Constable Darius Quimby

On Aug. 26 a male white named Whiting Sweeting of Stephentown, Rensselaer County, N.Y., was hanged for the murder of Albany County Constable Darius Quimby who was killed Jan. 3, 1791, while attempting to make an arrest on a warrant for trespass. Sweeting was tried and convicted in the New York State Supreme Court of Judicature during the July term. He was executed the following month.

Whiting was a member of the well-regarded Sweeting family in the Stephentown region. His first name was his mother's maiden family name: Whiting. His father was a prominent doctor. Dr. Lewis Sweeting and his sons played leading roles in the Revolutionary war effort. The physician performed as an army surgeon. His sons saw military action. After the war ended, some members of family moved to other counties including Onondaga and Oneida.

Stephentown, N.Y. was once Jericho Hallow, Ma. The Sweetings served with patriot units of Massachusetts. Later that western part of Massachusetts became the eastern part of New York State, first within Albany County and later within Rensselaer County when that was carved out of Albany County March 24, 1791, the same year as the Whiting Sweeting case.

While incarcerated, Sweeting was visited frequently by William Carter who thereafter authored a small book entitled:

The remarkable narrative of Whiting Sweeting who was executed. . . for the murder of Darius Quimby. . . written by himself, and published for the benefit of precious souls, at his particular and dying request. --To which are added--an account of the behavior of the unhappy sufferer, from his confinement to execution, and the substance of his address at the gallows. By one who had free access to, and frequent conversation with him.

While the text is not available on-line, descriptions of printed and microfilm copies can be found on the special collection pages of the Cornell University and New Hampshire University libraries' web sites.

Constable Quimby seems also have lived in the Stephentown area. A 1790 census lists a Darius in the family of Ephraim Quimby there and of an age eligible to be a constable.

See also:

• http://www.odmp.org/officer/16907-constable-darius-quimby
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darius_Quimby
• http://genforum.genealogy.com/quimby/messages/525.html