Record at the LDS Center in Goldsboro

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Charles Cogdell Murdered Samuel Thomas ~ 1773

North Carolina
               George the Third by the Grace of God of Great Britain
               France & Ireland Kin &c

        To the Coroner of Dobbs County Greeting

We Command you to Summon or Cause to be Summoned Richard Grantham, Daniel
Williams, James Miles jun'r, Francis Covington, James Daniel junior, John
Williamson Junior, Richard Williamson, William Miles, James Miles Senior,
Francis Roach, David Miles Senior, William Westbrook, James Daniel Sen'r,
John Miles, Charles Woolf, Asher Pipkin & William Crawford all of your
County Planters personally to be and appear before our Justices of our
Court of Oyer and Terminer and General Goal delivery to be held for our
County of Dobbs at Kingston on Wednesday the Twenty Seventh day of October
Instant then & there to give Evidence in behalf of one Charles Cogdell who
in now in our Goal in the said County charged with the Murder of a Certain
Samuel Thomas, this they are in on wise to omit under the penalty by Law
incumbent; And have you there then this Writ Witness Richard Caswell one of
the Justices of our said Court at Kingston the 11th day of October on the 
XIII year of our Reign Anno Dom. 1773.
                                                     RCaswell
_________________________________________________________________________

North Carolina }  At a Special Court of Oyer & Terminer & General Goal
Dobbs County   }  Delivery begun & held for the County of Dobbs at Kingston
on the Twenty seventh Day of October, in the fourteenth Year of the Reign of
our Sovereign Lord, George the Third of Great Britain, France & Ireland, 
King, Defender of the Faith &c, Before the Honorable Martin Howard and Richard
Caswell Esquires, two of the Judges & Juscties of the said Court appointed
by Letters Patent of our said Lord the King, under the Great Seal of the 
said Province to the Honorable Martin Howard aforesaid Esquire, Maurice Moore
& the said Richard Caswell Esquires and either of them made, to inquire by 
the Oath of good & lawfull Men of the County of Dobbs aforesaid in the Province
aforesaid, or by any other Ways and Means, in lawfull Manner, of all Treasons,
Misprision of Treasons, Insurrection, Rebellions & Seditious against the
Government, Murders, Homicides, Manslaughters, Burglaries, Rapes, Larcenies & 
Robberies: all Felonies, Riots, Routs, unlawfull Assemblies, Trespasses,
Conspirouis Combinations, S__ingly ___ News and Evil Reports to the Disturbance
of the Peace & good Government of tthe said Province; all Misprisions. High
Contempts, Maintenance, Oppression, open Frauds & Deceits, & all Offences 
Capital or not Capital and Misdemeamors whatsoever & by whomsoever and
howsoever done within the said County of Dobbs perpetrated or attempt'd for 
this Time, to hear and determine, according to Law.

The Jurors for our Lord the King upon their Oath present that Charles Cogdell
late of the Parish of Saint Patrick, in the County of Dobbs aforesaid Labourer--
not having the Fear of God before his Eyes, but being moved and seduced by the
Instigation of the Devil, on the Second Day of October, in the Thirteenth Year
of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord, George the Third, now King of Great Britian
&c, with Force and Arms, at the Parish aforesaid, in the County aforesaid, in
and upon Samuel Thomas, in the Peace of God, and our said Lord the King, then
and there being, feloniously, wilfully, and of his Malice before thought, did
make an Assault, and that the said Charles Cogdell a certain Gun, of the Value
of five Shillings, Sterling Money of Great Britain aforesaid, then and there,
charged with Gun Powder, and leaden Shot, which Gun, he the said Charles Cogdell
in his Right Hand, then and there had and held, to, against, and upon the said
Samuel Thomas, then and there, feloniously, wilfully, and of his Malice before
thought, did shoot and discharge; and that the said Charles Cogdell, with the
Leaden Shot aforesaid, out of the Gun aforesaid, then and there, by Force of the
Gun Powder, shot and sent forth as aforesaid, the aforesaid Samuel Thomas, in
and upon the left Side of him the said Samuel Thomas, a little below the left
Ribbs of him the said Samuel Thomas, then and there, with the Leaden Shot
aforesaid, out of the Gun aforesaid by the said Charles Cogdell, so as aforesaid
Shot, discharged, and sent forth, feloniously, wilfully, and of his Malice before
--- thought, did strike, penetrate and wound, giving the said Samuel Thomas,
then and there, with the Leaden Shot aforesaid Shot, discharged, and sent forth,
out of the Gun aforsaid, by the said Charles Cogdell, in and upon the said left
Side of him the said Samuel Thomas, a little below the left Ribbs of him the
said Samuel Thomas, one mortal wound, of the Depth of two Inches, and of the
Breadth of one Quarter of and Inch of which said mortal wound the aforesaid
Samuel Thomas then & there instantly died. And so the Jurors aforesaid, upon
their Oath aforesaid, do say, that the said Charles Cogdell, in Manner and form
aforesaid, feloniously, wilfully, and of his Malice before - thought, did kill
and murder, against the Peace of our said Lord the King, his Crown and Dignity
                                Jn'o Cooke att'y pro Dom.kege

Source: Secretary of State Records, Court Records, Oyer & Terminer,
        1773, Box 314









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