Craven County NcArchives Court.....Clayton, Katy 1883
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/nc/ncfiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Sue Guptill sguptill@mindspring.com February 25, 2013, 7:30 am

Source: N C Archives
Written: 1883

Folder: Inquests 1880-1884
Name of deceased: Katy CLAYTON
DOD: 26 July 1883
Witnesses: Capt. B.M. PAYNE, Mary Jane HARRIS, Sarah HOLLISTER, Caroline 
HOLLY, Kate LAWRENCE, E.G. HILL, S.B HUNTER, Thos RAIL, Caesar JONES
Witness statements: PAYNE said he knew Anthony CLAYTON and his wife Kate now 
drowned. They had been married about 5 years. Has known him 10 years. Never 
knew them to quarrel. They came up with PAYNE on his boat; he was anxious to 
get to New Bern to see a doctor for her. PAYNE fixed some ? and ? [can't read] 
for her on the passage. Got here about 10 AM Thursday. This drowning or 
trouble happened on the bridge about 7 PM. She lived and cooked a the same 
place as PAYNE for 2 months and he did not hear of her having fits. HARRIS 
said she had known the CLAYTONS for 13 years. (They had been married 5). She 
had what was called "spells"; she has been having them since last October, 
about once a month. HARRIS never knew them to quarrel. They came up last year 
to see a doctor for her, and spent about $100. She had no fit on the boat, but 
acted like she was going to have one. Almost burned to death once in one of 
them. A. CLAYTON was very careful of her on the boat--acted like he was afraid 
he was going to lose her. GASKINS has seen her have a fit, and she is very 
hard to hold; will bite, scratch, and flounce about. HOLLISTER told the  same 
story as the other witnesses, but added that she once tried to get into a 
ditch called the "Grey ditch," and almost drowned. HOLLY says that she was 
coming across on Thursday evening she saw a man and woman sitting on the stone 
pier. She was crying and had her hand to her face. She fell off the pier into 
the river. HOLLY did not see anyone touch her. She saw her go into the water 
and heard her scream murder once. Heard him say, "My poor wife, companion is 
gone." He walked up and down on the bridge and appeared to feel bad. He 
offered "us" 10 cents to [word omitted] him across the bridge. He did not make 
an effort to save his wife once she fell off the bridge. LAWRENCE corroborates 
HOLLY, and adds that she saw the man talking to the woman, and he asked her 
what she was crying about. She didn't reply. LAWRENCE was one pillar from 
them; she saw him slap her twice. HILL "sworn & gives the testimony or his 
affidavit of CLAYTON & others-which I do not deem of sufficient importance to 
copy." HUNTER says that about 7:00 last Thursday night he saw a man and woman 
on the bridge, and when he got there, there was only the man. He was walking 
up and down over the bridge, saying, "My poor dear wife companion is 
gone" "and I have a mind to go with her." CLAYTON told HUNTER that he was 
taking her over to see a woman in James City to take the spells off her. RAIL 
says he saw this man in James City in the morning and again in the evening. 
Went to where the accident happened, & he was walking up & down saying "My 
poor companion and wife is gone." The man left about this time and was 
arrested by the sheriff. Other witnesses affidavit was sent by Justice of the 
Peace E.G. HILL. 
Inquest verdict: Inquest held 28 July 1883 in New Bern. Had a fit and fell off 
the bridge.


Additional Comments:
Citation: 
Craven County Coroner's Inquests 1870-1905 (broken series)
CR.028.913.2


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/craven/court/clayton3005wl.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/ncfiles/

File size: 3.8 Kb