Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-04-23


light I'd. middling heavy at I'D; the
price of the good heavy isquoted a, Sd.
Oils are firm, with the appearance Of
an improvement. Seed oils have been
in good demand.
Liverpool Cotton Market, Tuesday,
March 22.-We have had fair de-
mand, during the past week, from spe.
culators and the trade; and, at the con-
clusion, rather better prices were OBJ
tanned. The sales consist of $500
American, $500 Brazil, 24oo Egyptian,
and 400 East India and the imports
of 64oo American, 1900 Brazil, and
1000 Egyptian.
Sea Island Georgia, 2s Cd IS;
stained do. Is Cd a Is cd Upland do
Is Is Sd; Alabama and Tennessee,
Is Id Is 2ad; New-Orleans, Is Ida
Is i'd.
The last Average ofWHEAr ,cas 67s. Id
Liverpool, Q LIST March.-Arrived, John
Wells, from New-York; Ophelia, from
Boston Sabina, from New-Orleans
Jane, of Glasgow, from do; Samuel
Wright, from Savannah; Olive Branch,
from do; VIM. Thompson, from New
York.
Harrisburg, Penn. .April l6.-A riot
Of a serious nature took place here on
Thursday afternoon. A negro man
who had absconded from his master,
residing in Maryland, about twelve
month ago, was claimed as runaway
slave. He was taken by his master and
lodged in Jail in this county for security,
when habeas corpus was issued, at
the instance Of the slave, to. shew cause
why he should not be discharged from
imprisonment. The cause came on for
adjudication on Thursday afternoon,
before his honor Judge Butcher. Proof
of the black man having been slave
under the laws of Maryland, and own.
ed by the individual claiming him, and
Of his having absconded short time
before Easter Sunday, year, having
been made by young man who came
from Maryland for that purpose in
company with the owner, the counsel
for the claimant closed his case. On
the other side black man was offered
as witness to prove that the prisoner
was residing in York county prior TO
the time when ne was said to have left
his master in Maryland, and that he,
the witness, worked with him under
the employ Of the same man, farmer,
in York county, and knew him WE'LL
This evidence was rebuted by the tes-
timony Of the brother-in.law Of the
farmer who happened to be present,
and who stated that he never. saw the
prisoner in his employ, and that he
would, in all probability, have been a.
ware of the fact, if the runaway had
worked for any length of time with his
brother-in-law.
Upon this state of the case the Judge
ordered the individual claimed, to be
delivered up to the custody of the mas.
ter. During the whole of the trial
the Court-House was crowded with
blacks, who seemed to take deep in.
terest in the discussion, and the greater
part Of whom had each subscribed
quarter of a dollar to fee an attorney to
attend to the case of their brotherb black.
The precaution taken to secure the re.
manded slave from escaping, by tying
his hands in the presence Of so many Of
his own color, was perhaps what gave
the finishing stroke to the excitement
Of the negroes. They collected in a
cluster at the door of the Courthouse,
and as soon as the object Of their SYM
pathy had stepped beyond the thres.
hold, accompanied by his master and
the young Marylander, who had been
as witness, an attempt was
made TO rescue the slave by force
Numbers Of blows were given and re-
ceived. The conflict in a short time
became general. The blacks exceeded
their opponents in number. Fists,
cudgels and brickbats, few about in
handsome style for a few minutes, and
the most serious consequences might
have ensued If in the midst of the me-
lee the sudden discharge of a pistol had
not produced an electrifying effect up
on the combatants.
All stopped to see where the mischief
had alighted, and such was the con-
sternation produced for an instant a.
nong the blacks, that one Of them, tho
entirely out of the direction in which
he pistol was fired, swore that the bul.
et had passed just above his ear, and
displaced some half dozen of the sable
;urls that revelled on his temple. Ad-
vantage was taken of the confusion
hat prevailed, and the slave was hur-
lied into an adjoining tavern. Num-
oers Of persons by this time had collect
ID on the theatre Of action. Many OF
he negroes, however, still kept their
ground in front Of the tavern, and a.
mong the rest a mulatto who had been
in the arm by the pistol fired.