Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1835-07-03


rely, has favored with the foil wing account of case
which has excited good deal of interest in this city du
ring the past week:
A YOUNG GIRL CLAIMED FOR A SLAVE.
case came before Of our courts dty or two
since, which excited interest. young gr l., an.
pcarance almost white brought before Judge Ran.
dali to answer claim made by u citizen of Baltimore
AS the court was occupied with other business this case
was postponed until 18th inst, in order that a full
nearing and clear investigation may be given to it,
AS the suit is still pending, it will only lie proper to
state generally the grounds Of the claim and of the de-
fence
The claimant alleges that he formerly owned a mu
atto woinan who about the year IL gave birth to f.
male child that the father Of the child white man
/ he mother and daughter remained in his family until
the year 1924, at winch time he manumittcd the former
but sun kept the child, who had grown up with his
children, and had become great pet in his family In
ne year le, about year ada half after the Liberation
oil inc woman, the child ran away from him, or as lie
suspected was stolen by its who disa from,
baltimore about the ysparrr " as pro-
duced, containing advertisements rrin,r reward fur
the recovery OF the child 1t was dated August lc25
ana SAID the child about nine years old He
determined To claim the girl ii she should prove TO be
the one he had lost and this city bringing with
however received no dings of either daugh-
Ter, until short time since, when Il black woman
came to hn and informed him, that the child he
lost some years ago living ia Philadelphia He
nun man who had lived in his house at the time tl,e
child was solen and also tire black woman who rave him
lhc iniormaon The claimant said that hc recognized
the person then before the that she was the same
individual who left his service in l5 and swore Ia her
identity The man, who live dwith him at the time but
ut Inc.
iscted the features OF the girl perfectly, swoie that
she was the same who left the house of the claimant in
ie2o The black woman knew the circumstances ofbc
hirh OF the child, and frequently saw both ,n,,bcr
and child at the house of the claimant in B,linor
She knew of the loss Of the child i'm % and decared
mat the girl then before the was the same ndiy
dual lhIs seems al very clear and stairli forward
out the case has two sides another story is vet To be-
told; II IS simple and affecting colored man n,med
Gilmore appeared with the girl He has for many wears
bcen generally known and respected By all the coored
population OF this city His life has one of honesty
industry and economy-liberay bcricnding the moor of
ms own race, and aiding their moral and rrli0s
cal21 I'd father of the girl upon whom
tins claim has been made, and APPEARED 10 protect
The account he is substantially as follows Abou,
the year lS21, white came to his lnusc sbr
had with her little girl about or years old She en-
tered into conversation with his wife and after rrnain
ing long time she asked her if she wanted little girl
to Take care oil Having children of their own Gilmore
and his wife agreed take the child and bring il uD He
however, hesitatcd about first tnkinr r child was
whitc; but the woman who brought assured him that
1t was very light mnlatto, and not entirely white
She came To his house but again about two months
after leaving the child; when he HIS neither
nor heard OF her. The woman had much conversation
with his wife, which he did not hear, and which his wife.
never repeated to him. and if his wife knew the history
OF the child from the woman and knew who were lis pa
rents she Kept quietly to herself and never told her
husband, who always been in ignorance upon The
sutJcct--Airs. Gilmore is dcad Gilmore however
soon became fond of the child and determined to adopt
II us ms own and at his death To leave to it the earnings
OF his life He has accordingly carefully brought it p
and has given II the best education and religious nstruc
4 md
she has been an atectionnte and dutiful d1ugltcr-
Such is is story of her history 1890 when he first
saw her He denies that his daughter can bc the same
child lost by the claimant in 1925 since claimant
that the lost child remained in his family until il WINS nine
years old; whereas Gilmore swears that his child h,s
Dcen constantly with him since 1920 when it about
TWO or thrce years old 70 support his defence of the
claim ne has numerous respectable witnesses who swear
that when they first the child nj his bonse il .,s
ont ABOUT three years old and they all ccorct to have
seen 1t there long previous TO 1926 He also SAYS that
the block woman who informed claimant about the child
was actuaird by malicious spite that she was relation
OF his wife and when his wife died the woman claimed
some OF her clothes, which refused by Gilmore:
this led to quarrel between them, and determination
on tie part OF the woman to annoy him. He Therefore
declares that the ought not 10 lee believed.
Tor she well knows that she has deceived claimant
as to the identity of the children The case is
one that turns entirely upon the crcdibity of wit
nesses, OF which the Court must decide The Court
has also to Judge how Car person may bc able to
identify the Features Of another. after lapsc of ten
years; particularly time life when the whole an
Peaiance OF person alters viz from nine years of re
to nneteen for such would the age ofthe Girl according
tothe statement Of the claimant The case has become
very generally known, and talked about the CITY and
has excited the symyathies Of many persons. The
modest appearance of the girl created universal interest
ana the fairness OF her complexion, induced many To
honht whether she was not entirely white. MANY pcr
sons who saw her i'm court declared that they wonld
never have taken her for mullo She has long pog.
y black HAIR, and her eyes remarkably dark and bril-
Iant 10 avoid causing any excitement upon the sub
lect ana that the case may be fairly argued have
deavored to state both sides justly and np1rially When
"" "u mat baVu raul Brown VIII conduct the defence
OF the gr all will feel assured that her cause in good
hands nSy'ranian.
Hgh AaHer.-A question of deep Importance TO the
Eti'eSeaze2eople has lately been agit1cd Ii is oucs
ton OF court etiqdie discussion upon the subject Of
court ceremonies, dplon11a Interchange of is'crs
upon topic that must be of aabsorbng linD4s siz 10
Tie American people We have been permitted TO me-
ruso the official correspondence but we are not auto
rzcd 10 publish IT, Although il has been pretty extern
siVcy circulated among our guod society friends no a
hoTity has yet been gwen for its publication The So
crctnry OF State has been placed in possession of Inc
whole correspondence. Whether the President will
deem 1t prudent to order ts publication or will cseryr
u AZ the subject OF special communication 10 the NEXT
Congress we cannot pretend to say 1t ut present
grand State secret, and although ii has been con,nun
Gated IN confidence to the "dcar FIVE hundred lrends
OF of the high conlcndiug parties vet il is under
stood That The secret ~ TO 90 farther Every one of
hvc hundred conlidauts is to whisper il only to s conf
dental Trend, and thus there will be many Interested
IN the secret that IT will be 70 be kept In the same
spirit we will venture 10 whisper the alIimportant So
cfet to our confidential friend the public begging that il
may go farther
The correspondence to which we refer was commenced
By m American gentleman Of large fortune pcntcd car
rage and manners cultivated on tc strctcst Enropcan
model Althoughan American born. be- has passed the
last four or i've years IN the best Of European soc
~, IN which he has been much remarked for his well.
appointed wardrobe bis wrllvcrcd suite Of l1ckipvand
attendants, and bis magnificent cquipages Asan cvi.
dcncc Of The magnificent scale which he has lived we
Will mention, that While at Florence, he determined
to surpass the Grand Duke in the splcndour Of hs cou
page, and II - the opinion Of tie best judges in those
matters, that lac was entirely successful Such being
tie character and such the ambition of the distinguish
cd American, ibere can le doubt thl he is anplv
qualified to DC the representative Of s country in NM
iers to unfortunately for her-she Ing thought
TT 90 pay very little attention.