Hi Donna, From the database of "Early American Newspapers, Series I, 1690-1876, available to members on the NEHGS website, I found the following: From the Portland Gazette, and Maine Advertiser, Vol. XVII, Iss. 5, pg. 2, 1814-05-09: "In Rhode Island, last week, William C. Brown, was tried for the murder of Mary Hallowell [or Halloway--see below] aged 5. An account of the manner of committing the crime was published in Feb. last. She was punished with such horrid barbarities for not telling the letter P. as to cause her death. Brown was found guilty of murder in the second degree and sentenced to six years imprisonment and a fine of 2000 dollars." From the Constitutionalist and Weekly Magazine, Vol. III, Iss. 47, pg. 3, 1814-05-10: "PROVIDENCE, MAY 3. / At the late term of the Supreme Judicial Court, in Washington County, William C. Brown, a schoolmaster, was tried for the murder of Mary Halloway, an infant of five years old, whom he punished for not pronouncing a letter as he ordered, in such a brutal manner as to occasion her death. Forty-nine witnesses were examined, and the Jury returned a verdict of guilty of murder of the second degree. He has been sentenced to six years imprisonment and a fine of 2000 dollars." From the Connecticut Gazette, Vol. LI, Iss. 2636, pg. 4, 1814-05-18: "PROVIDENCE, May 3. / INTERESTING TRIAL. / At the April term of the Supreme Judicial Court, holden the last week, in the county of Washington, William C. Brown, of South-Kingston, was indicted for a murder committed the 27th day of December, 1813, on the body of Mary Halloway, an infant of five years of age. The trial commenced on Friday morning at 9 o'clock. Forty-nine witnesses were sworn and examined, and the arguments of counsel were not finished until between 5 and 6 o'clock on Saturday morning. The Jury retired, and about 8 o'clock the same morning, returned a verdict of guilty of murder of the second degree. On the same day, the sentence of the Court was pronounced upon the prisoner, which was imprisonment for six years and a fine of two thousand dollars. / Samuel W. Bridgham, Esq. Attorney General was counsel in behalf of the State, and John Whipple and Levi Trotten [unclear, perhaps Trotter], Esqrs. for the prisoner." Regards, Margaret At 12:31 PM 3/9/2006, you wrote: >In doing some research on the Peleg Brown family, I ran across an item in >an old newspaper, the Rhode Island American of January 28, 1814. They had >published a letter written by someone to a family member stationed at Fort >Trumbull. The letter went into detail about how on the 27th of "December >last" William C. Brown, son of Peleg Brown, had murdered a 4-5 year old >child who lived with him. He killed the child because she was having >trouble learning her alphabet. There was a description of a horrific >crime, and then the writer added that the whole scene was witnessed by >Brown's wife and "Baker and his wife" - none of whom did anything to stop >the crime. > >I have been trying to find out the name of the little girl as well as any >info on a trial, jail sentence, etc. There's a big gap in the births of >children to William and his wife, Sally Kenyon, which may be accounted for >by the fact that he could have been incarcerated, but I can find nothing >else on the crime to support that. > >Have any of you South County history experts heard of this crime? Any info >is appreciated. >Donna in RI > > > >==== RIGENWEB Mailing List ==== >Visit RootsWeb Genealogical Data Cooperative: http://www.rootsweb.com/ >WorldConnect Project -- Connecting the World One GEDCOM at a Time >http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/

Six years for killing a five year old? They should have hung him by his fingers and toes. Don T. ----- Original Message ----- From: "M. E. Potter" <potter@inch.com> To: <RIGENWEB-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 14, 2006 5:07 PM Subject: Re: [RIGENWEB] Murder in South County in early 1800s committed by Wm C Brown > Hi Donna, > > From the database of "Early American Newspapers, Series I, 1690-1876, > available to members on the NEHGS website, I found the following: > > From the Portland Gazette, and Maine Advertiser, Vol. XVII, Iss. 5, pg. > 2, 1814-05-09: "In Rhode Island, last week, William C. Brown, was tried > for the murder of Mary Hallowell [or Halloway--see below] aged 5. An > account of the manner of committing the crime was published in Feb. last. > She was punished with such horrid barbarities for not telling the letter P. > as to cause her death. Brown was found guilty of murder in the second > degree and sentenced to six years imprisonment and a fine of 2000 dollars." > > From the Constitutionalist and Weekly Magazine, Vol. III, Iss. 47, pg. 3, > 1814-05-10: "PROVIDENCE, MAY 3. / At the late term of the Supreme > Judicial Court, in Washington County, William C. Brown, a schoolmaster, was > tried for the murder of Mary Halloway, an infant of five years old, whom he > punished for not pronouncing a letter as he ordered, in such a brutal > manner as to occasion her death. Forty-nine witnesses were examined, and > the Jury returned a verdict of guilty of murder of the second degree. He > has been sentenced to six years imprisonment and a fine of 2000 dollars." > > From the Connecticut Gazette, Vol. LI, Iss. 2636, pg. 4, > 1814-05-18: "PROVIDENCE, May 3. / INTERESTING TRIAL. / At the April term > of the Supreme Judicial Court, holden the last week, in the county of > Washington, William C. Brown, of South-Kingston, was indicted for a murder > committed the 27th day of December, 1813, on the body of Mary Halloway, an > infant of five years of age. The trial commenced on Friday morning at 9 > o'clock. Forty-nine witnesses were sworn and examined, and the arguments > of counsel were not finished until between 5 and 6 o'clock on Saturday > morning. The Jury retired, and about 8 o'clock the same morning, returned > a verdict of guilty of murder of the second degree. On the same day, the > sentence of the Court was pronounced upon the prisoner, which was > imprisonment for six years and a fine of two thousand dollars. / Samuel W. > Bridgham, Esq. Attorney General was counsel in behalf of the State, and > John Whipple and Levi Trotten [unclear, perhaps Trotter], Esqrs. for the > prisoner." > > Regards, > Margaret > > > > > > At 12:31 PM 3/9/2006, you wrote: > >In doing some research on the Peleg Brown family, I ran across an item in > >an old newspaper, the Rhode Island American of January 28, 1814. They had > >published a letter written by someone to a family member stationed at Fort > >Trumbull. The letter went into detail about how on the 27th of "December > >last" William C. Brown, son of Peleg Brown, had murdered a 4-5 year old > >child who lived with him. He killed the child because she was having > >trouble learning her alphabet. There was a description of a horrific > >crime, and then the writer added that the whole scene was witnessed by > >Brown's wife and "Baker and his wife" - none of whom did anything to stop > >the crime. > > > >I have been trying to find out the name of the little girl as well as any > >info on a trial, jail sentence, etc. There's a big gap in the births of > >children to William and his wife, Sally Kenyon, which may be accounted for > >by the fact that he could have been incarcerated, but I can find nothing > >else on the crime to support that. > > > >Have any of you South County history experts heard of this crime? Any info > >is appreciated. > >Donna in RI > > > > > > > >==== RIGENWEB Mailing List ==== > >Visit RootsWeb Genealogical Data Cooperative: http://www.rootsweb.com/ > >WorldConnect Project -- Connecting the World One GEDCOM at a Time > >http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/ > > > ==== RIGENWEB Mailing List ==== > Newport County RIGenWeb http://www.rootsweb.com/~rinewpor/ > To unsubscribe: http://www.rootsweb.com/~rigenweb/mailist.html#unsubscribe