Podcast – The First Woman Hanged In Georgia

The First Woman Hanged In Georgia
Today the topic is about colonial justice, which was fast and severe.

From the Book
A Day in United States History – Book 1

Transcript:

Greetings, today the topic is about colonial justice, which was fast and severe.

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Colonial justice was harsh and quick. Just over one year after Oglethorpe founded Savannah in 1733 indentured servants Alice Riley and her boyfriend, Richard White allegedly murdered their master William Wise, becoming the first murderers in the fledgling settlement. The first hanging came just weeks after the murder.

William Wise had arrived in Savannah in December 1733. Since the man had a reputation as someone less than honest, James Oglethorpe had him assigned to the cattle farm on Hutchinson Island across from the village. Alice Riley and Richard White arrived in Savannah as indentured servants. Oglethorpe assigned them to work for Wise on the cattle farm. According to letters written by Oglethorpe, Wise became sick and needed care. White would comb his hair daily and Riley bathed him. Other accounts say that Wise was a cruel master that abused his servants, especially Riley. At some point, the two decided to murder their master.

The conspirators planned the murder during Wise’s daily bath on March 1, 1734. Riley carried a large pail of water in while Wise lay on his bed. She began bathing him, then used a neck scarf he had around his neck to strangle him. After he passed out, Riley and White dunked his head in the pail, drowning him. It took little time to dispatch the weakened man. They left his body on the bed and fled. Other workers at the farm found White lying dead on his bed. Shortly after, they captured White and Riley.

They held the trial on May 11, 1734. They hung White shortly after the trial at the “hanging square,” now Wright Square in Savannah. After watching White die, Riley begged for her life. She claimed that she was pregnant with White’s child. After examining her, the physician confirmed the pregnancy. Authorities delayed the hanging until after Riley delivered her baby in January 1735. They then hung Riley on January 19, 1735. Unfortunately, the baby died also, a few days after the mother. Both White and Riley protested their innocence, even on the gallows. There is some question as to whether they did commit it and the judge in the matter did have many questionable verdicts. Their innocence or guilt no one will probably ever know.

Written in a “this day in history,” format, each of the two books in this collection of North American colonial history events includes 366 history stories. The historical collection of tales includes many well-known as well as some little-known events in the saga of the United States. The easy to follow “this day in history,” format covers a wide range of the people, places and events of early American history. I is the first book in my series, 366 Days in History Series. Each book includes 366 stories of American history. It is availble, with many of my other titles on gardening, Indiana places and history and United States History, at the Walnut Street Variety Shop in downtown Batesville, Indiana.
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