From William James Gardner’s (public domain) A History of Jamaica:

On the 21st a circumstance occurred which created much controversy. A reputed Obeah-man was tried by court-martial and convicted. One of the favourite assertions of these people has been that “Buckra can’t hurt them.” Colonel Hobbs directed him to be placed on a hill-side, about four hundred yards from the firing party. The bullets caused almost instantaneous death, and it is stated that the effect on the minds of the prisoners was so great, that the colonel felt at liberty to release a considerable number then in his camp, many of whom were heard to say they never would believe in Obeah again.

On this day..

• 1647: Francesco Toraldo
• 1773: Levi Ames, Boston burglar
• 1826: Seventy-two Janissaries
• 1898: George Clark, fratricide
• 1573: Hugh Cahun, unjustly
• 2009: Soheila Ghadiri
• 1621: Rodrigo Calderon, ambitious
• 1698: 250 Streltsy from the walls of Moscow
• 1803: Thomas Russell, the man from God knows where
• 1869: Charles Carpentier
• 1865: Mexican Republican officers, under the Black Decree
• 1407: Chen Zuyi, Zheng He's prisoner