Posted By:	John R.
	Email:
	Subject:	John Chadwick murdered 1794
	Post Date:	June 28, 2007 at 12:33:51
	Message URL:	http://genforum.genealogy.com/chadwick/messages/1977.html
	Forum:	Chadwick Family Genealogy Forum
	Forum URL:	http://genforum.genealogy.com/chadwick/

John Chadwick was murdered in Fayette county, Pennsylvania on November 10, 1794. I posted information on the murder at messages numbers 1974 and 1976. I was able to read the court case on appeal at a local law school and have copied the relevant pages. The facts, as presented in the case of Pennsylvania versus John McFall, are as follows: "This was an indictment for the murder of John Chadwick, on 10th November 1794. In the morning of this day McFall was drunk, came to the house of Chadwick, who kept a tavern, and got some liquor there. One Myers, a constable, came there. McFall had expressed resentment against Myers, for having taken him on a warrant, and had threatened to kill or cripple him, the first time he met him. When McFall saw Myers he jumped up, and said he would have his life. Chadwick reproved McFall for this. McFall rubbed his fists at Chadwick, and said he was not so drunk but he knew what he was doing. Myers soon went away. McFall sent out after him, and again said he would have his life. Myers rode off. McFall returned to go into the house again. Chadwick bade him go home, for he had abused several people that day, and had got liquor enough. McFall shook hands with Chadwick, and went away. Chadwick shut the door. About two minutes after, he returned. Chadwick rose to keep the door shut. McFall jerked it off the hinges, dragged Chadwick out, and struck him several times with a club on the head. His head was fractured by the blows, and he died the second day after." "Reports of Cases in the County Courts of the Fifth Circuit, and in the High Court of Errors and Appeals of the State of Pennsylvania, and Charges to Grand Juries of those County Courts" by Alexander Addison (Philadephia: Kay & Brother, Law Booksellers, Publishers, and Importers, 1883) [“Addison’s Reports”] at pp. 255-256 [note page 255 of Addison's Reports actually starts at the top of page 254 in the book]. Book Library Call No. KFP 51.P42 McFall's lawyer argued on appeal the case should be manslaughter or murder in the second degree sine McFall was drunk. The attorney for the state argued the case was premeditated murder in the first degree. The court upheld the verdict of the jury, which had found McFall guilty of murder in the first degree. McFall was hanged for the murder of John Chadwick. I have the cover page for Addison's Reports and the three pages of the McFall court case scanned into a PDF document, which I can email to those who want it. Just let me know by direct email or leave a message here with your email address. One final matter, since the murder of John Chadwick occurred on November 10, 1794, which the court case says was the day of the beating, but Chadwick died two days later, his date of death should be November 12, 1794, not November 10th as many have reported.