Pictured is the law office of S. S. Prentiss in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
Blood Money
If you will remember from last week, Daniel, a slave and alleged ringleader of the black men who had been found guilty of murdering their cruel master, Joel Cameron, had been hung on the gallows in the middle of the town square. Daniel had caused quite a stir in the community by announcing that on the way to the gallows he would voice the real motive for the murder of Joel Cameron. However, in a slick move by Alexander, Daniel’s voice had been drowned out by the beating of the drum that accompanied all executions. Before anyone could protest the situation, Daniel’s execution had been swiftly carried out.
One would think that Alexander would finally be content. No. Soon after Daniel’s execution, Alexander came forward with a fifth defendant he accused of being involved in the murder of his partner and friend, Joel Cameron. Alexander claimed that a mixed-race man named Mercer Byrd, a free negro who was the son of a white man and black woman, had also participated in the planning and murder of Joel Cameron. Byrd was therefore immediately taken into custody. Alexander then sought out well known Vicksburg attorney, Seargent S. Prentiss to become involved in the prosecution of Mercer Byrd. S. S. Prentiss was a wealthy, master orator and noted lawyer. His skills and eloquence of speech could leave a jury spellbound and almost hypnotized by his arguments of the law. In one notable case, Mr. Prentiss was able to exonerate his client, Dr. Edward C. Wilkerson of the killing of John Rothwell, a tailor by trade. Dr. Wilkerson had traveled from his home in Mississippi to marry a charming young lady of Bardstown, Kentucky. The difficulty and the killing resulted from a misfit wedding suit. In another instance, Mr. Prentiss and his family were staying over night at an Inn when they and most of the guests were awakened in the night from bedbug bites. The guests were horrified and ready to see the Inn keeper jailed. Mr. Prentiss however took it upon himself to plead the case for the poor bedbugs and after an hour or so he was able to persuade the guests to let the poor bedbugs live to see another day.
So naturally, Alexander felt that Mr. Prentiss was an excellent choice for the job at hand. It has been said that Alexander paid Prentiss $4,000 (equal to $100,000 today) to send our Mr. Byrd to the gallows.
There was no evidence that Mercer Byrd had any involvement in the killing of Joel Cameron. There was only the forced confession of one of McNutt’s slaves. Alexander was never brought up on charges for the death of Joel Cameron. Any slave at that time that may have known of his involvement could not have testified against a white man in court.
William Hayes Paxton, the defendant’s lawyer, was none other than Alexander’s G. McNutt’s nephew and law partner. So, it seems Alexander had all his bases covered. Mercer Byrd was quickly found guilty and his execution was carried out the next day.
It has been said that Mercer Byrd revealed detrimental information concerning Alexander G. McNutt to his attorney before his execution that
would haunt Mr. Paxton the rest of his life. The case of Mercer Byrd would also haunt Prentiss, who would come to consider this exorbitant fee as “blood money.”
