Craven County NcArchives Court.....House, Robert 1884
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Sue Guptill sguptill@mindspring.com February 24, 2013, 10:10 pm

Source: N C Archives
Written: 1884

Folder: Inquests 1880-1884
Name of deceased: Robert HOUSE
DOD: 28 March 1884
Witnesses: Kennedy DANIEL, Dave WILLIAMS, C. ROBBINS, Celia CARR, R.S. 
HANCOCK, C. ERDMAN, Moses MASON
Witness statements: DANIEL says he found the body, but did not know who it 
was. He called WILLIAMS, identified the body. Wm. MARSHALL and Bill LOVICK 
pulled him out of the water. WILLIAMS stated when he came to work he saw 
DANIEL looking in the dock, and he said there was a body in the water. Did not 
know who it was at the time, but recognized him later. ROBBINS said he 
recognized the body as Robert HOUSE. He understood that he was escaping from 
the constable and was shot at 3 times. CARR says that she saw a man running 
down to the water. She did not see him jump in, but heard a splash. She saw 
another man going across the lots, & after that another man came to the door 
and asked to come in because he was wet. She said they had all gone to bed, 
and he couldn't come in. On cross examination, said that she saw Mr. MASON run 
after him. Does not know where he was when the man came to her door. It was 
about one half hour after the splash that the man came to the door. HANCOCK 
said one night last week between 7 & 8 o'clock he heard somebody call halt 
near Mr. IVES' house on Craven St. He saw the flash of a gun or pistol and saw 
a man run. They shot again and the man turned down Change St. ERDMAN came 
along, and the two of them ran after him. He went up to Hooker's Wharf. The 
met Mr. Charles STOVER, who said he was going to get a lantern. They went to 
Mr. MARSHALL's fence and found MASON the constable on the other side. HANCOCK 
never saw MASON again; he had a bundle and an overcoat. ERDMAN said that he 
was coming from supper last Friday night; when he got to WHITFIELD's he saw a 
shot which was in the air. Before this he had heard halloaing. He saw men 
running across the street. He saw 3 shots fired, and all in the air. At Mr. 
BELL's house, MASON told them to go to the left. They did so, but did not see 
the man. He went overboard near Mr. BELL's house. ERDMAN is well satisfied 
that all the shots were fired in the air. MASON said he arrested HOUSE on 
Friday at Geo. BROWN's shop. He was bringing him to jail, and while MASON was 
trying to get someone in the jail yard to hear him, HOUSE escaped. MASON 
called for him to halt, and fired 3 shots in the air. He was arresting him for 
burglary. MASON saw him run to the river and heard the splash. He gave a 
pistol to a man to watch him when he ran in the water. This man ran away & was 
evidently trying to assist HOUSE to escape.
Inquest verdict: Inquest held in New Bern on 4 April 1884. Came to his death 
by accidental drowning by trying to escape from a constable who was pursuing 
him.


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


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