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Arthur William Hodge (1763–1811) was a plantation farmer, member of the Executive Council and Legislative Assembly, and slave owner in the British Virgin Islands, who was hanged on 8 May 1811, for the murder of one of his slaves. He was the first West Indian slave owner to be executed for the murder of a slave considered his property, and perhaps the only British West Indian slave owner, or British subject, to be executed for murdering his slave. He was not however the first white person to have been lawfully executed for the killing of a slave,〔Records indicate at least two earlier incidents. On 23 November 1739, in Williamsburg, Virginia, two white men, Charles Quin and David White, were hanged for the murder of another white man's black slave; and on 21 April 1775, the Fredericksburg newspaper, the ''Virginia Gazette'' reported that William Pitman had been hanged for the murder of his own black slave.''( Blacks in Colonial America )'', p101, Oscar Reiss, McFarland & Company, 1997; ''(Virginia Gazette'', 21 April 1775 ), University of Mary Washington Department of Historic Preservation archives〕 as some historians have claimed.〔Vernon Pickering, ''A Concise History of the British Virgin Islands'', ISBN 0-934139-05-9, page 48.〕 He was born in the British Virgin Islands, studied at Oriel College, Oxford and served in the British Army. His wife was a sister-in-law of the Marquess of Exeter. He was described as a man of great accomplishments and elegant manners.〔John Andrew, ''The Hanging of Arthur Hodge''〕 After his father's death, he returned to the British Virgin Islands to assume control of the family's plantation. In 1811, Hodge was indicted for the murder of a single male slave, part of his estate, named Prosper. Restrictions on similar fact evidence were relatively casual in colonial courts, and much of the evidence seems to have focused upon acts of cruelty by Hodge towards slaves other than Prosper. Trial reports suggest that Hodge was a sadistic and disturbed man. During the trial, evidence was presented that Hodge caused the deaths of other slaves in his estate, including: Tom Boiler, Cuffy, Else, Jupiter, Margaret, and Simon Boiler.〔(Slaves and the Courts, 1740-1860 )〕 Three male slaves: Jupiter, Tom Boiler and his brother Simon Boiler, were whipped to death. Slaves Margaret and Else died after boiling water was poured down their throats. Evidence was presented that Hodge was cruel to child slaves, including his own offspring: Bella, a small mulatto girl of about 8 years of age, who was his offspring by his slave, Peggy; and that he held the heads of several mulatto children, possibly also sired by him, under water until they lost consciousness, then revived them, and repeated the process. Hodge previously had over 100 healthy negro slaves on his plantation, but when his wife died there were no longer enough slaves to dig a grave for her according to witness Daniel Ross.〔Ross also testified that he could not remember all the names of the black slaves who had died as a result of Hodge's cruelty. Both Hodge's wife and daughter died prematurely. However, Hodge was never accused nor indicted for causing their deaths.〕 ==The crime== Hodge had a reputation on Tortola for cruelty towards slaves. The main evidence given at the trial relating to the death of Prosper was given by Perreen Georges, a free woman of color. She testified that: :"I was present when he () was laid down and flogged for a mango which dropt () off a tree, and which Mr Hodge said he should pay six shillings for;〔An extortionate sum at the time, and would arguably even be expensive today (30 new pence sterling, or about 50 cents U.S.) for a single mango.〕 he had not the money and came to borrow it of me, I had no more than three shillings; he said to his master that he had no more money; his master said he would flog him if he did not bring it; he was laid down and held by four negroes, on his face and belly, and flogged with a cartwhip; he was under the last better than an hour; he then got up and was carried up to the hill; and his master said he should be flogged again if he did not bring the other three shillings; he was tied to a tree the next day; and the flogging was repeated; he was licked〔West Indian patois for beaten〕 so long that his head fell back, and he could not bawl out any longer; I supposed he was faint; I then went from the window, as I could not bear to see any more of it." The assaults took place on 2 October 1807 and the following day. On 15 October 1807, Prosper died of his wounds. Hodge was not indicted for three years, until 11 March 1811. He then fled from his estates and was arrested by warrant. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Arthur William Hodge」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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