Virginia Argus, 10 September 1806
On Saturday, September 10, 1806, the Virginia Argus in Richmond, Virginia, reprinted the results of the George Wythe Sweeney murder trial from the Richmond Enquirer, which has published a day earlier.[1] The verdict in the murder trial was "not guilty," owing to the fact that the laws at the time stated, "Any negro or mulatto, bond or free, shall be a good witness in pleas of the commonwealth for or against negroes or mulattoes, bond or free, or in civil pleas where free negroes or mulattoes shall alone be parties."[2]
Article text, 10 September 1806
Page 3
The District Court met in this city on Monday the 1st instant—Present Judges Prentis and Tyler.
On Tuesday, came on the celebrated trial of George W. Sweney, on the charge of administering arsenic to his great Uncle the venerable George Wythe; P.N. Nicholas (Attorney General for the prosecution,) William Wirt and Edmund Randolph, Esqrs. counsel for the defendant. After an able and eloquent discussion, the jury retired, and in **minutes, brought in the verdict of not guilty.
A similar indictment against him for the poisoning of Michael, a mulatto boy (who lived with Mr. Wythe) was quashed without a trial.
On a subsequent day, he was bro't up and convicted, on two of the indictments, which were found against him for the counterfeiting of his uncle's name to checks, drawn upon the Virginia Bank.
The pen yet lingers to add, that some of the strongest testimony exhorted before the called court and before the grand jury, was kept back from the petit jury. The reason is, that it was gleaned from the evidence of negroes, which is not permitted by our laws to go against a white man.—Enquirer.
See also
References
- ↑ The Enquirer (Richmond, VA), September 9, 1806, 3; Virginia Argus (Richmond, VA), September 10, 1806, 3.
- ↑ Samuel Shepherd, ed., The Statutes at Large of Virginia, From October Session 1792, to December Session 1806, Inclusive, in Three Volumes, (New Series,) Being a Continuation of Hening, Vol. 2 (Richmond, Virginia: Samuel Shepherd, 1835), 300.
