Golding / Golden / Goulding et al Family History on Facebook
The following story is adapted from the Gaulden Cousins Facebook page. Gauldens, Gauldings and Gauldins are G-Folk: many family were at one time Goldings, Goldens and Gouldings.
Georgia, Brooks County, 1870 – the entire story Hunter vs State of Georgia story
Charles Screven Gaulden was a Baptist minister and also a Captain. He had a daughter named Charlie Mary Gaulden.
Charlie had gone to school with a boy named Jimsey A. Hunter. Jimsey and Charlie both grew up together.
One day, Jimsey went to the Gaulden home to visit with Charlie. It was his intent to court her. There was something about Jimsey that Charlie didn’t like because she pulled her father aside and told him she didn’t want to see Jimsey. Captain Charles Gaulden then went to Jimsey and let him know that he would have to leave and that Charlie didn’t want to see him.
On another occasion Jimsey tried selling some oats to Captain Gaulden who refused to do business with him.
Jimsey didn’t visit the Gaulden family for a year. During this year, Charlie began courting the local doctor’s son, Tom Alexander.
In July 1870, one afternoon when Jimsey was on his way home and passed by the Gaulden home, Jimsey noticed a familiar horse at the Gaulden home. He sent the man with him to check the horse to verify to whom the horse belonged. It was confirmed that the horse belonged to Tom Alexander.
Jimsey hurried home, rushed through dinner, and took his loaded rifle and headed out across the field. When questioned where Jimsey was headed, he said he was going after his hogs. He was reminded that the hogs were not fatted, but he went anyway.
Another man on the Hunter property heard a gun shot and a scream. Within a few minutes Jimsey came back from the field with nothing but his rifle in hand.
About 30 minutes later some serenaders who had been out singing and playing their instruments came and told Jimsey they had found a dead body. Jimsey waited a minute and sent someone to inform Captain Gaulden, and someone else to get Dr. Alexander. When Captain Gaulden arrived where the body was located, Jimsey was sitting about 10 feet away with a lamp. He then preceded to light the lamp and said, “It’s Tom Alexander. Poor fellow!”
Jimsey was arrested and went to trial. There were testimonies of people in the community who spoke of how Jimsey had made threats in speaking with them in regards to what would happen to someone if they took away someone he wanted to court. He also threatened one of the men that worked on his family property about the night of the shooting and what they witnessed, telling him if he said anything, he would be killed.
Jimsey was found guilty and tried to get a second trial, but it was denied.
More info on this case is available in “Reports in Cases in Law and Equity, Argued and Determined in the Supreme Court of the State of Georgia, Volume 43“, Georgia Supreme Court.
Charles Screven Gaulden is the son of Reverend Jonathan Gaulden and Rhoda Paisley. He married Charlotte LaFayette Lesueur on 27 Mar 1846 in Stewart County, Georgia. They had settled in Brooks County, Georgia which is where the murder or Tom Alexander happened in July 1870.
You are welcome to add to or to correct this story by contacting: Bill Golden, Norfolk1956@gmail.com