The State vs. the Dead Body of William Harlin

Date: 
February 19, 1856

Deceased

William Harlin
Sex: 
Male
Race: 
White
COD Category: 
Accident
COD: 
Suffocation
COD Inquest Finding: 

upon their oaths do say the deceased William Harlin, came to his death by the cavin in and filling up with dirt the well in which he was engaged digging on the Siken Road

Coroner

Coroner: 
John Huiet
Coroner Title: 
coroner

Location

Inquest Location: 
at a new place sitting by Mr James Swearingem(Jr) on the Akien Road
County: 
Edgefield County, SC

Source

South Carolina Department of Archives & History
Columbia, SC
Inquest Images: 
L19077_0001_205.jpg
L19077_0001_206.jpg
L19077_0001_207.jpg
Transcription: 

heard a noise in the well, like the caving in of the ground and falling of dirt. I then looked down the well, saw it had caved, and filled nearly eighteen feet entirely covering the deceased

Get in touch

  • Department of History
    220 LeConte Hall, Baldwin Street
    University of Georgia
    Athens, GA 30602-1602
  • 706-542-2053
  • admin@ehistory.org

eHistory was founded at the University of Georgia in 2011 by historians Claudio Saunt and Stephen Berry

Learn More about eHistory

Supporters

+ American Council of Learned Societies
+ DigiLab, Willson Center for Humanities and Arts, University of Georgia