Craven County NcArchives Court.....Fenner, William 1860 ************************************************ 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 July 4, 2012, 1:33 pm Source: N C Archives Written: 1860 Inquests 1860-1869 (broken series) William FENNNER 14 November 1860 John L WHITEHEAD (accused) Isaac BROWN, James MAYO, Elijah TAYLOR WHITEHEAD's statement at the time of his arrest: He and Isaac BROWN and FENNER went in a boat to Morehead City. WHITEHEAD was laying on the stern of the boat with his feet in the bottom of the boat; BROWN was working the boat along, and FENNER was bailing the water out of the boat. WHITEHEAD had a sore leg, and FENNER took hold of his leg and shoved it. Words passed between them; WHITEHEAD lay back down, and FENNER started choking him. BROWN stopped rowing and took him off; WHITEHEAD could not have lived 10 minutes longer if he had not done what he did [no explanation of what that was], but he never put his hands on FENNER, and had no malis against him. He thought FENNER was "in one of his crazy fits-he does get crazy or a fool sometimes" they carried FENNER ashore and he went off, then turned and asked BROWN to take of his things. Coroner asked WHITEHEAD when FENNER got in his crazy freak why he and BROWN didn't tie him up, and WHITEHEAD said, "Bless your life it would have taken several men like me and BROWN to have tied him he was almost as strong as a Lyon he was a Large healthy Stout fellow and strong and active we could not do anything with him. BROWN made a somewhat similar statement, adding that they had whiskey in the boat and that both WHITEHEAD and FENNER drank a great deal, through the part about FENNER choking WHITEHEAD and BROWN pulling him off. [BROWN refers to WHITEHEAD as "Mr. WHITEHEAD]. BROWN then says that WHITEHEAD got up and struck FENNER on the side of the head 2 or 3 times with the tiller; FENNER fell against the side of the boat and lay there; WHITEHEAD threw 2 or 3 gourds of water in FENNER's face and told him to get up and wash the blood off; WHITEHEAD ordered BROWN to carry the boat ashore and "put that Negro out for he should not stay in his boat any longer..." BROWN did so; WHITEHEAD put FENNER out, and BROWN turned his head and did not see what happened and afterwards when the boat was turned, saw FENNER sitting up in the water. Coroner asked BROWN whether FENNER was dead or alive when WHITEHEAD put him out of the boat, and BROWN said dead. Coroner asked why BROWN why he had said that FENNER was put on shore and walked 50 yards. BROWN stated he didn't recollect saying that, but if he did it was because he was afraid of WHITEHEAD; he lives on his land and he [WHITEHEAD] would drive BROWN off and perhaps shoot him. MAYO stated he knew FENNER; FENNER was a free Negro man, native of Craven County, and lived in the vicinity of Clubfoot Cr. He was said not to be of sound mind, and have occasional freaks of insanity. MAYO returned home from Newbern on 15 Nov. and met BROWN, who told him about the trip to Morehead, said they had a great time and drank a great deal of whiskey. BROWN told MAYO they had left the boat at MAYO's landing, which was true. BROWN told MAYO they had put FENNER out on the NE side of the creek and saw him 50 yards from the water. BROWN said nothing about the fight, but when MAYO got home he learned that it was supposed that WHITEHEAD had killed FENNER, and MAYO's son was out looking for him. MAYO then went and looked at the boat, and found the seats and thwarts broken and scattered in the boat and blood in the boat. On the 16th of Nov. Joe FENNER came to MAYO's house and said that BROWN had confessed that FENNER was in the water. MAYO sent for Elijah TAYLOR. TAYLOR stated that Joe & Jacob FENNER, brothers of the deceased, came to him and said that BROWN had confessed that W. FENNER had been put in the water; BROWN had told different stories. TAYLOR went with "the boys" and found W. FENNER's body dead in the water; he had wounds on his arms and his neck appeared to be broken. TAYLOR believes he was dead when put in the water, because he was not swollen, and there was not water from his mouth or nose. It was said that FENNER was foolish or crazy at times. Verdict: FENNER came to his death by blows inflicted by John L. WHITEHEAD and Isaac BROWN. Additional Comments: Craven County Coroner's records File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/craven/court/fenner2326gwl.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ncfiles/ File size: 4.7 Kb