The "Murder" of Joseph Fulford

This just in from Dr. Bob Lewis:

You might be interested that Joseph Fulford, husband of Hannah Ward, was thought to have been killed by a slave about 10 years after they were married. His death occurred about Oct.-Nov. 1804. The slave was found innocent. I haven't checked the Carteret Co. slave file, but will on my next visit to the State Archives. Here is what the court minutes say:

Feb. Court 1805 Case -The State vs Negro Adam, property of William Jones. Indictment of murder on the body of Joseph Fulford, Absalom Fulford Prosecutor. This cause having been tried by a special court called for the purpose, and the jury not finding the slave guilty of the charge, is called up before this court to decide who shall pay the costs. And after argument, ordered that the prosecutor pay the witnesses attendance in behalf of the State and that William Jones pay his witnesses and the clerks and sheriffs fees, the execution issue for them respectively and that jurymen services are not to be charged.

David Ward was appointed one of two administrators of Joseph Fulford's estate and filed an account of expenses associated with his administration for the period Nov. 1804 through Feb. 1, 1811. The other administrator, Joseph C. Bell, filed one for Jan. 2, 1805 - Nov. 15, 1813, which included payment of a midwife's fee to "negro woman Dorcas." I didn't record the date of payment to the midwife. Perhaps Hannah was pregnant at the time of her husband's death. Estate records state that Joseph Fulford's widow, "Hannah intermarried with Joseph Corbet Bell, whereby said Joseph C. Bell became Administrator to said estate in right of his said wife." However, their marriage bond on January 25, 1806, and he submitted expenses predating that by more than a year.