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THE TRIAL OF ALEXANDER WHISTELO FoR
BASTARDY, NEW YORK CITY, 1808.

THE NARRATIVE.

A dissolute woman in New York City charged a negro
coachman with being the father of her child which he denied,
and the infant, when produced, proved to be white. The
question that the Court had to decide, was, could such things
bef Dr. Mitchill, the great expert of the day, thought the
thing quite possible, but although he fortified his opinion
‘with much learning and much authority from history, sacred
and profane, the Court decided that the woman’s claim was
not proved.

THE TRIAL."

In the Court of General Sessions, New York City, August,
1808,

Hon. De Wirr Ciovron,? Mayor,
Hon. Puen C. Van Wrox, Recorder.
Morr, Brinanas ann Drake, Aldermen.

°Wibliography. * The Commissioners of the Alme-House va. Alex-
ander Whistelo, a Black man, being a remarkable ease of bastardy,
tried and adjudged by the Mayor, Recorder and several aldermen
of the City of New York. ‘The wisely curions rack their brain, to
solve this problem, all in vain’ New York. Published by David
Longworth, at the Shakespeare Gallery, 1808.”

*Wheeler’s Criminal Cases. See 1 Am, St. Tr.

*Commissioners of the Almshouse vs. Alexander Whistelo, A Black
Man: Being a Remarkable Case of Bastardy. New York, 1858,

2 Cumwton, DeWirr. (1769-1828.) Born Little Britain, N. Y.3
elected to New York Senate in 1799; in 1802, he fought a duel with
‘Mr. Swartwont, on account of a politieal controversy over Aaron
Burr; United States Senator, 1802; Mayor of New York, 1803-18155
was several times a State Senator and Lieutenant Governor, and in
1812 was the candidate of the Peace Party for the Presidency of
the United States; was lected Governor of New York, 1824, and
re-elected in 1826; author of several books.

* There are two lawyers of the surname Van Wyck in the New

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