Execution Warrant for Moses Paul
Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 3:19:11 PM
Added description
Description
Execution Warrant for Moses Paul (New Haven County Superior Court, 1772) – Collection
Overview
This collection comprises the original execution warrant issued by the New Haven County Superior Court on 29 August 1772, the warrant’s scanned reproductions in JPEG and TIFF formats, and accompanying metadata in JSON. The documents record the court’s order to hang Moses Paul, a travelling joiner, for the murder of Moses Cook of Watertown. The warrant specifies the execution date (2 September 1772) and the location (New Haven).Background
The warrant is part of the Connecticut State Library’s New Haven County Superior Court (NHSC) files, specifically the “Black, African American, and Indigenous History” (BAAI) subject index. It reflects 18th‑century legal practices in colonial Connecticut, where executions were publicly announced and documented in court records. The Chief Judge, Matthew Griswold, signed the warrant, and it was addressed to the Sheriff of New Haven County.Contents
- Text file: A plain‑text transcription of the warrant, including the date, parties, and execution instructions.
- Image files: Two JPEG scans (RG003NHSCBAAIPSExecutionsRexvsPaul002.jpg, 003.jpg) and two TIFF scans (RG003NHSCBAAIPSExecutionsRexvsPaul002.tif, 003.tif) of the original warrant, each with OCR‑extracted text.
- Metadata: A JSON file (pinax.json) detailing the document’s provenance, subjects, language, and related entities (e.g., Moses Paul, Moses Cook, Sheriff, Chief Judge).
- Contextual data: Links to related entities such as the New Haven County Superior Court, Watertown, and the NHSC_BAAI subject index.
Scope
The collection covers a single legal document dated 29 August 1772, pertaining to a murder case in New Haven County, Connecticut. It includes only the execution warrant and its digital reproductions; it does not contain other court filings, trial transcripts, or subsequent execution records. The material is relevant to scholars of colonial legal history, criminal justice, and African‑American and Indigenous studies within the New Haven region.Entities
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Entity Relationships
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Raw Cheimarros Data
@execution_warrant_moses_paul:document {title: "Execution Warrant for Moses Paul", creator: @new_haven_county_superior_court, institution: @connecticut_state_library, created: @date_1772_08_29, language: "en", subjects: ["Execution", "Moses Paul", "Murder", "Legal Documents", "New Haven County", "18th Century"]}
@moses_paul:person {occupation: "travelling person and joiner"}
@moses_cook:person {residence: @watertown}
@mattth_griswold:person {role: "Chief Judge"}
@new_haven_county_superior_court:organization {type: "Superior Court", jurisdiction: @new_haven_county}
@new_haven_county:place {state: @connecticut, country: @united_states}
@watertown:place {state: @connecticut, country: @united_states}
@nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subject:concept {description: "Subject-index field for New Haven County Superior Court files related to Black, African American, and Indigenous cases and papers"}
@sheriff:person {role: "Sheriff of New Haven County"}
@file_pinax:file {filename: "pinax.json", type: "Metadata (PINAX)"}
@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_executions_rexvspaul_002_jpg:file {filename: "RG003_NHSC_BAAI_PS_Executions_RexvsPaul_002.jpg.ref.json", type: "Image/Asset with OCR"}
@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_executions_rexvspaul_003_jpg:file {filename: "RG003_NHSC_BAAI_PS_Executions_RexvsPaul_003.jpg.ref.json", type: "Image/Asset with OCR"}
@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_executions_rexvspaul_002_tif:file {filename: "RG003_NHSC_BAAI_PS_Executions_RexvsPaul_002.tif.ref.json", type: "Image/Asset with OCR"}
@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_executions_rexvspaul_003_tif:file {filename: "RG003_NHSC_BAAI_PS_Executions_RexvsPaul_003.tif.ref.json", type: "Image/Asset with OCR"}
@file_pinax -> describes -> @execution_warrant_moses_paul
@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_executions_rexvspaul_002_jpg -> depicts -> @execution_warrant_moses_paul
@file_rg003_nhsc_baai_ps_executions_rexvspaul_003_jpg -> depicts -> @execution_warrant_moses_paul
@execution_warrant_moses_paul -> concerns -> @moses_paul {role: "defendant"}
@execution_warrant_moses_paul -> concerns -> @moses_cook {role: "victim"}
@execution_warrant_moses_paul -> ordered execution -> @moses_paul {date: @date_1772_09_02, location: @new_haven}
@execution_warrant_moses_paul -> signed by -> @mattth_griswold
@execution_warrant_moses_paul -> addressed to -> @sheriff
@execution_warrant_moses_paul -> part of -> @nhsc_baai_cases_papers_subjectMetadata
Files (4)
OCR Text
To the Sheriff of the County of New Haven Greeting— Whereas one Moses Paul, a Travelling person and Joinerman now in the Common Goal in the County of New Haven before the Superior Court helden at New Haven by Rejournment on the Third Dayday of December 1771, was legally convicted of the Murder of one Moses Cook of Watertown in said County and was hanged by the Condemnation of the Judges of said Court. Reprieve and Sentence to be hanged up by the Neck between the heavens and the Earth until he should be dead. All which of the Records of said Assizes must appear and Execution thereof still remains to be done. These are therefore in his Majesty's Name to will and command that on Thursday the second day of September being the first Working day of said Sept. Some time between the hours of Ten of the Clock in the forenoon and four of the Clock in the afternoon of said Day you have him the said Moses Paul forth of the said Goal in said New Haven where the said Moses remains in custody; unto some open and convenient place for Execution and there the said Moses Paul (with a noose) to be hanged up by the Neck between the heavens and the Earth until he shall be Dead. To which purpose this shall be your Sufficient Warrant. Whereof you may in no wise fail and hereby make due Return with such your doings therein endorsed. Dated at New Haven This 29th Day of August Anno Domini 1772 Signed &c Mattth: Griswold Chief Judge of said Court
OCR Text
N Rottawen Sept 29, 1772 Thon I Convened the within orders on the body of the within named Mfsw Paul & Cause him to be Hung up by the Neck between the Ravens & the Earth till he was Dead Gen Jeft Jon W Hich Sheriff
Version History (4 versions)
- ✓ v4 (current) · 12/4/2025, 3:19:11 PM
"Added description" - v3 · 12/4/2025, 2:47:13 PM · View this version
"Added knowledge graph extraction" - v2 · 12/4/2025, 6:40:01 AM · View this version
"Added PINAX metadata" - v1 · 12/4/2025, 6:32:11 AM · View this version
"Reorganization group: Execution_Warrant_Moses_Paul"
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