Reading Time: 3 minutes [430 words]

ALEXANDER WHISTELO,

569

to contradict a positive oath should be received with many
grains of caution—the more so, as those opinions would prob-
ably be opposed by others of very great authority. But he
thought unless the woman could be otherwise discredited,
such opinions, opposed to positive testimony, were of little
weight, and ought to fall to the ground.

THE EVIDENCE.

Lucy Williams. Know Alex-
ander Whistelo; two years ago
this August I firet saw him; he
then told me he was a married
man, divorced from his wife, and
never intended to live with her
again; he wished to marry me;
I refused; I did not love him;
on April 13, 1806, he then car-
Tied me to a bad house, and
locked the door; I seuffled with
him a long time, but at last he
worried me out; he went after
that to sea, and after he eame
back I told him I was with child;
on January 23, 1807, the child
was born; Whistelo first took
the child to himself, but after-
wards, when they put it into his
head thet it was not his, he re-
fused to maintain it.

Cross-examined. He did not
say it was his child, but he took
it ‘at first; Whistelo went to sea
Ist of May, 1806; I saw him next
the 4th of August following; I
first perceived that I was preg-
nant before his return; knew it
by feeling life; near two months
before he returned; he went a
third time to sea, in October, and
he was gone for the fourth time
about eight days, when the ehild
was born; did not go to a bad
house knowingly with him; I
thought he was taking me to his
in, Mrs, Grough’s.

‘Were you always
him in his absence;

ware you never unfaithful to him
when he was away; had you not
a white man in bed with you?

Iacy Williams. 1 bad a seuffle
with one once; I knocked off his
hat; such a person had been in
bed with me; he had turned the
Dlack man out with a pistol, and
taken his place; we had a con-
nexion; am sure we had made no
young one, for we fit ail the
while; I did not hallo; I bid
him be quiet; my father was
white; he was a Seotehman, a
servant; and my mother was a
dark sambo.

Mr. Morton. How did the
seuffling end—you understand
me—did you part friends with
the white man?

Tay Willams, He owes me
four dollars which he would not
pay, for wages.

Dr. Kissam. After examining
those parts of the child which
particularly indicate the color of
the race, I should not suppose,
judging from the general rules
of experience, that it was the
ebild of that black man, but on
the contrary, of one of lighter
complexion than the mother;
black persons are almost white
at their birth, but change soon
after; the change is generally
complete, and their true color
decided in about eight or nine
months; within the year it is
complete.

Related Posts