The State vs. the Dead Body of Augustus W. Burt

Date: 
March 25, 1847

Deceased

Augustus W. Burt
Sex: 
Male
Race: 
White
COD Category: 
Homicide
COD: 
Sharp Instrument
COD Method/Implement: 
axe
COD Inquest Finding: 

upon their oaths do say that the said A.W. Burt was Killed by his own slave Toll with an axe

Coroner

Coroner: 
William J. Wightman
Coroner Title: 
magistrate acting as coroner

Location

Inquest Location: 
at the Plantation of A.W. Burt
County: 
Edgefield County, SC

Source

South Carolina Department of Archives & History
Columbia, SC

Perpetrator

Perpetrator: 
Toll
Perpetrator Description: 
slave
Perpetrator Slave Status: 
Enslaved
Inquest Images: 
L19077_0001_186.jpg
L19077_0001_187.jpg
L19077_0001_188.jpg
Transcription: 

Harry a Slave of Dr. Burt Sworn, was ploughing and saw two persons running and one Knocked the other down- thought it was Toll and Mike fighting, heard one call out for Dave, saw the one who was down Struck by the Other two or three times with an axe and then run off to the woods. Knew then it was Toll, went immediately to the place and it was his master Dr Burt, and Saw he was bleeding and believes he was dead

On Monday Evening Master flogged Toll for [Staying or Sleeping?] late that morning. Toll is not friendly with any of the negroes on the place

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