Thomas Coleman
Killed 6 December 1866
Thomas Coleman was a black man in Utah, who was murdered on the streets of Salt Lake City.
"Found Dead"
Salt Lake Daily Telegraph and Commercial Advertiser,
12 December 1866
Found Dead - Thomas Coleman, generally known as "Nigger Tom," was found about 9 p.m. last night by the police with a stab in the right breast and his throat cut.
The police were informed by a citizen last night that a negro lay dead near the arsenal, just outside the city wall. Capt. Burt; with a squad of men started in search and by the states, just above the arsenal. It was immediately recognised as "Tom." He lay on his back, his head westward and his own bowie knife (marked T. Coleman) laying near him. He was evidently killed on Monday night, as some boys reported having discovered the body in the afternoon of yesterday. A large sheet of paper, with the following inscription, written with a pencil in large letters,
was attached to the body:
Notice to all Niggers! Take Warning!!
Leave White Women Alone!!
The Inquest
Salt Lake Daily Telegraph and Commercial Advertiser
13 December 1866
The Inquest - The coroners jury brought in the following verdict yestrday, as to the death of Coleman.
We the jury empaneled and sworn to inquire as it relates to the death of Thomas Coleman, do find from the testimony and apparent circumstances that the said Coleman was found in company with a white woman, at or near the place where he was found dead, by some relative or friend of the woman, and was then and there set upon, and beat on the head with a large stone, which was lying by his head with blood on it. There was a knife lying by him which had Coleman's name engraven on it; said knife was known to belong to Coleman; said knife was bloody, which we have reason to believe were done with said knife.
The person or persons committing said murder are unknown.
Geo. Stringham Sen.,
Foreman.
The body was given over by the police to the Sexton for interment.
The general surmise is that the decesased had been watched by the rival friend of some "fair and frail" worthless woman, and, probably knowing their rendeszvous behind the wall, took that opportunity to carrying out his vengeance. If a woman was in the affair, which seems to be the prevailling opinion, there may yet be obtained some clue to the perpetrator of the deed -for we think any woman debased enough for such traffic is not likely to be over delicate about the acknowledgement.
The original paper or superscription, found on the body of Coleman, was, we are glad to say, destitute of all the exclamations published in yesterday's notice. It was so well set up in our paper that we got the idea that somebody acquired with types and writing advertisements had done the deed, and we hardly knew whether it might be one of our own staff or some one of that other fellow's who had got jealous. We breathe freely!
"The Recent Murder"
Union Vedette,
13 December 1866
The Recent Murder - The lateness of the ?? of our reception of the news of the murder of Thomas Coleman of the Salt Lake ?? precluded a more extended notice ?? that we gave in our last issue. We have heard but few particulars in relation to it. ?? the prevailing opinion expressed in the ?? is that label found on teh body explained the cause. The absence ?? on the spot where the body was ?? as well as the prepared label attached ?? evidence of the premeditation on the part of the perpetrators of the act. I had lived in this community for many ?? had been for a long time employed at the Salt Lake House and, it is said, was a ?/ member of the Mormon Church. The ?? was as follows: "Notice to all Niggers! A Warning" Leave whtie women alone!!!" ?? that eplains the cause of his "un..?? taking off, while others whisper it was on the grounds of the verification of the ??, that "dead men tell no tales." Express no opinion in the matter, but in the decision of the Coroner's Jury.
??the above, we learn that the verdict of the Coroner's Jury was, that the deceased ?? to his death from the hands of some ?? persons unknown to the Jury. We ?? learn that sufficient evidence was produced to the Jury to warrant the presumption ?? the label fully explains the cause of the...
"The Killing of
Thos. Coleman"
The Daily Union Vedette
15 December 1866
A colored man named Thomas Coleman, ?? known in the this city as an attendant at the Salt Lake Hotel, was assassinated on Monday night, and murdered apparently in cold blood, his throat being cut with his own knife, besides other wounds inflicted. We have ?? from doing more than chronicling this murder to see what result might be arrived at by the Coroner's Jury. The body was found near the arsenal at the head of Main Street on Tuesday evening. That we may be entirely orthodox in our statement, we quote the following from the Daily Telegraph of this ?? of the 12th instant:
Found Dead - Thomas Coleman, generally known as "Nigger Tom," was found about 9 p.m. last night by the police with a stab in the right breast and his throat cut.
The police were informed by a citizen last night that a negro lay dead near the arsenal, just outside the city wall. Capt. Burt; with a squad of men started in search and by the states, just above the arsenal. It was immediately recognised as "Tom." He lay on his back, his head westward and his own bowie knife (marked T. Coleman) laying near him. He was evidently killed on Monday night, as some boys reported having discovered the body in the afternoon of yesterday. A large sheet of paper, with the following inscription, written with a pencil in large letters,
was attached to the body:
Notice to all Niggers! Take Warning!!
Leave White Women Alone!!
The exclamation points so artistically ??, we are informed by the Telegraph, are ?? to the taste of somebody connected with that paper, and not to the unknown him, or ?? who perpetuated the deed and inscribed ??... That the dead, by whomsoever ?? was cool, premediated and planned be??hand is apparent from this one circumstance alone, namely, the prepared placard of ?arming left on the body. Men, who roused to the phrensy of passion by real or supposed outrage to wife, sister, or daughter, and in that state commit murder, do not go prepared with warning placards, or stop after the dead to write and affix them. Nick of teh Woods, the Jabenainosay of the Western wilds, when he started on the war path against his de?? foe, and succeeded in slaying him, is supposed to have left his pencil mark on the dead body to striek terror to the red man....
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