The Pennsylvania Gazette
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Description: Seven Negroes Receive Sentence of Death For the Murder of Their Master, Jeremiah PATTISON.
Date: May 5 1742Newspaper published in: Philadelphia, PA
Annapolis, April 30, 1742.
At the Provincial Court held here this month, seven negroes receiv'd sentence of death, for the murder of their Master, Jeremiah PATTISON, about a year ago, in Calvert County, which never was discover'd till lately; when one of them, principally concern'd, confess'd that he and his fellow slaves murder'd their Master as he lay in bed asleep, by choaking and smothering him; and that he could not be easy since, 'till he made the discovery. Their sentence was to be carried to the gallows, and first have their right hands cut off, then to be hang'd, 'till dead, then their heads cut off, and their bodies to be cut in quarters, and hung up in different publick places. Six of them were to be executed in Calvert County, and the other one here; and last Wednesday was the day of execution. The negro fellow that was executed here behav'd with as much resolution and unconcernedness as possibly could be. As he rode to the gallows he sung all the way with the Executioner (who was one of his colour) a negro song, which, as the Executioner told me afterwards, was about war and fighting in their own country, and meant, I suppose, to animate him against the fears of death.