Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1836-08-16
From the Boston Atlas.

aThe Supreme Court Room was yes
terdav the scene of one of the most Disgrace
fill and outrageous proceedings we ever Wiz
messed in any Court. 1t arose from an al
tempt made by the agent of John b. MOP
yis. ESQ, Of Baltimore, to reclaim two luna-
way slaves. The circumstances arc BRET
" these:
Some time in June last, one OF these
slayes-Eliza Small, VIC believe, aged
about 3O-fell in love with free negro IN
Baltimore, who asked her in marriage OF
Mr.. Morris. Mr.. NJ. told the girl that he
had no objection 10 her marrying, but adj
vised her to ge, a better and more likely
looking fellow than the one IN question:
telling her at the same time that he would
prefer that she should not marry hlln.
Thereupon the man purSuaded both her
and one other slave called Polly Ann Bates
to runaway. The brig Chickasaw, Capt.
Henry Eldredge, was to sail for this port
on the 18th July, and in this vessel they
determined to come. By some means
they obtained passage and sailed III the
brig leaving the man behind, TO reach Bos-
ton bv some other mode. MIR. Morris ind
inc where they had gone, despatched MIR.
Matthew Turner to Boston with power OF
attorney to seize them. Mr.. Turner came
on, boarded the brig as she was coming up
the harbor on Saturday last, found the two
girls, charged them with absconding-whlch
they readily acknowledged. and gave the
reasons why-and requested the captain to
detain them on board till he could get a war
ant for their return to Baltimore. He went
on shore for that purpose, and during his
absence party of abolltlonlsts came on
board with writ Of habeaS corpus, TO be
served on the tro female slares and the
eolored man, who, ii seems, was expected
by their friends i'll this place, TO arrive al
the same time with the women.
The writ was granted on application OF
Samuel H. Adums, and by virtue of It's an.
thoritv the women were taken away. and
the captain summoned before Judge Wilde
to answer for detainins them on board.
FAN this--bc it remembered WIS be-
fore the vessel had reached the wharf,
an if was therefore absurd to charge the
captain with dctaiuing the slavcs;-it shows
however that it was concerted plauto pre-
vent Mr.. Morris from rc;alling his proper
ty. and the circumstance of the colorcd mans
being mentioned in the writ, when he had
not come on in the vessel, is IN incontesti-
bic proof of this fact The captain ap:
peared before Judge Wide, who referred
the case to Chief Justice Shaw to be de-
: cided on Monday.
When the time came, the Court Room
was thronged with negroes, with here and
there sprinkling of white people, nearly
every one of whom was aviolent abolition
ist. Old and young large and small, men
and women OF every variety OF shade, from
the ebony of the fuil-blooded negro to the
sickly yellow of the nulatto, were there TO
aid in the execution of a plot TO rescue the
slaves in question from the Court, should
the decision be in favor Of the owner.
After the Court had organized, Mr.. Tur-
ner made a demand for the bodies Of the
slaves, which was supported by A. II.
Fiske, ESQ.,, his counsel. in short speech,
in which he quoted the following section OF
the United States Laws as authority:
THAT when any person held
to labor in any of the United States or eth
er of the territories on the the northwest or
south of the river Ohio under the laws
thereof, shall escape into any oher of the
said Safes or territories, the person to
whom such labor or service may be due,
his agent or attorney, is hereby empowered
to seize or arrest such fugitive from labor,
and take him or her before any judge OF
the circuit Or district courts OF the United
States, residing or being within the State,
or before any magistrate OF the county,
city, or town corporate, where such sell
Zure or arrest shall be made, and npon
proof TO the satisfaction of such Judge or
magistrate, either by oral testimony, or by
affidavit taken before and certified by
magistrate of any such State or territory,
that the rerson so seized or arrested doth
under the laws of the State or territory
from which he or she fled, owe service or
labor to the person claiming him or her, 1t
shall be the duty ofsuch Judge or magistrate
to give a certificate to such claimant, his
agent or attorney, which shall be a sutfi-
cient warrant for removing the said fugitive
from labor to the State or territory from
which he or she tled.'
La~s ofthe Q. S., chap 81, ser.3.
Mr.. sewall opposed the claim on the
ground of its being necessary 10 obtain a
warrant before attempting to detain the
slaves, and slso on the general ground of
its being contrary to right and to justice.
This part was greeted with round of ap-
plause by the blacks, which was with some
difficulty suppressed.)
The Judge then proceeded TO give his