Craven County NcArchives Court.....Whitfield, Penelope 1883
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Sue Guptill sguptill@mindspring.com February 24, 2013, 10:17 pm

Source: N C Archives
Written: 1883

Folder: Inquests 1880-1884
Name of deceased: Penelope WHITFIELD
DOD: 7 Sept 1883
Witnesses: Sally DAVIS, Fanny BATTLE, Mahala WILLIAMS, Susan WILLIAMS, Dave 
JARVIS, Henry HALL, Geo HOWARD, Sam HOWARD, Sam EATON, F.T. PATTERSON
Witness statements: DAVIS says that "Miss Puss" (the deceased) came upstairs 
this morning and "wanted I should let her know when Mrs. PATTERSON came down." 
WHITFIELD was missed about 11 AM, and searched for until 12. Mrs. PATTERSON 
told DAVIS to go and get water and fill up the pitchers in the rooms. DAVIS 
went to the cistern, and the bucket wasn't there. She got the pole and fished 
for it in the cistern, and got the nail hooked on something heavy. She hauled 
on it, and it was Miss Puss. (Had seen her hat in there previously, and said 
if her hat is in there, she is. After she saw the body, she screamed and 
people came and pulled her out. BATTLE's testimony was similar, except she had 
heard WHITFIELD say she was going to do some washing, etc. M. WILLIAMS said 
that her ma said she saw Miss Puss drop the hat in the cistern; ma told her 
she would get it out for her and Miss Puss went to the kitchen where she was 
washing clothes. S. WILLIAMS said that she saw Miss Puss at the cistern 
getting water, and her hat fell in the cistern. She tried to get it out, and 
S. WILLIAMS told her she'd do it for her, but she didn't do it then. WHITFIELD 
took her bucket to the kitchen, and witness did not see her again until her 
dead body was hauled out of the cistern. JARVIS said all he knew was that he 
helped take her body out of the cistern and she was dead. HALL said that when 
he went in the yard Mr. JARVIS and Geo & Sam HOWARD were taking her out of the 
water. HALL assisted; she was dead. G. HOWARD said he heard a noise in the 
yard and went out and found the trouble. He helped haul her out; she was dead. 
S. HOWARD and EATON say the same. PATTERSON says that he heard someone at his 
house had drowned, and went into the yard, and found them taking Miss Puss out.
Inquest verdict: Inquest held 7 Sept 1883. Came to her death by accidental 
drowning--probably having fallen into the cistern while endeavoring to get her 
hat that had fallen in.-- "and in the opinion of the jury said cistern should 
be kept covered to prevent further accidents of the kind."


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


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