Alexandria Gazette – November 19, 1839
On Friday last, about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, as two
colored boatmen, the one a free man named Jesse Bates, the other a slave named
John Douglas, belonging to Mrs. Cannon, of Prince William county, Virginia,
were quarreling on the south bank of the Washington Canal, near Messrs King and
Hill's wood yard, Bates, the free man, seized a gun, which was loaded with shot,
and discharged its contents into the right leg of Douglas. The entire load of the gun lodged a little
below the knee, in the leg of the unfortunate man, shattering the bone and
mangling the flesh in a shocking manner.
On examining the wound it was ascertained by Dr. Lindsly and Dr. Hall
that immediate amputation was necessary; and the poor fellow's leg was taken
off by Dr. Lindsly, attended by Drs. Hall and Dawes; in a short time after the
negro was removed to a convenient house in the neighborhood. In the mean time, Bates has been arrested and
taken before Justice Mosell, who, after examining such witnesses as appeared at
his office, committed the prisoner to the county jail.
From the examining magistrate we learn that it appeared, by
the testimony, that the wounded man was the assailant, and that when Bates
fired at him, the former was going at him with a billet of wood for the purpose
of striking him.
Since writing the foregoing notice, we learn that the
unfortunate negro died about 11 o'clock, on Friday night, in six hours after
his leg was amputated. It appeared from
the testimony of Dr. Dawes, who was examined before the Coroner's inquest, held
on the following day, that about two hours after the operation the poor man
appeared to be doing well; but, in three hours afterwards he became restless, and
gradually sunk until 11 o'clock, when he died.
– Nat. Int.
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