tels of the said O O and to let out the lands and tenements of the said O O within the said county, and to receive the annual rents and profits of such lands and tenements, for and towards the maintaining, bringing up and providing for his said wife and children, so left as aforesaid; and with this warrant, yon are to appear at the next general sessions of the peace, to be holden for the said county, then and there to certify what you have done in the execution hereof. Given under our hands and seals, at - in the said county,

the

day of

PRECEDENTS FOR CORONERS.

Coroner's precept to summon a jury.

Dutchess County ss. to any Constable of &c.

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In the name of the people of the state of New-York, you are hereby required immediately, upon sight hereof, to summon and warn twenty-four good and lawful men of the said county, to be and appear before me, A S, Gentleman, one of the coroners of the county aforesaid, at aforesaid in the said county, on the day of o'clock in the forenoon of the same day, then and there to enquire, of, do and execute all such things as on the said people's behalf shall be lawfully given them in charge, touching the death of E F. And be you then and there to certify what you shall have done in the premises, and further to do and execute what in behalf of the said people shall be then and there enjoined you. Given under my hand and seal, &c.

Juror's Oath on a Coroner's Inquest.

YOU shall diligently inquire and true presentment make, on the behalf of the people of the state of New-York, how and in what manner F D (or " a person unknown," as the case is) here lying dead, came to his death; and of such other matters relating to the same, as shall be lawfully required of you, according to your evidence: So help you God.

After the Foreman is sworn, the rest may be sworn, severally together, as follows:

Such oath as D B, the foreman of this inquest hath on his part taken, you and every of you shall well and truly observe and keep on your parts, respectively: So help you God.

1040

Oath of a Witness on a Coroner's Inquest.

The evidence which you shall give to this inquest, on the behalf of the people of this state, touching the death of F D, shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth: So help you God.

Inquisition of Murder.

day of

Dutchess county ss. An inquisition indented and taken for the people of the state of New-York, at in the county of aforesaid, the in the year of &c. before me A S gentleman, one of the coroners of the said state for the county aforesaid, upon the view of the body of F D then and there lying dead, upon the oaths of A B, CD, &c, good and lawful men of the said county, who being sworn and charged to enquire on the part of the people of the said state, when, where, how, and after what manner the said F D came to his death, do say upon their oath aforesaid, that one G H, late of &c, gentleman, not having the fear of God before his eyes, but being moved and seduced by the instigation of the devil, on the day of ― in the year &c. at the first hour in the night of the same day, with force and arms, at in the county aforesaid in and upon the body of the aforesaid F. D then and there being in the peace of God and the said people, feloniously, violently, and of his malice aforethought, made an assault; and that the aforesaid G H, then and there with a certain sword made of iron and steel, of the value of one dollar, which he, the said G H then and there held in his right hand, the aforesaid F D in and upon the left part of the belly of the said F D a little above the navel of the said F D, then and there violently, feloniously and of his malice aforethought, struck and pierced, and gave to the said F D then and there with the sword aforesaid, in and upon the aforesaid left part of the belly of the said F D, a little above the navel of the said F D one mortal wound, of the breadth of half an inch, and of the depth

of three inches, of which said mortal wound the said F D then and there instantly died; and so the said G H then and there feloniously killed and murdered the said FD against the peace of the people of this state and their dignity.

And the said jurors further say, upon their oath aforesaid, that O O, of, &c. yeoman, and P P, of &c. yeoman, were feloniously present with drawn swords, at the time of the felony and murder aforesaid, in form aforesaid committed, that is to

say, on the said day of in the year aforesaid, at

aforesaid, in the county aforesaid, at the first hour in the night of the said day, then and there comforting, abetting, and aiding the said G H, to do and commit the felony and murder aforesaid in manner aforesaid, against the peace of the people of the state and their dignity.

And moreover, the jurors aforesaid, upon their oath aforesaid, do say, that the said G H, O O, and P P, had not, ner had any of them, nor as yet have or hath, any goods or chattels, lands or tenements, within the county aforesaid, or elsewhere, to the knowledge of the said jurors, [or," that the said G H, &c. at the time of doing and committing the felony and murder aforesaid, had goods and chattels, as contained in the inventory to this inquisition annexed, which remain in the custody of R R."]

In witness whereof, as well the said coroner, as the jurors aforesaid, have to this inquisition set their seals on the day and year aforesaid, at the place aforesaid.

A. S. Coroner.

A. B.

C. D. &c. Jurors.

An inquisition where one is wilfully poisoned.

upon their oaths say, that J B, late of &c. in the county aforesaid, farmer, not having the fear of God before his eyes, but being moved and seduced by the instigation of the devil, and of his malice aforethought, contriving and intending her the said C B with poison feloniously to kill and murder, on the day of, &c, with force and arms, at &c. a great quantity of white arsenic, being a deadly poison, in a certain quantity of &c. feloniously, wilfully and of his malice aforethought, did mix and mingle, he the said J B then and there well knowing the said white arsenic to be a deadly poison; and that the said J B, afterwards, to wit, on the same day and year last aforesaid, at &c. the poison aforesaid, so as a

foresaid mixed and mingled, feloniously, wilfully and of his malice aforethought, did give and offer to her the said C B, to take, drink, and swallow down; and that the said C B not knowing the poison aforesaid, in &c. to have been mixed and mingled as aforesaid, afterwards, to wit, on the same day and year aforesaid, at the town aforesaid in the county aforesaid, the said poison, so as aforesaid mixed and mingled,by the procurement and persuasion of the said J B, did take, drink and swallow down; and thereupon the said CB by the poison aforesaid, so as aforesaid, taken, drank and swallowed down, became then and there sick and distempered in her body; and the said C B of the poison aforesaid, and of the sickness and distemper thereby occasioned, from the saidday of. in the year aforesaid, until the day of in the same year, at &c. did languish and languishing did live; on which said-day of &c. at &c. she the said C B, of the poison aforesaid, and of the sickness and distemper thereby occasioned, did die ; and so the said J B her the said C B in manner and by means aforesaid, feloniously, wilfully and of his malice aforethought, did poison, kill and murder against the peace, &c.

10401

An Inquisition where one hangs himself.

upon their oath say, that the said P B not having the fear of God before his eyes, but being moved and seduced by the instigation of the devil, at aforesaid, in

a certain barn then and there standing and being, the said P B being then and there alone, with a certain silk handkerchief of the value of &c. which he then and there had and held in his hands, and one end thereof then and there put about his neck, and the other end thereof tied about &c. himself, then and there, with the cord aforesaid, voluntarily and feloniously, and of his malice aforethought hanged and suffocated; and so, the jurors aforesaid, upon their oath aforesaid, say, that the said P B then and there, in manner aforesaid, as a felon of himself, feloniously, voluntarily, and of his malice aforethought, himself killed, strangled and murdered against the peace &c.

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An Inquisition where one drowns himself.

aforesaid, in the county aforesaid, then and there being alone, in a common river there, called bin

self voluntarily and feloniously drowned; and so the jurors aforesaid, upon their oath aforesaid, say that the aforesaid A D in manner and form aforesaid, then and there himself voluntarily and feloniously as a felon of himself killed and murdered, against the peace, &c.

An Inquisition where one is drowned by accident.

that the said P B on &c at &c. going into a certain river there, called &c. therein to bathe himself, it happened, that accidentally, casually, and by misfortune, he the said PB was in the water of the said river then suffocated and drowned; of which said suffocation and drowning, he the said P B then and there instantly died; and so the jurors aforesaid do say, that the said P B in manner and by the means aforesaid, accidentally, casually, and by misfortune, came to his death and not otherwise. In witness &c.

An Inquisition where one dies a natural death.

that the said P B on &c. at &c. to wit, in a certain place called &e. was found dead; that he had no marks of violence appearing on his body, and died by the visitation of God in a natural way, and not otherwise. In witness, &c.

An Inquisition upon one who dies in gaol.

who say upon their oath, that the aforesaid A D, on the day of the taking of this inquisition, being a prisoner in the gaol at in the county aforesaid, then and there died of the visitation of God, and then and there, in manner and form aforesaid, came to his death, and not otherwise. In witness, &c.

An Inquisition on one non compos mentis.

that the aforesaid G H on &c. and at the time of his death, to wit, from and to the time of his death, and at the time of his death aforesaid, was a lunatic and a person of insane mind; and that the said G H being a lunatic and person of insane mind as aforesaid, did &c. (according to the facts.) In witness, &c.