the Cosden murders and named his accomplicess All were arrested and,
with Shaw testifying for the State in exchange for his life, Shelton
was convicted in kent County and Murphy and Taylor were convicted on
a change of venue in Cecil County and all were sentenced to hang,
Bach maintained his innocence until the very end when they were all
hanged at Chestertown on August 8, 1851, Cosden's father was. allowed
to go on the scaffold where he confronted the three men and wept while
they reiterated their protestations of innocence, Taylor and Shelton <
necks were broken by the fall, but the rope around Murph¥’s neck broke
and he fell to the ground, He asked for adrink of water which he was
khe unable to swallow and then again protested his innocence and said
that he believed RX¥KKK Shelton to be innocent also, While 'moaning
most piteously and poe eee » he was carried back to the scaffold and
hanged again. ¥
QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTY, MARYLAND, ITS EARLY HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT
by Frederic Emory. Originally: published in the ra ee crea OBSERVER,
1886-1887, Published in book form by The Maryland Historical Society,
Baltimore, 1950. Pages 180-);82
SOUTHERN ADVOCATE, Huntsville, Alasy -30-1851(2-5), (\
kit = eaperd eee eee
the Cosden murders and named his accomplicess All were arrested and,
with Shaw testifying for the State in exchange for his life, Shelton
was convicted in Kent County and Murphy and Taylor were convicted on
a change of venue in Cecil County and all were sentenced to hang.
Each maintained his innocence until the very end when they were all
hanged at Chestertown on August 8, 1851, Cosden's father was. allowed
to go on the scaffold where he confronted the three men and wept while
they reiterated their protestations of innocence, Taylor and Shelton q
necks were broken by the fall, but the rope around Murph¥’s neck broke
and he fell to the ground, He asked for adrink of water which he was
keke unable to swallow and then again protested his innocence and said
that he believed KA¥XHK Shelton to be innocent also, While 'moaning
most piteously and praying', he was carried back to the scaffold and
hanged again. :
QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTY, MARYLAND, ITS EARLY HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT
by Frederi: Emory, Originally published in the CENTREVILLE OBSERVER,
1886-1887, Published in book form by The Manyland Historical Society,
Baltimore, 1950. Pages 180-182
SOUTHERN ADVOCATE, Huntsville, Alas, 4-30-1851(2-5),
YAN ws
W2 A. ~y) f. /). DVL UR LY cette ‘
A lCUehet © (hb Ap end =7UCT [SOC
the Cosden mrders and named his accomplicesy All were arrested and,
with Shaw testifying for the State in exchange for his life, Shelton
was convicted in Kent County and Murphy and Taylor were convicted on
a change of venue in Cecil County and all were sentenced to hang,
Each maintained his innocence until the very end when they were all
hanged at Chestertown on August 8, 1851, Cosden's father was. allowed
to go on the scaffold where he confronted the eee men and wept while
they reiterated their protestations of ‘aylor and Shelton’ g
Save iss Gace by the fall, but the rope around Norphyes neck broke
and he fell to the ground, He asked for adrink of water which he was
kim unable to swallow and then-agein-protested his innocence and said
that he believed RAQMHE Shelton to be innocent also, While 'moaning
most piteously and praying', he was carried back to the scaffold and
hanged ageing .
QUEEN ANVE'S COUNTY, MARYLAND, ITS EARLY HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT
by Frederi. imory, Originally published in the CENTREVILLE OBSERVER,
1886-: 1857, Published in book form by The Maryland Historical Society,
Baltimore, 1950. Pages 180-182
SOUTHERN ADVOCATE, Huntsville, Alaey 4-30-1851(2-5). Ne
GH ppafed “ apead ~ Meret fpec
EF adaey DUBS 2-5),
~ ered Pieced
MURPHY, Nicholas, SHELTON, William and TAYLOR, Abraham
Murphy, a white resident of Havre de Grace, Md,, and Shelton and Tay-
lor, also white, and a fourth man named Stephen Shaw, conspired to
kill and rob a number of Kent Co., Md., families on Si-Stewet of Feb,
27, 1851, They first went to the home of William Cosden, a young
white farmer, who resided on the main road from Chestertown to Phila-
delphia about midday and Taylor fired a rifle through the window,
striking Cosdene They then entered the house and when they found that
Cosden was still alive, they trampled and stabbed him, They then turn-
ed their weapons on the other members of the family, and Cosden's wife,
his lheyear-old sister, Amanda Cosden, and a black woman were all shot,
with the black woman being the only one to survive her wounds, After
tearing the rings from Mrs, Cosden's fingers and ripping the ear-rings
from her kars, they went upstairs where her ll-year-old sister, a Miss
Webster Lay in bed il] and,wwxke as the girl begged for her life,
offering to give them anything that she might have of Yalaue, they shot
and stabbed her to death, Her young brother, Dickinson Webster, man-
aged to escape from the house and give the alurm and the four killers
fled, There were neveral respects who were taken into custody but
all were released when no evidence could be gathered that linked them
to the massacre, Shaw made the mistake of getting drunk and told a
woman who lived near Blackbird, Dela,, mika that he was involved in
MURPHY, Nicholas, SHELTON, William and TAYLOR, Abraham
Murphy, a white resident of Havre de Grace, Md,, and Shelton and Tay-
lor, also white, and a fourth man named Stephen Shaw, conspired to
kill and rob a number of Kent Co., Md., families on Se-iteat of Feb,
27, 1851, They first went to the home of William Cosden, a young
white farmer, who resided on the main road from Chestertown to Phila-
delphia about midday and Taylor fired a rifle through the window,
striking Cosden. They then entered the house and when they found that
Cosden was still alive, they trampled and stabbed him, They then turn
ed their weapons on the other members of the family, and Cosden's wife,
his ll-year-old sister, Amanda Cosden, and a black woman were all shot,
with the black woman being the only one to survive her wounds, After
tearing the rings from Mrs. Cosden's fingers and ripping the ear-rings
from her kars, they went upstairs where her ll-year-old sister, a Miss
Webster Lay in bed i111 and,wkkxke as the girl begged for her life,
offering to give them anything that she might have of Yalae, they shot
and stabbed her to death, Her young brother, Dickinson Webster, man-
aged to escape from the house and give the alurm and the four killers
fled. There were neveral respects who were taken into custody but
all were released when no evidence could be gathered that linked them
o the massacre. Shaw made the mistake of getting drunk and told a
woman who lived near Blackbird, Dela,, whka that he was involved in
MURPHY, Nicholas, SHELTON, William and TAYLOR, Abraham
Murphy, a white resident of Havre de Grace, Md., and Shelton and Tay-
lor, also white, and a fourth man named Stephen Shaw, conspired
kill and rob a number of Kent Co., Md., families on Sta~vitmt of Feb,
27, 1851, They first went to the home of William Cosden, a young
white farmer, who resided on the main road from Chestertown to Phila
delphia about, midday and Taylor ce a rifle through the window,
striking Cosden. They then entered the house and when they found that
Gosden was still alive, they esa and stabbed him, They then turn
ed their weapons on the other members of the family, and Cosden's wife,
his Uj-year-old sister, Amanda Cosden, and a black woman were all shot.
with the black woman being the only one to survive her wounds. After
tearing the rings from Mrs, Cosden's fingers and ripping the ear-rings
from her bars, they went upstairs where her l)-year-old sister, a Miss
Webster lay in bed ill and,uiike as the girl begged for her life,
offering bo give them anything that she might have of falue, they shot
and stabbed her to death, Her young brother, Dickinson Webster, man—
aged to escape from the house and give the alarm and the four killers
fled, There were.neveral, respects, who were taken into custody
pil, were released when no evidence could be gathered that. Linked
massacre, Shaw made the mistake of getting drunk and told a
Roe cre ivednece Blackbird, Dela,, xhka that he was involved in
