Ethelbert Taney's slave shot in Hancock, 1848

A serious affair

A young man by the name of Barney O'Donald, formerly of this town, but more recently a resident of Hancock, was committed to Washington County Jail, on Saturday last, on a charge of having shot a colored boy belonging to Ethelbert Taney, on the night preceding New Year, in Hancock. It appears a number of young men were engaged in the foolish custom of shooting out the " Old Year," and " shooting in the New Year," when one of the number, supposed to have been O'Donald, raised his gun, loaded with powder and wadding only, and fired at the boy who was near them, the wadding taking effect upon his body, and causing a Wound of so painful a nature, that, after lingering several weeks, lock jaw supervened, which produced his death last week, whereupon O'Donald was arrested, who was during his residence in this place, considered a young man of respectable character.