Wayne County, NC - Court Records - Whitehall Contributed to USGenWeb Archives by "Sloan Mason" The Wilbur Tyndall Collection from the "NOBLE Estate" Copied and transcribed by Sloan Mason and Martha M. Marble with permission from the Heritage Room at Lenoir Community College, Kinston, NC. (Surnames capitalized for easier reading) Partial Publication of a Testimony in Court at Whitehall, Wayne Co., NC. (page 17) The above was sworn and subscribed before me, this 14th day of April 1853. (unable to read next sentence.) I do hereby certify, that on one 3, --- Enoch COBB, tried to hire me to kill? Up my brother's, Daniel GRANT'S stock. He told me to do it sneakingly; and not let it be found out, and that he would pay me dollars, to burn up John BROADHURST'S Cotton Gin; Zachariah TURNAGE told met hat he tried to hire him also to burn the Gin. Stephen (his X mark) GRANT The above certificate was this day sworn, and subscribed to before me, by Stephen GRANT, this April 19th, 1853. L. WHITFIELD, J.P. I do hereby testify, that the first lot of dip turpentine which I bought of Joseph KORNEGAY, at the Pleasant Plains Landing, included with the turpentine burnt at the landing, was marked J.K. on the head and a round O on the side of some barrels. I am under the impressin on the O was on the head of thirty barrels of scrape turpentine, and also a small lot of dip. Bryan K. OUTLAW Personally appeared before me, this day, REUBEN, a negro slave, the property of William KORNEGAY, of Whitehall, Wayne County, and after being duly sworn, made the following declarations and answers to the questions herein named: Reuben, can you tell us any thing connected with the burning of the Doctor's new house, at Whitehall? If you can, proceed to do so, commencing at the first of your interview with SHADE. SHADE came to the kitchen at Whithall, where I was, and got me to come out, saying he wanted to see me a few minutes. I went out, and after we had stood out doors a while he told he was in a heap of trouble; that his wife had been carried away, and he wanted satisfaction, and knew no other way of taking it unless by burning up something for him; asking me what I would do in such a case. I told him I did not know what to tell him about that. This occurred on Thursday night; the next night after the house was burnt, and I did not see him (SHADE) until Saturday night, when he and I went on together from Whitehall, and when we got beyond Dr. DAVIS'S he told me that they wanted to know who burnt the house at Whitehall; that I need not be scared, no one was going to hurt me if I did it, for if I did do it I was put up to it; that may be I would get ten dollars if I would tell who did it, and I could do as I pleased with it. H---He did not know whether I did do it or not, but that he ---Knew something about it; I told him I did not know. ---He said to me that night I went right on to Mr. COBB ---See him (SHADE) until Monday morning, when I saw him --- Of the field. He spoke to me, and told me to come by --- p.18 did, and asked him what --- the times down at Whitehall. He told me, bad times down there that the reason of his being out was because the times were so --- could not stay, and had left. I told him I could not help it, that there was the palce I had to work, and I could not help the bad time. I went right on down to Whitehall and left him (SHADE) there. He told me to meet him back upon the hill that Monday night. I did not meet him there, but he came to Whitehall and saw me at Dr. DAVIS'S Office, telling me he wished to see me. I told him I would see him after I made a fire for my master James KORNEGAY in the Doctor's office. I did not go to him, but after a while in the night he came to the kitchen where I was, spoke to all in the same, and after he found I would not go fastened the door outside. After a while the Doctor came and opened the door, told me to get up and put on my shoes, tied me, and carried me down in the river low grounds. I asked him what I had done, and what he had done. He then asked me who burnt the house. I told him I did not know. He said he knew I did know, and I had him to tell. I did not tell him in a right smart while, and I then told him I did not know unless SQUIRE. He said SQUIRE didn't do it, and said to me don't you know SQUIRE didn't come away down here and put fire to my house, and how did he know how to go and get the dross?, and burn the house, as well as that has done. I told him I did not know. After he saw that I didn't aim to tell him he bucked me down twice, I think, telling me he was not going to fool with me any longer that he was going to whip me and I had him to tell before he would turn me loose. I then told him I burnt the house. HE asked me what made me do it. I told him Mr. Enoch COBB get me to do it. Question: Reuben, do you know anything about the turpentine being burnt at the Pleasant Plain Landing? Yes, Sir; I burnt it. How came you to burn it? Mr. Enoch COBB got me to do it. What did he say to you? He told me to do it and he would pay me for it. What did he say he'd give you? He said he would give me a dollar. Did he give it to you? He paid me seventy cents only, said he did not have the money, but would pay me after he got the change. Has he paid you? He has never paid me but seventy cents. Whose turpentine was it? Bryan OUTLAW'S. How did you know it was Bryan OUTLAW'S turpentine? By feeling on the heads of the barrels. How many barrels? Some five or six. What were you feeling for? For the mark to see if it was marked. Marked how? With O on it, Sir. Did you find the O? Yes, sir, I found the round mark on the barrel. Whose mark? Mr. Bryan OUTLAW'S. What kind of turpentine was it? Dip. Are you certain? I am, Sir. In what way did you set it on fire? With matches, Sir. Where did you get matches? Mr. Enoch COBB gave me matches. How many? One box. Was that all you used to fire the turpentine, or did you use anything else to raise the fire with? I used lightwood splinters also. Where did you get the splinters? I got them at the and near the corner of the GLISSON place, where Mr. Dennis GLISSON used to own, but now owned, by my master. Did you see the mark on the barrels? I saw it but not good. (This is all that is left of the paper and information) END OF DOCUMENT ======================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. The electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. =========================================================