Skip to main content

Trials (Poisoning)

 Subject
Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings

Found in 1 Collection or Record:

Habeas Corpus Petition Concerning Elvira, An Enslaved Servant

 Collection
Identifier: MSS-4786
Scope and Contents This collection consists of a two-leaf manuscript document created in Petersburg, Virginia, in 1864. It includes a petition, a writ of Habeas Corpus, and a $100 bond filed by Calvin Ford for the return of Elvira, his enslaved servant, who had been convicted of attempting to poison Ford and his family. The petition challenges the legality of Elvira’s conviction on the grounds that the court's verdict was rendered by a mere majority, rather than a unanimous decision, thus rendering the...
Dates: 1864