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Nobody knows but you.

Lisa Y. Henderson

North Carolina, Wilson Co  }

The examination of the following witnesses, taken before the undersigned Coroner of said County, this 6th of July 1903 at the house of Turner Walston upon the body of the infant of Ollie Horne then and near there lying dead, to wit:

Delpha Bynum, being duly sworn, says:

I never saw anything but the after birth and I examined it. My question to her was where is the young one and Caline Barnes said there they are and I said Come & see what I am talking about, and I said to Ollie nobody knows but you where that baby is and then Caline Gracy Abram and Mollie Barnes commenced to hunt for it.

Mollie Barnes being duly sworn says:

I says, Ollie tell me where the baby is. She says Aint Duck I don’t know where it is. I haven’t seen anything but that in the night glass. She then told her sister Gracey to go & get her snuff box and then she would tell her where the child was and then I saw her when she pulled it out from under pillow and then I said to her, you laid on this baby and she said no I didn’t Aint Duck. The body looked like it was sort of mashed one side. I saw little blood running out of its nostrils.   Mollie (X) Barnes

Addie Artis being duly sworn says:

I was the first one got there and I went into the room where she was and she was down on the floor and asked her what was the matter with her and she told me she did not know and I said Ollie yes you do know what is the matter with you and I went into the other room and she told me to bring her some water to wash her hands and I went to get the water and there was some sitting on floor in a bucket and I carried her that and she told me to bring her some sweet soap and I asked her where it was and she told me it was over mantle piece & I carried it to her and by that time sister Caline Barnes come and I asked her what must we do and she said lets send after her sister Gracy and we sent after her and when she come we sent after Aunt Delpha Bynum. I was out doors when they found the baby. She pulled the baby out from under the pillow. I saw the baby and it looked like it was mashed. There was some blood rushing out of its nose.    /s/ Addie Arirs

Jim T. Burress being duly sworn says:

I saw the child. She was looking towards it, I asked her if that was her child & she told me yes. I asked her where she gave birth to it & she said there where she was. I asked her if it was dead when it was born & she said it was and I asked her if she tried to conceal it & she said she didn’t. She said she put it over her, behind her, in the bed.  /s/ Jno. T. Burress

Solomon Horn being duly sworn says:

I heard the child cry twice. I was sitting on door steps on outside. I heard one of the children cry twice. Don’t know which one.   Solomon (X) Horn

Gracy Pender being duly sworn says:

I was not there when the child was born. I saw the child when she pulled it out from under the pillow. I saw a little blood running out from its nose.  Gracy (X) Pender

Abram Pender being duly sworn says:

Solomon told you that when he come to the house he took a seat on door steps or bench one on side of house and heard something in there crying like a little baby. He did not tell me about another baby.  Abram (X) Pender

Caline Barnes being duly sworn says:

I went into the house and asked sister Addie what was the matter and she told me she did not know, but go into room & she – Ollie – was sitting there and everything all round her was terribly fixed. I says what is the matter with you and she says what did I reckon made all that cold blood come from her and I say Ollie you ought to know I don’t know whether it lived or not.   Caline (X) Barnes

Be it remembered that on this the 6th day of July 1903 I Albert Anderson, Coroner, of the County of Wilson attended by a Jury of good and lawful men: Chas. Walston, Frank Walston, Ben Walston, Turner Walston, Jos. Bynum (col) and Gaston Eason, by me summoned for that purpose, according to law, and after being by me duly sworn and empaneled at Turner Walston in the Co aforesaid, did hold an inquest over the dead body of the infant of Ollie Horn and after examination into the facts and circumstances of the deceased, from a view of the corps, and all the testimony to be procured the said Jury find as follows, that is to say that the children was born dead.  /s/ Gaston Eason, B.T. Walston, Chas. Walston, Frank (X) Walston, W.T. (X) Walston, Jos. (X) Bynum

Inquest had and signed and sealed in the presence of Albert Anderson, Coroner of Wilson Co.

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Coroner’s Records, Miscellaneous Records, Wilson County Records, North Carolina State Archives.

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