Page:Abstract of the evidence for the abolition of the slave-trade 1791.djvu/111

( 77 ) Capital Offences and Punishments.

On the subject of capital offences and punishments, a man and a woman slave are mentioned to have been hanged, the man for running away, and the woman for having secreted him. The Dean of Middleham saw two instances of slaves being gibbetted alive in chains, but he does not say for what, only that this is the punishment for enormous crimes: and Mr. Jefferys, the only other person who speaks on this subject, says, that he was in one of the islands, when some of the slaves murdered a white man, and destroyed some property on the estate. The execution of these he describes as follows:

He was present, he says, at the execution of seven negroes in Tobago, in the year 1774, whose right arms were chopped off: they were then dragged to seven stakes, and a fire, consisting of trash and dry wood, was lighted about them. They were there burnt to death. He does not remember hearing one of them murmur, complain, cry, or do any thing that indicated fear. One of them in particular, named Chubb, was taken in the woods that morning, was tried about noon, and was thus executed with the rest in the evening. Mr. Jeffreys stood close by Chubb, when his arm was cut off. He stretched his arm out, and laid it upon the block, pulled up the sleeve of his shirt, with more coolness than he, (Mr. Jefferys) should have done, if he had been to be let blood. He afterwards would not suffer himself to be dragged to the stake, as the others had been, but got upon his feet, and walked to it. As he was going to the stake, he turned about, and addressed himself to Mr. Jeffreys, who was standing within two or three yards of him, and said, "Buckra, you see me now, but to-morrow I shall be like that," kicking up the dust with his foot. (Here Mr. Jeffreys solemnly added in his evidence the words "So help me God.") The impression this made upon his mind, Mr. Jeffreys declared, no time ever could erase. Sampson, who made the eighth, and a negro, whose name Mr. Jeffreys does