1739 Jurgen Scholts et al.
In a reversal of many of the cases that came to the Council of Justice, this one deals with four Company woodcutters who were caught stealing sheep from the Company’s corral at Groote Schuur by slaves, one of whom they killed.1 The case shows that low-ranking Company employees were as desperate for food as other members of the colony’s underclasses and could be equally unruly and opportunistic.
Footnotes
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Testimonies from each of the accused, five witnesses and two eijschen are included in the documentation for this case, CJ 343, ff. 104-56. We include here Coridon’s evidence as a rare example of slave testimony against a ‘European’ prisoner. Slave testimony in court was in theory only accepted as the basis for convictions when there was corroborating evidence from other witnesses, but in practice, as these records reveal, it was frequently used. Company-owned slaves were frequently employed on outposts such as this, Shell 1994: 178 and Sleigh 1993: 117-25. ↩
CJ 343 Criminele Process Stukken, 1739, ff. 123r-v.
Testimony given, on the requisition of the onderkoopmanonderkoopmanThe administrative or civil sector of the VOC was divided into six categories of rank, with the governor-general at the head of the first one. Most of the titles used for these ranks were derived from the merchant origins of the VOC, but in practice a rank did not equate with a person’s function. Onderkoopman, literally ‘vice or deputy merchant’ but usually translated as ‘junior merchant’, was a rank in the fourth category, senior to boekhouder (‘bookkeeper’) but below that of koopman (‘merchant’)., Sieur Johannes Needer, acting as fiscal for the interim, by the slave Coridon, belonging to the head of De Schuur, Gibbelaar, being of the following contents:
That the testifier, together with the slave Paris, also belonging to his owner, were ordered to look after the corral last night since sheep had been stolen from there on several occasions at night, which is why they were both on guard that night, and while they were there, two Europeans entered at twelve o’clock, which is when the testifier, as one of these Dutchmen1 was laying hold of a sheep, took him on, wanting to throw him onto the ground, whereupon this European cut the testifier with a knife across his stomach, at which he fell down helplessly and this European ran away. When these two Dutchmen came into the corral, there were two other Dutchmen in front of the corral.
Thus related at the honourable Company’s Schuur on 23 January 1739, before the honourables J.T. Rhenius and P.R. de Savoije, members from the honourable Council of Justice of the Castle of Good Hope, who, together with the testifier and me, the secretary, have properly signed the original of this.
Which I declare, [signed] Js. de Grandpreez, secretary.
Footnotes
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This word (which is sometimes written Duusman) developed a special meaning at the Cape, eventually coming to mean any white person, whether necessarily of Dutch descent or not (Scholtz 1965: 138-39). ↩
Relaas gegeven, ter requisitie van den ondercoopman, sieur Johannes Needer, als pro interim het Fiscaals ampt waarneemende, door den slaaf Coridon, toebehoorende den baas van de schuur, Gibbelaar, sijnde van de volgende inhoud:
Dat hij relatant, beneevens den slaaff Paris, sijn lijfheer meede toebehoorende, belast geworden sijnde dat zij in de voorleedene nagt in de craal souden oppassen, door dien al ettelijke rijsen des nagts daar uijt schaapen gestoolen waaren geworden, zij beijde daarom die nagt in de craal de wagt gehouden hebben, en terwijl aldaar waaren, sijn om twaalf uuren daar ingekoomen twee Europeanen, wanneer hij relatant een van die Duijtschers, soo als naar een schaap greep, om ’t lijff aanvattede, en denselven op de grond willende smijten, snee die Europeaen hem relatant met een mes dwars door sijn buijk heen, en daarop in onmagt vallende, is dien Europeaen weggeloopen, sijnde toen die twee Duijtschers in de craal quaamen nog twee andere voor de craal geweest.
Aldus gerelateerd aan ’s edele Compagnies schuur, den 23e Januarij 1739, voor d’ edele J.T. Rhenius en P.R. de Savoije, leeden uijt den edelagtbare Raad van Justitie des Casteels de Goede Hoop, die de minute deeses, beneevens den relatant ende mij, secretaris, meede behoorlijk hebben onderteekent.
’Twelk ik getuijge, [get.] Js. de Grandpreez, secretaris.
CJ 786 Sententiën, 1736-1743, ff. 234-241.
Since, from the answered questions in the torture or pain room1 by the woodcutter Jurgen Scholts of Dantsig, 26 years old, as well as from the voluntary confessions of his fellow woodcutters Willem Brock of Bockholt, ... years old,2 Christoffel Coelmeijer of Paterborn, 28 years old, and Christoffel Hoorneft of Roosdorp, 32 years old3 – which confessions were verified voluntarily, willingly and without any torture or coercion of bonds, of irons, or even the least threat of suchlike – all four currently their honours’ prisoners, and from other papers furnished in the case, it has appeared evident:
That in clear moonlight, early on in the night of the 22nd of last January, the prisoners, in accordance with an agreement they had reached with one another, left their allotted post, by name of Paradijs, to go to De Schuur4 of the honourable Company, where the first and second prisoners, Jurgen Scholts and Willem Brock, each armed with a rope, jumped into the Company’s corral over the wall in order to steal sheep, which they were to hand over to their comrades on the other side, namely the third and fourth prisoners, Christoffel Coelmeijer and Christoffel Hoorneft. These two, however – in spite of being convinced otherwise by the aforementioned Willem Brock and Jurgen Scholts, and even mutually accuse each other of doing it, and which has also been determined from other evidence collected against them – vigorously deny standing by the corral or having waited outside it. The third prisoner, Christoffel Coelmeijer, claims that, while still on their post, he had given his rope to the second prisoner and that, as soon as they were coming close to De Schuur and hearing the said Willem Brock speaking about stealing sheep there, he left his comrades and walked back to his assigned post. The fourth prisoner, Christoffel Hoorneft, also claims, equally against the truth, that when the aforementioned Willem Brock and Jurgen Scholts jumped into the corral of De Schuur he, having heard and learned on the way from them that they were intending to steel sheep, left them and went from there since he did not want to have anything to do with it, even more so as he had a sore hand; leaving at that time the said Christoffel Coelmeijer standing at the side of the corral.
That on their arrival at the aforementioned corral, the said Jurgen Scholts and Willem Brock immediately tried to each get hold of a sheep in order to tie them up and throw them over the wall to their comrades; but, when they wanted to do this, both were tackled by two slaves, who were hiding in the corral to watch out for those who have often stolen sheep from there. The first prisoner, Jurgen Scholts, inflicted such a deep cut on the abdomen of the slave Coridon, who was trying to pin him down and was loudly calling for help, with his knife that his intestines immediately gushed from the wound, so that, as result of this, he fell to the ground helplessly; dying early in the afternoon of the following day from this wound. That while this was happening, the second prisoner, Willem Brock, likewise in order to get rid of the other slave, named Paris, who was calling vigorously for help, lightly wounded this slave in the chest with his knife. Upon which Paris, in order to save his own life, stabbed Willem Brock with a small sword on his head and hand, whereupon they both wrestled with each other again, [while] the second prisoner, insofar as he had any power left, tried to wound the slave Paris. Yet, since they were holding each other by the body, and since Willem Brock was already wounded on the right hand, with which he could not do much, the stabs which he was dealing the slave to his back were of no consequence and, since the said slave Paris continued calling for help, the second prisoner likewise left over the wall, thereby exiting the corral, from which his comrade, the first prisoner Jurgen Scholts, had already fled over the gate, leaving behind him his knife and the ropes they had brought with them. All of which Jurgen Scholts, although [we have been] fully convinced [of the contrary] by all the prisoners and the two aforementioned slaves, nonetheless stubbornly persists in denying; even denying, during his first interrogation, ever having been present in the aforementioned corral, while he did not confess to having entered it with the second prisoner until under torture; but persists, as far as he is concerned, in denying the rest, while adding that the second prisoner, not he, had wounded Coridon – yet when this slave Coridon was confronted with Jurgen Scholts, he too accused him of it; after which he died.
That after the first and second prisoners had fled from the corral, the first, namely Jurgen Scholts, went (as he claims) to Nieuwland, while Willem Brock returned to his allotted post at Paradijs, where he found the third and fourth prisoners, Christoffel Coelmeijer and Christoffel Hoorneft, who had already returned there an hour before, and where he, Willem Brock, was then bandaged in his sleeping place by Christoffel Coelmeijer. Later, when the first prisoner returned, which happened at the break of day, the prisoners decided together that, in order to cover up the deed, the second prisoner Willem Brock would say that the hatchet came off the helve while he was chopping wood and then fell on his head and hand. Which is what he then also told the chief of Paradijs, who sent him to the hospital to recuperate, on which occasion the first prisoner gave Willem Brock, on his request, an unsheathed knife without a tip. It has further come to light, from the depositions of the knechtknechtLiterally ‘male servant,’ but because most European knechten at the Cape were used as slave overseers, this original meaning gradually eroded and the word ended up meaning primarily (as in modern Afrikaans), ‘farm foreman.’ and a slave of the burgher Jan Laurensz Bestbier, that the third and fourth prisoners Christoffel Coelmeijer and Christoffel Hoorneft had, some time before, driven away in the open pasturage eight sheep from the flock of the said Jan Laurensz Bestbier, of which six returned to the flock of their own accord, while the other two were slaughtered in the bushes by the prisoners, after they had first killed them there.
And considering that such outrageously murderous and abominable acts must, in a country where law and justice are practised, be punished exemplarily, without connivance, as a deterrent to similar malefactors.
Thus it is, that the honourable Council of Justice of the Castle of Good Hope, having seen and read, with carefully considered counsel, the written crimineelen eijsch ende conclusiecrimineelen eijsch ende conclusieLiterally ‘criminal demand and conclusion.’ The document drawn up by the prosecutor based on the evidence he collected and delivered in court against an accused. The conclusie is the final part of the document in which the prosecutor suggested an appropriate punishment for the crime. drawn up and delivered for and against the prisoners by the onderkoopmanonderkoopmanThe administrative or civil sector of the VOC was divided into six categories of rank, with the governor-general at the head of the first one. Most of the titles used for these ranks were derived from the merchant origins of the VOC, but in practice a rank did not equate with a person’s function. Onderkoopman, literally ‘vice or deputy merchant’ but usually translated as ‘junior merchant’, was a rank in the fourth category, senior to boekhouder (‘bookkeeper’) but below that of koopman (‘merchant’)., Sieur Johannes Needer, acting as fiscal for the interim, and, in addition, having seriously considered the prisoners’ confessions, both those given voluntarily and under torture, together with the other documents and evidence produced in court, moreover, having considered everything which served this case and could have moved their honours, practising justice in the name and on behalf of the high and mighty Lords States General of the free United Netherlands and, having judged all four prisoners, their honours are sentencing them with this: to be taken to the place where criminal sentences are usually executed here, and having been handed over to the executioner, the first two prisoners, Jurgen Scholts and Willem Brock, to be punished with the rope on the gallows in such a way that death will follow, afterwards that their dead bodies be transported from there to the outer place of execution, where they are to be hanged again as prey to the air and birds of heaven; further that the last two prisoners, Christoffel Coelmeijer and Christoffel Hoorneft, be severely scourged with rods on their bare backs by the executioner, after which they are to be branded and riveted in chains, in which to labour for nothing on the honourable Company’s public works for a period of ten years, while denying the further demands against them; the Council sentencing all the prisoners moreover to the costs and expenditure of justice.5
Thus done and sentenced in the Castle of Good Hope on 5 March 1739, and moreover pronounced and executed on the 7th thereupon.
Let the sentences be done, [signed] D. v.d. Henghel.
[signed] H. Swellengrebel, J.T. Rhenius, Ns. Heijning, Cl. Brand, Js. Möller, Mnus. Bergh, Corns. Eelders, P.R. de Savoije.
In my presence, [signed] Js. de Grandpreez, secretary.
Footnotes
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Scholts was questioned in a room where the instruments of torture were displayed, a means of intimidating a prisoner (the ‘threats’ that are referred to in relation to the others). From a comment in the sententie it appears that torture was applied to him, although he only confessed to entering the corral, not to wounding anyone. Torture was used in capital crimes where there was clear evidence of guilt but where the accused refused to admit to it, since full confession was required for the death sentence to be passed (Botha 1962, vol. II: 131). ↩
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Left blank in the original. ↩
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These were four of the 17 Company woodcutters recorded in the Cape muster rolls for 1738, VOC 5186, ff. 224-25 (in the previous year there were 28 listed, so numbers fluctuated, VOC 5185, ff. 254-55). They worked at the Company’s woodcutting outpost called Paradijs on the eastern slopes on Table Mountain: the collection of wood for fuel and for building was a major occupation of both Company soldiers and slaves (Sleigh 1993: 257-60; Hall, Malan & Amann 1993; and Cairns 1980a). Jurgen Scholts, who was taken off his ship on the way to Batavia in 1732 because of sickness, had already caused trouble when he tried to desert in 1738, VOC 5962, f. 97. Willem Brock, the other prisoner who was executed, had only landed at the Cape the previous year, VOC 14734, f. 157. Christoffel Coelmeijer, who was consigned to the Cape hospital on his way to Batavia in 1734, drowned in 1742 while serving his sentence of hard labour in chains, VOC 12923, f. 201. Christoffel Hoorneft, who had arrived at the Cape in 1735, returned to Amsterdam in 1749 after his sentence was completed, VOC 5998, f. 231. ↩
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Not far from Paradijs, at modern Rondebosch, the Company had a post which in the eighteenth century primarily served as a transport station and was called De Schuur, after the large shed which served as wagon-house (Sleigh 1993: 180-81). The name ‘Groote Schuur’ only dates from the nineteenth century. ↩
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Jurgen Scholts denied knowledge of wounding Coridon, while the other three begged for ‘genadige straffe’ (merciful punishment). They were unsuccessful, these sentences for ‘moord en schaapdiefte’ (murder and sheep theft) being confirmed in the regtsrollenregtsrollenLiterally ‘rolls of justice’, the minutes of the proceedings of the Council of Justice., CJ 21, f. 18. ↩
Nademaal uijt de beantwoorde vraagpointen in de boeijen ofte pijn camer door den houtkapper Jurgen Scholts van Dantsig, oud 26, mitsgaders uijt de vrijwillige confessiën van de meede houtkappers, Willem Brock van Bockholt, oud …1, Christoffel Coelmeijer van Paterborn, oud 28 en Christoffel Hoorneft van Roosdorp bij Darmstad, oud 32 jaaren, welke confessiën liber, vrij en buijten pijn ofte dwang van banden, van ijsers, dan wel de minste bedreijging van dien, zijn gerecolleert, alle vier thans ’s heeren gevangens, en andere stucken ten processe gefourneert, evidentelijk is koomen te blijken:
Dat zij gevangens op den 22e der gepasseerde maand Januarij, in de voornagt, met heldere maaneschijn, van haare bescheijdene post, het Paradijs genaamt, volgens afspraak met den anderen genoomen, sijn gegaan naar de schuur der edele Compagnie, in welkers craal den eersten en tweeden gevangens Jurgen Scholts en Willem Brock, ieder met een touw voorsien, over de muur gesprongen sijn om schaapen te steelen en die vervolgens over te geeven aan haar buijten staande mackers, te weeten den derden en vierden gevangens Christoffel Coelmeijer en Christoffel Hoorneft, dewelke, nietteegenstaande door eevengenoemde Willem Brock en Jurgen Scholts overtuijgt worden, en selfs malkanderen over en weer daar meede beschuldigen, mitsgaders hetselve ook uijt andere stucken teegens haarlieden ingewonnen consteert, egter hartnekkig ontkennen bij die craal te sijn blijven staan, ofte daarna gewagt te hebben, voorgeevende den derden gevangen Christoffel Coelmeijer, die op haarlieden post nog sijnde, desselfs touw aan den tweeden gevangen overgegeeven had, dat soo ras als hij bij aannadering van de schuur gedagte Willem Brock hoorde spreeken van aldaar schaapen te gaan steelen, hij sijne mackers verlaaten en naar sijne bescheijdene plaats is te rug geloopen, en den vierden gevangen Christoffel Hoorneft, dog meede teegens de waarheijt, dat soo als meergemelte Willem Brock en Jurgen Scholts in de craal van de schuur sprongen, hij, die onderweegs van haarlieden gehoort en vernoomen had dat zij van meeninge waaren aldaar schaapen te gaan steelen, deselve verlaaten en sig daarvandaan, als daar meede niet willende te doen hebben, te meer dewijl een seer hand had, begeeven heeft, laatende als doen eevengenoemde Christoffel Coelmeijer ter seijde van de craal staan.
Dat de gesegde Jurgen Scholts en Willem Brock bij hun aankomst in meergemelde craal ieder ten eersten naar een schaap gegreepen hebben om hetselve, gebonden hebbende, aan hunne mackers over de muur te gooijen; dog beijden, soo als sulx in ’t werk wouden stellen, afsonderlijk aengedaan geworden sijnde door twee slaave jongens in die craal verborgen, om op degeene die meermaals daar schaapen uijtgestoolen hadden te passen, heeft den eersten gevangen Jurgen Scholts den jongen Coridon, die hem tragtede vast te houden en hard om hulp riep, met sijn mes soodanig eene swaare snee dwars over desselfs buijk gegeeven, dat desselfs ingewanden ten eersten buijten de wond schooten en hij dienvolgens in onmagt op de grond quam neer te vallen, sijnde ook daags daar naar in den voormiddag aan die quetsuur gestorven. Dat terwijl sulx voorviel, den tweeden gevangen Willem Brock, om ook ontslaagen te kunnen werden, van den anderen slaaf, Paris genaamt, die insgelijx sterk om hulp was roepende, dien jongen eenige ligte quetsuuren met een mes in de borst heeft toegebragt, op ’t welke hij Paris, tot redding van sijn leeven, hem Willem Brock met een houwertje op ’t hooft en op de hand gekapt heeft, wanneer sij beijden weederom aan malkander geraakt sijn, en wierd door den tweeden gevangen, alstoen voor soo veel in hem was, nog getragt den meergemelde slaaf Paris te quetsen, dog, door dien sij elkander bij ’t lijf vast hielden en hij Willem Brock reets op de regter hand gequest sijnde, daar meede wijnig konde uijtvoeren, waaren de steeken die hij dien slaaf in de rugge gaf van geen belang, ende ten aansien gedagte slaaf Paris met om hulp roepen aanhield, heeft hij tweeden gevangen denselven meede verlaaten, begeevende sig met agterlating van desselfs mes en meede genoomen touwen over de muur buijten de craal, waaruijt sijn makker, den eersten gevangen Jurgen Scholts, reets over ’t hek gevlugt was, alle ’twelke hij Jurgen Scholts, schoon door alle de gevangens en de twee boovengenoemde jongens ten vollen overtuijgt, nogtans hartneckig blijft ontkennen, hebbende selfs bij sijne gegeevene eerste responsiven genegeert in meergemelte craal geweest te zijn, en niet als ad torturam geconfesseert sig met den tweeden gevangen daar inne begeeven te hebben, sijnde voor ’t overige, voor soo veel hem aangaat, bij de negative blijven persisteeren, met bijvoeging dat den tweede gevangen den jongen Coridon gequest heeft maar hij niet, daar egter dien jonge Coridon bij confrontatie hem Jurgen Scholts daar meede beschuldigt heeft, en daarop is koomen te sterven.
Dat naar dat den eersten en tweede gevangens uijt de craal gevlugt waaren, den eersten, te weeten Jurgen Scholts, naar ’t Nieuwland, soo als hij voorgeeft, is gegaan, begeevende sig Willem Brock naar sijne bescheijdene post, het Paradijs, terugge, alwaer den derden en vierden gevangens Christoffel Coelmeijer en Christoffel Hoorneft, die al een uur bevoorens gereverteert waaren, vond, en is hij Willem Brock vervolgens in de cagie van den laatstengenoemde door Christoffel Coelmeijer verbonden, hebbende sij gevangens daar naar bij de te rugkomst van den eersten gevangen, ’tgeen met ’t aanbreeken van den dag is geschied, met den anderen beslooten dat, tot bedecking van ’t feijt, den tweeden gevangen Willem Brock seggen soude dat, hij houtkappende, de bijl uijt de steel was gesprongen en vervolgens needergevallen op sijn hooft en hand, ’t welk door hem ook dus aan de baas van ’t Paradijs verteld wierd, die hem daarop naar ’t hospitaal sond om geneesen te worden, ter welker tijd hem Willem Brock, op sijn afvragingen, door den eersten gevangen een bloot mes sonder punt wierd overgegeeven. Koomende wijders uijt de depositiën van de knegt en van een slaaf van den burger Jan Laurensz Bestbier nog te blijken dat den derden en vierden gevangens Christoffel Coelmeijer en Christoffel Hoorneft, eenigen tijd bevoorens in ’t openveld uijt de troep schaapen van gemelde Jan Laurensz Bestbier agt stux weggedreeven hadden, waarvan ses van selfs bij de troep terugge gekoomen sijn, en de twee andere door haar gevangens in de bosjes gestooken weesende, hebben zij deselve aldaar geslagt.
Ende ten aansien sulke enorme moord en gruweldaaden, in een land daar regt en justitie geoeffent word, sonder oogluijkinge ten afschrik van diergelijke boosdoenders exemplairlijk moeten gestraft werden.
Soo is het, dat den edelagtbaare Raad van Justitie des Casteels de Goede Hoop, hebbende met rijpheijd van raad geleesen en geresumeert den schriftelijken crimineelen eijsch door den ondercoopman, sieur Johannes Needer, als pro interim het Fiscaals ampt waarneemende, op ende jeegens de gevangens gedaan ende genoomen, ende daar neevens serieuslijk overwoogen derselver, soo vrijwilige als in de boeijen gegeevene, confessiën, met de overige stucken en documenten in juditio geproduceert, voorts geconsidereert sijnde alles wat ter saake dienende is en haar Edel Agtbaarheedens kan doen moveeren, doende regt uijt naame ende van weegens de hooghmoogende Heeren Staaten Generaal der vrije Vereenigde Neederlanden, alle vier de gevangens hebben gecondemneert, gelijk haar Edel Agtbaarheedens deselve condemneeren mits deesen: om gebragt te werden ter plaatse alwaar men alhier gewoon is crimineele sententiën te executeeren, en aldaar den scherprechter overgeleevert sijnde, de twee eerste, als Jurgen Scholts en Willem Brock, soodanig met de coorde aan de galg gestraft te werden datter de dood naar volgt, en haare doode lighaamen vervolgens vervoert sijnde naar ’t buijten geregt, aldaar weederom aan de galg te werden opgehangen ten proije van de lugt en voogelen des heemels, voorts de twee laatste gevangens Christoffel Coelmeijer en Christoffel Hoorneft door den scherpregter met roeden op de bloote ruggen strengelijk gegeeselt en daar naar gebrandmerkt sijnde, in de ketting geslaagen te werden, om daar inne den tijd van thien jaaren voor niet aan ’s edele Compagnies gemeene werken te arbeijden, met ontsegging van ’t verdere teegens hun geëijschte, condemneerende den Raad wijders alle de gevangens in de costen en mise van justitie.
Aldus gedaan ende gesententieert in ’t Casteel de Goede Hoop, den 5e Maart 1739, mitsgaders gepronuntieert ende geëxecuteert den 7e daaraanvolgende.
Fiat Executie, [get.] D. v.d. Henghel.
[get.] H. Swellengrebel, J.T. Rhenius, Ns. Heijning, Cl. Brand, Js. Möller, Mnus. Bergh, Corns. Eelders, P. R. de Savoije.
Mij present, [get.] Js. de Grandpreez, secretaris.
Footnotes
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Blank space in original text. Willem Brock’s relaas (statement) does not give his age, CJ 343, ff. 127-29. ↩