William Wadlington, Affidavit

KYR-0001-020-0080.xml

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Accession Number

KYR-0001-020-0080

Document Genre

Legal/Financial

Repository

Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

Collection

Office of the Governor, Beriah Magoffin: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Petitions for Pardons and Remissions, 1859-1862

Item Location

MG17A-157 to MG17A-158

Place of Creation

Franklin County, Kentucky

Date of Creation

4 February 1861

Dates Mentioned

--10

1860-01-16

1861-02-04

Editorial Note

Leaves MG17A-114 to MG17A-115 separated in archive. Restored in this record.

William Wadlington, Affidavit, 4 February 1861, Office of the Governor, Beriah Magoffin: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Petitions for Pardons and Remissions, 1859-1862, MG17A-157 to MG17A-158, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort, KY. Accessed via the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition, discovery.civilwargovernors.org/document/KYR-0001-020-0080, (accessed May 17, 2025).

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State of Kentucky
Franklin County --

Affiant William Wadlington says he is the father of Thomas B. Wadlington, who is now confined in the jail of Caldwell County under conviction and sentance for the murder of Milton A. Cartwright --

He says that said Thomas, months before the homicide took place, repeatedly expressed himself in reference to his fears, that unless some adjustment might be effected, the violent and ungovernable passions of Young Cartwright, would force him into an unavoidable conflict with him -- and that in accordance with his fears so expressed, he was frequently afraid to ride home after night alone, and would therefore take with him one of affiant's slaves, in order that Cartwright seeing two men together, instead of one, would, if waylaying him, be deterred from doing him any act of violence of which he expressed himself as much afraid, and was very anxious that an adjustment of the difficulty should be speedily effected and that in order to effect a reconciliation, and win him back to his friendship, said Thomas treated Cartwright with all kindness and neighborly conduct -- He says further that some time in October before the homicide took place said Cartwright came to the house of Thomas B. Wadlington about the twilight of the evening, and when invited by said Thomas to alight and come into the house, replied, "No, G-d d-n you, I have come to see you, and am ready
armed and equipped for you G-d d-n you," and that he then and there made many violent and bloody threats against the life of said Thomas B -- and that afterwards viz on the next day he ^Thomas^ came to the town of Princeton, and laboring under increased apprehensions on account of the threats of said Cartwright sued out a peace warrant against him -- That said warrant was dismissed by the officer who tried it on the evidence of John Prince, who was in the employ of Cartwright, and who testified on the trial of the warrant, that he was lying concealed behind a corncrib and that he heard nothing like a threat made by Cartwright -- That this same Prince was the principal or one of the two principal witnesses in the prosecution of Thomas B. Wadlington on his trial on the indictment for the murder of Cartwright -- That said Cartwright on one occasion met with William J. Wadlington, son of Thomas B. Wadlington, on the highway, and after cursing and abusing him, told him to tell his father to "look out or he "would break his d-d old head_" That this interview was witnessed by Stanley D. Bowers, and was afterwards communicated by him to this affiant -- He says the conduct of Cartwright towards his affiant's Son on the evening above referred to, when Cartwright came to his house, was communicated to him by Thomas B. Wadlington the next day thereafter, and that he also learned sub
stantially the same facts from Mrs Mary A. J. Wadlington, who was a witness on the trial of the Commonwealth agst William J. Wadlington, who was jointly indicted with his father Thomas B., and who testified even more strongly, as it was more minute, as to the facts herein before stated -- He says that afterwards, on the 16^th day of January 1860, said William J. Wadlington came to town, when his father was attending Court, and communicated to him in the presence and hearing of this affiant that the deceased Milton A. Cartwright, together with Prince and Blalock, had come to the place were he was at work cutting timber, with one of his fathers slaves, and drove them away, threatening them that if they came back again, that he Cartwright would wear out him, William, with a brush, or give him a thousand lashes -- That when this affiant was sworn as a witness on the trial of said Thomas the Court refused to permit him to detail to the Jury all that said William there communicated to his father, although the counsel for the defence earnestly urged that he be permitted to do so -- He says that the statements of William are corroborated by the testimony of Eli Nichols, which is here referred to, in reference to the statements made to him by Prince & Blalock on the morning of the homicide -- That after the killing took place, and within the space of one hour, William stated to him, affiant, that
Cartwright fired first, while his father was going back, or retreating, and was stuck by the ball in the left thigh & which was in one or two seconds returned by his father with his gun -- That his father when being removed to the house, asked Blalock if he did not know that Cartwright shot first, and Blalock assented -- That the statements made by said William are the same in substance, though not so full as those made by him just previous to his sentence -- That Blalock a few days before the sitting of the Court at which Thomas B. Wadlington was tried, told this affiant that he "had little acquaintance with Thomas Wadlington, but had been living with Cartwright, and that a man had to stand up to his friends, but that he was going to Illinois, and would ^not^ swear against the Wadlingtons either to punish or confine them" That in accordance with the design so expressed, he actually did leave, and failed to appear when called in Court, and that the Atty for the Comth had to and did swear out a warrant of arrest for him under which he was arrested, brought to the Court house, and Kept under guard during the trial -- He says that immediately after the communication made by William to his father, of Cartwright's conduct the day before the killing, this affiant went to Lucien J. Cartwright, the elder brother of deceased, the son in Law to affiant, and the principal prosecutor of his son, and urged him to go and see Milton Cartwright and expostulate with him, and arrange and settle misunderstanding between the parties, Which said Lucien promised to do, saying he knew that Milton, his brother was in the wrong,
and that he and others had repeatedly remonstrated with him before in reference to his conduct towards Thomas B, Wadlington -- That in all the conversations had with said Thomas, he never heard a threat from him against either Cartwright or any one else, but that on the contrary he exhibited a more than ordinary degree of timidity, and seemed nervously anxious for an adjustment of the difficulty -- He says that all the statements made herein, from his own Knowledge are true, and that those made from the information of others he ^verily^ believes to be true --

W^m Wadlington

Sworn to before me by William Wadlington 4^th Feby 1861 --

Henry J. Stites
Judge ct. Appeals Ky.

W^m Wadlington's
Affidavit

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