William T. Honeycutt (1790 - 1848)

Born 1790 in Bibb, Georgia, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Martha Elizabeth (Smith) Honeycutt — married 12 Nov 1812 in Putnam, Georgia, United States

Descendants

Died 28 Jun 1848 at about age 58 in Autauga, Alabama, United States

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Biography

William was born about 1790 in Bibb County, George. He is understood to be the son of Thomas Honeycutt and Sarah Josephine Saxon. William married Martha Elizabeth "Patsy" Smith, 02 November 1812 in Putnam County, Georgia. ^[1]

The Murders of William and Martha Honeycutt

William and his wife were murdered in June1848. The following account of the murders was published on July 4, 1848:

MURDER

We learn by a letter from a friend at Kingston, Autauga Co., that one of the most shocking murders was committed in that county on Friday night, the 23rd ult. upon an old gentleman by the name of WILLIAM HONEYCUTT, and his wife also an aged lady residing about 12 miles below Maplesville, on the road from Wetumpka to Tuscaloosa. The circumstances, as we learn, are, that during the night some person entered their bedroom with an axe, and gave them both several blows on the head both with the pole and edge of the axe, mangling and breaking their heads in a most shocking manner, but not quite killing them. They were found in the morning in this horrid condition, exhibiting symptoms of life. The old lady lingered until the night of the 27th, and the old gentleman until the night of the 28th ult., and expired, but neither evinced rationality enough to give any account of the circumstances. Suspicion rested upon one of the old man's sons-in-law, by the name of Jacob Bagley, who lived in the same yard, and was overseeing for him. He has been arrested and committed on circumstantial evidence. It is supposed that money was the object of the hellish wretch, as it was thought the old gentleman had a large amount on hand. ^[2]

Additional Details

In Autauga Co., Alabama Probate ledgers, the estate of William Hunnicutt has some information on him and his wife's murder. In August 1848 commissioners court minutes. "That James Lawhr, Coroner, be paid $24.00 for holding and inquest over the dead bodies of Mr. and Mrs. William Hunnicutt.

The custom of the day on estate settlement was for the husband of the daughter of the deceased to receive her money to manage for her. In William Hunnicutt's settlement his married daughter Elmira Bagley, received her share directly, not through her husband. Later in Feb. 1849 Commissioners court, paid Wiley Heath $4.00 for going to Centerville (Bibb Co.,) after prisoner Bagley. In the same minutes was comments on the Inspection of and paying a Mr. I.G. Graham for the building of an iron cage within the jail.

At the Alabama archives theirs a microfiche (SDMF133&SDM-246) Report of Inspection of Alabama Penitentiary, 1850-1851. On the fiche was prisoner 145 Jacob Bagley age 33, 5'5" tall, a farmer born in N.C., received 03 Dec 1850. Convicted at Montgomery Alabama. The Price's in Toomsuba Mississippi related that they had heard the old folks talk about cousin Riley Monroe Hunnicutt visiting them in Mississippi and the Prices piece of the murder mystery fell into place.

The story passed down with the generations is that some one killed William and Patsy Hunnicutt in the midst of trying to steal a trunk of gold they thought he had buried on his land. The instrument used was the family ax from the yard. So thereafter the daughter would never leave the ax out over night. So from the paper trail, the family story is true and it was his son-in-law Jacob Bagley who did the dastardly deed:

The little girl that would not leave the ax out side over night was Palley O. Honeycutt, she was 15 years old. She and George Washington Price married the next month, 11 Aug 1848 and apparently moved right away to Lauderdale Co., MS, presumably to get her away from the notoriety of her parents being so brutally killed.

Sources

1. ↑ "Georgia, County Marriages, 1785-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KXVH-B35 : 7 February 2020), William Honeycut and Patsey Smith, 2 Nov 1812; citing Marriage, Putnam, Georgia, United States, Georgia Department of Archives and History, Morrow, FHL microfilm 394,053. (Marriage Book A pg.70 Putnam Co., Ga.)
2. ↑ State guard, Tuesday, Jul 04, 1848, Wetumpka, AL, Vol: 2, Page: 4