The State vs. the Dead Body of Clara Bell, Milledge Denny

Date: 
June 23, 1868

Deceased

Clara Bell
Description: 
colored child
Sex: 
Female
Race: 
Black
Age Descriptor: 
child
Child: 
child
COD Category: 
Homicide
COD: 
Other
COD Inquest Finding: 

upon their oaths do say: . . . the elder Child was conscious before it died and did say that a black man, and others say that she (the child) said that it was a yellow man that set fire to the house which burnt her & the other child to death hence we find that the Children were burnt to death but unknown by whom, and if it shall appear that the deceased were wilfully killed by another

Milledge Denny
Description: 
colored child
Sex: 
Male
Race: 
Black
Age Descriptor: 
child
Child: 
child
COD Category: 
Homicide
COD: 
Other
COD Inquest Finding: 

upon their oaths do say:. . .the elder Child was conscious before it died and did say that a black man, and others say that she (the child) said that it was a yellow man that set fire to the house which burnt her & the other child to death hence we find that the Children were burnt to death but unknown by whom, and if it shall appear that the deceased were wilfully killed by another

Coroner

Coroner: 
M. M. Padgett
Coroner Title: 
magistrate acting as coroner

Location

Inquest Location: 
at Rev. H.T. Baitleys
County: 
Edgefield County, SC

Source

South Carolina Department of Archives & History
Columbia, SC
Inquest Images: 
L19077_0001_468.jpg
L19077_0001_469.jpg
L19077_0001_470.jpg
Transcription: 

Tom a freeman who with his family occupied the said house ... Tom spoke to him as he passed in a distressed tone of voice and said his house was a fire ... found the elder child in the yard some 7 or 8 steps from the house with her clothes burnt off her he picked her up & carried her away from the burning house, and she revived & came to her proper senses, witness asked her how the house got a fire she said "That man set fire to it" witness asked her what Man she replied "she did not know" she said it was a black man witness asked her if she knew him (witness) she replied "Yes sir. Witness says he thinks that the child Clara was about 7 or 8 years old that she was a very intelligent child of her age. Witness says that the other child he could not find it was about 18 months old

Thomas Denny Freedman ... when he saw his house on fire he ran there as quick as he could ... Clara told him & others that it was a yellow man who set fire to the shelf that had clothes on it at the back end of the house. Says Clara was about 8 years old says she was asked how she got out of the house she said she got out at a hole ... Elbert Crim[?] freedman is yellow and that he had been at work for Mr Baitley the week before and Clara called him "that man" all the time says Elbert staid in the house with him while at work there says Elbert was very inquisitive to know how much money he (witness) had hence he suspects him burning his house and the 2 Children named

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