The State vs. the Dead Body of Sandy Purvis, Berry Campbell, John Smotherman

Date:

March 1, 1882

Deceased

Sandy Purvis

Sex:

Male

Race:

White

COD Category:

Accident

COD:

Act of God

COD Method/Implement:

lightning

COD Inquest Finding:

upon their oaths do say That the said John Smotherman Berry Campbell and Sandy Purvis came to their deaths by accident at the Turpentine Camp of A B Reid . . . By Lightning.

Berry Campbell

Sex:

Male

Race:

White

COD Category:

Accident

COD:

Act of God

COD Method/Implement:

lightning

COD Inquest Finding:

upon their oaths do say That the said John Smotherman Berry Campbell and Sandy Purvis came to their deaths by accident at the Turpentine Camp of A B Reid . . . By Lightning.

John Smotherman

Sex:

Male

Race:

White

COD Category:

Accident

COD:

Act of God

COD Method/Implement:

lightning

COD Inquest Finding:

upon their oaths do say That the said John Smotherman Berry Campbell and Sandy Purvis came to their deaths by accident at the Turpentine Camp of A B Reid . . . By Lightning.

Coroner

Coroner:

B. S. Newman

Coroner Title:

Trial Justice

Location

Inquest Location:

at A.B. Reid's Turpentine Camp

County:

Chesterfield County, SC

Source

South Carolina Department of Archives & History

Columbia, SC

Inquest Images:

Transcription:

Edward Harper Sworn says that he was present on the night of Feb 28th A D 1882. That John Smotherman Berry Campbell and Sandy Purvis were in the same shanty with witness that a very heavy rain cloud come up and that the said John Smotherman Berry Campbell and Sandy Purvis were all killed by one Stroke of lightning and that four more men in the same tent were wounded.

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