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Wilmington. (Del.) April 17. The Murders in Sussex.—We stated briefly in our paper of Friday last, some ircumstances respecting a most diabolical course of conduct, which, for some years past, has been carried on in Sussex county, in this state, the evidences of which have just been brought to light , and promised in our nest number, to give further parti culars. ‘This promise we failed to per form , one reason for which was, that a family aMiction called our attention to other things, and another was, that as the court was then about commencing its session, at Which the examination into the circum stances was to be made, it would be better to omit saying anything further upon the subject until after the trial would be likely, to be ended. This we presume is now the case, and although we are ignorant of the result of the trial, we proceed to redeem our promise so far as we have it in our pow er. From our correspondent’s account we gather the following particulars: About ten days previous to his writing, a tenant, who lives on the farm where Patty Cannon and her son-in-law, the celebrated Joseph Johnson, negro trader, lived for many years, in North West Fork Hundred, near the Maryland Jine, was plunging in the field, in a place generally covered with water, and Where a heap of brush has been laying for years, when his horse sunk in a grave, and on digging,he found a blue paint ed chest, about three feet long, and ingit the bones of a man.—The news flew ‘like wild fire, and people from many wiles a round, visited the place, among whom ‘it was universally agreed that a negro trader from Georgia, named Bell or Miller, or perhaps, both, had been murdered, by John son and his gang, about 10 or 12 years ago, and that the bones now discovered were those of one of them, as the man or men had been missed about that time, and the horse on which one of them rode was found at Patty Cannon’s, who laid claim to the animal, until a person from Maryland, who had sent the horse, came forward and claimed his property , and she alledged, at the tine, that Bell or Miller had sailed a short tine previous, with a cargo of negroes for the South. Since that time he has not been heard of, and 11s said that a few days before he was missed, he was heard to say that he had with hin fifteen thousand dollars with which he proposed to purchase negroes. —The supposition now is that the knowledge of 18 having this money in his possession, formed the inducement to take his life, and ‘sat to conceal the body it had been depos ited in the place where the bonus have been found. The excitement produced by this disco very, as may naturally be supposed, was very great in the neighborhood , and on the 2d, instant, one of Johnson’s gang, named Cyrus James, who has resided in Mary land, was caught in this state, and brought to a Justice of the Perce at Seaford, and an examination stated that Joseph Johnson, Ebenezer F. Johnson and old Patty Can yon had shot the man while at supper in her house, and that he saw them all en gaged in carrying him in the chest and bu rying him; and stated, moreover, that many others had been killed, and that he could show where they had been buried.— The officers and citizens accordingly ac companied him to the places which he pointed out, and made the necessary search. In one place in a garden they dugana found the body of a young child, the mother of which, he stated, was a negro woman be longing to Patty Cannon, which, being a mulatto, she had killed for the reason th she supposed its father to be one of own family. Another place, a few distant, was then pointed out, when upon digging a few feet, two oak boxes were find, each of which contained human bones. ‘Those in one of them had been those of a person about seven years of age, which Jimmes said he saw Patty Cannon knock in the head with a billet of wood, and the other contained those of one whom he sit they considered had property, by which, it is supposed was meant, that he was free. As there was at the time much stir about the children, and there was no convenient opportunity to send them away; they were murdered to prevent discovery. On examining the scull bone of the largest child, it was discovered to have been soa ken as described by James, . This fellow, James was raised by Ray Cannon, and having been bound to her a the age of seven years, and is said to have done much mischief in his time forsher and Johnson. Another witness by the name of Butler had already been secured , and is thought that some others will be brought forward who are acquainted with the bloody deeds of Patty and Joe. —This woman is now be tween 60 and 70 years of age, and looks more like a man than a woman, but old as she is, she is believed to be as heedless and heartless as the most abandoned wretch that breathes. As stated by us on Friday last, Patty Cannon had been lodged in the jail at Georgetown. —James and Butler were also placed there at the same times and it is highly probable that ere this the trial has taken place, and the result will soon be known. James had stated that he had not shown all the places where murdered pes had been buried, and at the time of our correspondent informs us the people were still digging. Joe Johnson, who is said to be residing at this time in Alabama, is stated to have been seen in this state in December or January lasts and the probability is that his business here was to do something at his old business of kidnapping. He was convicted of this crime some years since at Georgetown, and suffered the punishment of the lash and the pillory on account of it. He is a man of some celebrity, having, for many years, car ried on the traffic of stealing and selling ne groes, in which he was aided and instructed by the old hag, Patty Cannon, whose daugh ter he married, after she had lost a former husband on the gallows. He continued to reside near his tutoress until within a few years when a reward of $500 was offered by Mr. Watson, Mayor of Philadelphia, when having obtained information of the fact before any others in his neighborhood,he suddenly decamped, and has since been very ee in letting himself be seen in that part of the country. The former husband of Joe WHE was hung for the murder of a negro trader, the plan for which is said to have been arranged , at her mother’s house. From the circumstances which ‘have al ready taken place it would appear proba ble that such developements may be expec ted to take place as will present the wretch ed actors in the scenes of blood which have taken place on the border of our state in Sus sex county, as successful rivals in depravi ty of the infamous Burke, whose bloody deeds and recent execution in Scotland have occupied so large a portion of the pub lic prints. Delaware Gaz.
Newspaper Details
Berwick Gazette
Berwick, Pennsylvania, US
Sat, May 02, 1829
Page 2
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Tanisha C.
USA 13 Jul 2026
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