Samuel Purcell was born around 1863 in North Carolina. Purcell worked as a laborer and resided in Lumberton (Robeson County), North Carolina. Purcell was charged with larceny on March 25, 1878, for allegedly stealing a horse, and sentenced to ten years in the North Carolina State Penitentiary. Purcell was recorded in the North Carolina State Penitentiary's Descriptive Register for the Years 1869-1884 as prisoner number 2622. In the descriptive register, Purcell's race is noted as Black. Purcell was fifteen years old when he was arrested. Purcell was noted as possessing no formal education, meaning he could not read or write at that time. During his incarceration, Purcell was leased to the Western North Carolina Railroad Company to work on railroad construction. He died while incarcerated on February 23, 1879.