Fayette County PA Archives News...Murder of Polly Williams
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
R. Lockhart. Typed by C. Hunt.

The murder of Polly Williams at the White Rocks in George township, 1810. The
Inquest was held at the house of Moses Nixon, in said township, the 19th, August
1810, before Thomas Collins, Coroner, and a Jury consisting of John Oliphant,
Moses Nixon, Benjamin Brownfield, Sr., Benjamin Brownfield, Jr., William Nixon,
Christopher Brown, Robert John, William Smiley, Stephen Mackey, Jr., John
Knight, Jacob Nixon and Thomas Wynn, who "say upon their oaths and affirmations,
that the said Polly Williams was found in the mountain about one mile from the
foot of Laurel Hill, under a cliff of rocks called the "White Rocks," near
Colonel Oliphant's Iron Furnace, then and there she was found dead with a number
of wounds on the head and side of the face, which wounds occasioned her death,
and that she was murdered by some person unknown to the Jury,"

On the 22d, August 1810, a true Bill was found against Philip Rodgers, for the
murder of Polly Williams.  The names of the Grand Jury, are Benjamin Roberts,
Thomas Coon, Alexander Hunter, Hugh Shotwell, Joseph Torrence, David Porter,
James Winders, Andrew Moore. Rober Long, James Morrison, Joseph Wood, James
Downard, John Robinson, William McClelland, Joseph Pryor, Moses Hopwood, and
William Roberts. The Indictment sets forth that—'Philip Rodgers did make an
assault, and that the said Philip Rogers with a certain stone which he in both
his hands then and there had and held, in and upon the back of the head and side
of the face of her the said Polly Williams, giving her several mortal wounds of
the length of three inches, and of the depth of one inch, of which said mortal
wounds the said Polly Williams, then and there instantly died.'

On the 22, November 1810, a Jury was sworn in the case, viz : John Stack,
Ephraim Hewitt, John Inks, David Newbern, Henry Troth, John Core, James Rodgers,
John Grindle, John Morrison, Eli Haines, James Boyd, and Joel Ball, who returned
a verdict of "not guilty", and the prisoner was discharged.

Polly Willimas is buried in a grave yard on the road leading from Monroe to
Fairchance Iron Works, about two miles distant from the White Rocks, and upon
her tombstone is the following inscription:—
In Memory of
POLLY WILLIAMS,
who was found murdered by her seducer at
the White Rocks, August 17, 1810,
AGED, 18 YEARS.

Behold with pity you that pass by,
Here doth the body of Polly Williams lie,
Who was cut off in her tender bloom,
By a vile wretch her pretended groom.

Genius of Liberty. Uniontown, Pa. Nov 16, 1871.