Rodney’s Notes
Court of Quarter Sessions of Delaware, Sussex County.
November 19, 1802.
Levi Simpler. I had corn gathered in the field and round up. I lost part of a row of flour corn and part of common corn. Next morning before sunrise I missed it. I got the seed from William Shankland of flour corn Mr. Parker had of that kind. Hancock lived as near this field as I did. I got a search warrant, searched his house, found corn upstairs, and down, ten or eleven bushels downstairs, beat out thirty or forty bushels in all. We compared the corn found with mine, and believe the flour corn was mine. Lost more than eight bushels, I expect. He told different tales about it. Isaac Bowman let him have it. Isaac first said he had took it over to Hancock’s, and after denied. Hancock said nothing. I could tell flour corn from the other sort the length of a house. Bowman lives on McIlwain’s place. William Hancock was not at home. Is a bad character, don’t know as to veracity.
William Shankland. I went into Simpler’s field and thought some heaps had been pillaged. Were ten rows of flour corn in the field. I let him have the seed. I met Sharp. Constable, and Simpler at Simpler’s house. They had come from Hancock’s;
Page 250
they brought some corn shelled and two ears. I thought it the same. Isaac Bowman seemed to signify he’d brought the two ears of flour corn at the magazine. Said he’d got about five and a half or six bushels from his brother John for two pair shoes 21/3d; got nine bushel ears from Isaac Bowman at 3/. Bowman said 3/9d and other corn from one Roach supposed he’d fed it to his hogs. The corn from comparison seemed alike.
Cross-examined. I said from the two ears appeared to be gathered a week or more. I have known William Hancock three or four years, his general character is no great things. Isaac Bowman’s no better. Simpler’s is a good character.
Verdict, guilty. Fifteen lashes, to pay $8, between 12 and 1 o’clock.
Indictment continued.
John Sharp. In November, 1801, I helped Simpler gather white, yellow, and flour corn. I went with them to Hancock’s, found eight or ten bushels in one corner downstairs of the three sorts above said, and two ears hang upstairs. Hancock said the corn in the ear was some his and some his father’s William Hancock’s. [His] character is indifferent. Bowman’s not extraordinary.
Joseph Magee. I helped Simpler gather com. About a week after, Hancock carried to B. Robinson some corn to sell which appeared to me to be the same we had gathered.
Peter Parker. James raised no corn. His father William raised corn on one acre. James had two or three hogs in a pen.
Mr. Wilson for defendant. There is no charge that comes home to the defendant yet that he took this corn; only that corn was found in his possession.
Benjamin Benston. Mr. Pettit had flour corn four or five year past. I planted a few ears. I have seen and heard of this corn in several places in the Hundred.
Isaac Bowman. I let Hancock have seven bushels corn in the year was yellow and white, grew on Benjamin McIlwain’s place. He lived with his father at this time.
John Hancock. James follows shoemaking and farms it some. He received ten bushels ears of me just before this, chiefly yellow. Was generally paid in corn. I made about a dozen hills that year of flour corn, lived four or five miles off. He received corn.
Page 251
of John and Isaac Bowman, of me, of Thomas Roach. I knew of flour corn three years, got mine from Prine Hook. Saw the two ears before.
William Hancock. The two ears were mine, had been hanging there some time. James had received corn of Bowman’s and Roach. Roach’s corn was mostly white and speckled. The shelled corn was in the room downstairs where I slept. It came from those persons. I helped to beat it out, of his corn there was but about two or three bushels. My son is 25 years old, has been working for himself. He came home late that night from Bart-let’s, laid down on the bed with his clothes on, was laying there next morning. I was not there when they came with the warrant.
Attorney General. Mr. Wilson. Vandyke in conclusion.
Verdict, guilty; whipped with fifteen lashes, fined $8, and committed.