Posted on 06/25/2013 8:38:04 AM PDT by nickcarraway
When archaeologists in Virginia uncovered the skeletal remains in 1996 of one of Jamestown's first settlers — a young European male designated as JR102C in the catalog — they said he was the victim in what was perhaps Colonial America's oldest unsolved murder.
At the time, archaeologist William Kelso, now director of archaeological research and interpretation at Jamestown Rediscovery, reported that "the lead bullet and shot fragments lodged in his lower right leg contained enough force to fracture his tibia and fibula bones, rupturing a major artery below the knee. JR would have bled to death within minutes."
Now, 17 years later, the forensic archaeologists at Jamestown may have identified the victim and, therefore, the perpetrator of the crime. Recent evidence, Kelso says, points to a duel in 1624 "where a man named George Harrison took a bullet in the leg and later died from it."
The bullet, found by researchers, "hit the right side of the knee suggesting the man was standing sideways, which would happen in a duel," says Kelso. "It is possible that JR102C is that man."
And the man who murdered Harrison in a duel, according to Kelso: Richard Stephens, a Jamestown merchant. Stephens went on to become a court commissioner and an outspoken detractor of Virginia Gov. John Harvey. In 1635, Stephens and Harvey engaged in fisticuffs, and Stephens lost teeth in the bargain. Stephens died circa 1636.
Doubt that Mike Bloomberg could survive a dose strong enough to make a difference.
With a name like “Linton Weeks,” do you really expect the author to know anything about history of duels? We should take comfort in the fact that he didn’t spell it “dual.”
Thanks for putting up info that is likely most correct here. Lots of corrections are still needed.
200 years later, in a country different from Britain. US had only recently made dueling illegal IIRC.
They were using matchlock pistols most likely. Not very reliably accurate.
The duel was in Jamestown, Virginia, not in Britain.
Died from a shot in the leg, he died of lead poisoning.
Ahh, but one human person killed another human person. That is always murder. You know, like how all military persons are murderers.
/leftist
He looks more like a Bon Jovi than a Harrison.
Of course not, but this is NPR and the narrative is “unsolved murder”. Dramatic license, I guess.
***
Good point. Any death due to a firearm must be labeled a murder, no matter what the circumstances.
Really? They could tell from his remains that he had that stupid facial hair pattern?
The correct term is Homicide, not Murder. Homicide is taking another human life, but not necessarily breaking any laws in doing so.
When police shoot and kill a perp shooting at them, they have committed a homicide, but they have not committed a crime. Same with soldiers in combat or people acting in self defense.
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