At a Court held at the Court House in Edenton Pursuant to the several Acts of Assembly made for the Tryal of Slaves, the XVth Day of april in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred & seventy nine, for the Tryal of Negro Esther the Property of James Blount Esqr. Charged with having given to her Mistress the Wife of the said James Blount a Quantity of Verdigreace in some Tea with Intent to Poison Her—

Present
Joseph Hewes—
William Boyd
John Horniblow   } Esqrs Justices
William Bennett
Joseph Underhill

John Beasley
John Green
Jeremiah Haughton} Freeholders & Owners of Slaves—
Joseph Wilkins

The Court Qualified agreeable to Law & proceeded to the Tryal of negro Esther and having the Evidences against her do find the said negro Wench Ester is Guilty of the Crime she stands Charged with. And that the said Negro Wench be Hanged by the Neck untill she be dead and that this Sentence be carried into Execution by the Sheriff of Chowan County on Monday the nineteenth of this Instant April, between the Hours of ten & two Oclock of the said day at the Common Place of Execution. Ahd it is further Ordered that the Sheriff of Chowan County keep the said Negro Wench Esther in safe Custody untill the Day of Execution—

The Court took into Consideration the Valuation of the said Negro Wench Esther and as the Law now stands the Court are of Oppinion they cannot Value the said Wench to more than Eighty Pounds, altho' they think its slaves now sell she is worth Eight hundred Pounds—