PREFACE. THIS Trial, which I have undertaken to usher into the world, will, I am persuaded, be esteemed one of the most important that ever attracted or engaged the public attention; I leave to be collected from the very able speeches of the learned Counsel, the moral and political effects, this report is calculated and likely to produce; on my part, I trust, it will be deemed sufficient that I give proofs of impartiality and correctness, which the certificate on the preceding page, cannot fail completely to establish. I can, with confidence, affirm that my report, as far as it regards the examination of witnesses, law refer ences and pleadings, is scrupulously correct: the very interesting Depositions and other papers and documents have been carefully copied, from the originals in the possession of the Secretary of the Island and Clerk of the Crown, who has attested the above mentioned certificate. My endeavors were likewise exerted to follow minutely the elaborate, the eloquent speeches of the learned pleaders, but, in that attempt, I fear I may in some degree have failed-of them and of the public I entreat indulgence, when I shall be found to have fallen short of those appeals in Court, which it may be truly said, electrified the audience and produced general admiration. Tortola, 28th June, 1811. LETTER FROM WILLIAM COX ROBERT. SON, Esq. To WM. GUMBS CHALWILL, Esq.; HENRY Maurice LISLE, ESQ.; and WM, ROGERS ISAACS, Esq. three of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace, for the Virgin-Islands : GENTLEMEN, I HAVE received information of a highly important nature. I request you will accompany me to a place, where I think it necessary a deposition should be taken. I am Gentlemen, Your most obedient servant. WM. COX ROBERTSON. Tortola, 4th March, 1811. VIRGIN-ISLANDS, PERREEN GEORGES' Deposition. Before the Hon. George Martin, Esq. one of His Majesty's assistant Justices of the Court of Common Pleas for said Islands, Daniel Ross, William Gumbs Chalwill, Henry Maurice Lisle, and William Rogers Isaacs, Esquires; all of them His Majesty's Justices, assigned to keep the peace, &c. &c. within and for the VirginIslands, aforesaid. Personally appeared Perreen Georges, of the said island of Tortola, a free woman of colour, who being duly cautioned to speak the truth, and who having declared she fully understood the nature of an oath, and being sensible of the pains and penalties inflicted for perjury, made oath upon the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, and deposeth, as follows: That from about five years ago, and until about a week after the death of the late Mrs. Ann Hodge, the last wife of the Hon. Arthur Hodge, of the said island of Tortola, Esq. she resided off and on, but generally on the estate called Belle Vue, belonging to the said Hodge; that during the said period of time, the said Arthur Hodge was guilty of repeated and excessive acts of cruelty towards his slaves on said estate, amongst which, falling under her immediate view, she notices the following, viz. That a slave, called "Tom Boiler," between three and four years ago, was by order of the said Hodge, laid down and cart-whipped without intermission for at least an hour; that the said Arthur Hodge stood by and saw it done; and that she this deponent also was present; that when the said negro slave "Tom Boiler," after the infliction of said punishment attempted to rise, he could not stand, but was taken 'up and carried to the sick-house, from whence he nev er came out, but died in about a week after said cartwhipping, and as this deponent believes in consequence thereof; that immediately before said cartwhipping, said slave was stout, hale and hearty, and capable of doing his work; and that to her knowledge no Doctor was called in to said slave. And further this deponent saith, that soon after the death of the said Tom Boiler, another slave belonging to the said Hodge was by his order and in his presence, and in the presence of her this deponent, laid down and for more than one hour was cart-whipped without stopping (or intermission); that the name of said last mentioned slave was Prosper, that after said cart-whipping he was taken up by order of said Hodge with his hands tied behind his back, lashed to a tree, and said Hodge then ordered the driver to use close "quarters, meaning thereby, according to his usual expression, which she understood, to shorten the whip; that in this situation the said Prosper in presence of said Hodge was beaten until he fainted, his head hanging down backwards, and no longer able to bawl: |