive use of alcohol and the visitation of God |
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| H. P. Church | December 27, 1842 | in the house of C. H. Goodman in the Vilage of Edgefield, Edgefield County, SC |
Upon their Oaths the Jurors aforesaid do say, that the said H.P. Church. . .had been intoxicated for several days or weeks and in that situation he decd. . .died in consequence of drinking intoxicating liquors to excess |
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| Henry Cobb | December 16, 1868 | at Warnock's Crossing on the Anderson Branch of the Greenville & Columbia Rail Road, Anderson County, SC |
do say that he came to his death by intoxication with spiritous liquours. |
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| Henry Standard | October 28, 1835 | at the dwelling house of Robert Martin, Spartanburg County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that the said Henry Standard came to his death by his own intemperance by drinking ardent spirits |
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| Hiram Linder | March 12, 1840 | on the premises of Isaac Young's, Spartanburg County, SC |
do say uppon [sic] there [sic] oaths that he had no marks of violence uppon [sic] him & died by intemperance or the visition of God in a natural way and not otherwise |
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| infant | November 12, 1811 | Kershaw County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that the infant female child came to its death by injury received before its birth. . . and they are of opinion. . . that the injury which said infant child received. . . was done to it by its mother while it was yet in her womb |
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| J. E. Black | May 8, 1861 | at the Residence of J. E. Black, Edgefield County, SC |
upon there oaths do say the said J. E. Black came to his death by accessive drink of intoxicating spirits |
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| J. F. Brewer | September 16, 1841 | at Camden, Kershaw County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said J.F. Brewer died between the hours of 12 & 5 o'clk this morning, caused by intemperance |
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| James Kirkpatrick | November 24, 1846 | at Union CourtHouse in James C Kitchens Hotel, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that . . .the deceased was put to bed . . .in a state of intoxication and . . .must have come to his death by a fit of appoplexy or some other natural cause |
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| James Petty | June 19, 1825 | at an out House of the plantation of John Norman, Union County, SC |
upon there Oaths do Say that from the Effects of Intoxication that the Said James did Come to his death |
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| James Robison | December 17, 1820 | at the hous of John Birds, Union County, SC |
do say upon his oath that the said James Robison did Come to his death by Drinking of Sherriouts Liqur . . .Com to his death by Entockacation |
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| Jim Davis | September 29, 1913 | at K. C. Johnson's, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: that Jim Davis came to his death from wound and burns while resisting a regular and lawful posse lead by the Sheriff of the county who were trying to arrest him. |
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| John Boyd | November 26, 1822 | at Samy Boyds, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths saith that the said John Boyd came to his Death by Entoxication and hard Drinking of Brandy. |
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| John Brown | September 16, 1804 | at Andrew Graham's plantation, near Beaver[?] Creek, Kershaw County, SC |
do say upon their oaths . . .they do believe that he died on Saturday evening the 15th ... by excessive drinking of ardent spirits |
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| John Cole | February 4, 1848 | at Milton, Laurens County, SC |
upon there Oaths do say, that the Decd. Came to his Death from the use of intoxicating spirits. |
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| John Edmonson | July 26, 1854 | near the road leading from Anderson Court House to the Double Branches., Anderson County, SC |
the verdict of the above jury is that he came to his death by intoxication or some other unknown cause. |
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| John Johnson | May 15, 1820 | at the house of John Johnston, Laurens County, SC |
do say upon there oaths that the said Johnston came to his death by intoxication, and So the Jurors afforesaid Say upon there oaths That the afforesaid John Johnston in manner and form afforesaid Came to his Death by intoxication. |
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| John Love | June 24, 1832 | Spartanburg County, SC |
after examination reported. . .that they beleave [sic] that the cause of his death was occasion by spiritous liquor |
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| John Matthews | October 13, 1829 | at the house of William Adams, Edgefield County, SC |
do say upon their Oaths, that he John Matthews died a natural death in William Adams lane then and there in a State of intoxication |
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| John Rea | November 21, 1808 | at John Lukes, Laurens County, SC |
do say upon their oathes that the aforesaid John Rea did come to his death By Intoxication; or the visitation of God on the morning the twenty first day of November... |
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| John Soseby | December 22, 1857 | by the side of the road near Lawson's fork, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the death of the said John Soseby was caused by intoxication |
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| Joseph Poor | December 17, 1857 | at William Holand's residence, Anderson County, SC |
do say the said Joseph Poor. . .came to his death most likely by intoxication. |
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| Littleton Hollis | December 11, 1831 | at the house of Sanders Gibson, Fairfield County, SC |
do say upon their oaths, that according to the evidence adduced to them, they have reason to believe; that for some time past the deceased has been in the habit of drinking spiritous liquors to excess on every occasion, or at least every opportunity, and on the 9th instant, had drank very freely, and fell once or twice off his own feet. might have been hurt thereby, but they believe, there was no other causes, unless, An appoplectic fit. or Epilectic, might have been brought on thereby |
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| Margaret Scanlon | April 12, 1872 | at Margaret Scanlon's residence, Kershaw County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Margaret Scanlon came to her death at her residence ... by the excessive use on her part of spiritous liquors |
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| Martha Adamson | April 10, 1877 | at Camden, Camden, S.C., Kershaw County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Martha Adamson came to her death from excessive intoxication or apoplexy |
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| Martin B. Elam | January 28, 1851 | at Mrs Mary Elams, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that they suppose the deceased came to his death by the hand of providence or some other cause unknown |
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| R. Mackgrath | January 5, 1852 | at the house of John Dobey, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said R Mackgrath came to his death . . .by an act of Providence, or some other cause unknown to the Jurors probably bt the effects of [?] Spirits |
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| S. Blake Miller | January 9, 1890 | at Clinton, Laurens County, SC |
upon there oaths do say S B Miller came to his death by excessive drinking resulting in appoplexy. |
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| Samuel Ferguson Sr. | July 21, 1839 | at Samuel Fergusons, Laurens County, SC |
do say upon their oaths, that the said Samuel Ferguson came to his death by Intemperance in the use of Spiritous liquors and not otherwise |
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| Scott | September 14, 1821 | near the mill pond of Duncan McRae, Esquire, Kershaw County, SC |
[do say] that from every circumstance that he came to his death by intemperance |
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| Solomon Wilks | April 3, 1893 | at Soloman Wilks, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: that in their opinion the said Solomon Wilks come to his death by drinking too much whisky |
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| Thomas R. Sparks | January 1, 1851 | at George Greghams, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do Say that he came to his death by an appoplectic fit in consequence of in temperance[?] |
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| W. Boggan Cash | May 15, 1884 | at the house of W. B. Cash on the Gregg place, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say: "That deceased came to his death on the morning of the 15th day of May 1884, at his place from gunshot wounds at hands of Deputy Sheriff E. T. King and Posse while resisting arrest. |
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| William Thompson | October 15, 1824 | at the House of Thomas, Laurens County, SC |
do say uppon their oaths that the sd. William Thompsonhere laying dead did come to his death by heavy intoxication and abuse. |
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| Willie McDuffey | December 8, 1892 | at W. J. Streaters, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: The Said Willie McDuffey came to his death By Drinking Intoxication Liquors given By Some unknown hands to us |
