Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1841-07-15
MISTAKEN ZEAL.
Yrem The New.pedlord Mercury.

ever perptiyaied ~ u civAiz. Il community
We shah simply give tho iac's us they
are reported Ia u, without comment, and
leave the public to form their own opin-
ions oi The character of the proceeding.
Il One Of our most esteemed citizens,
4 Capt Jos Dunbar, has been suffering
loI several month"; past ,unucr most PAIN.
iul and lingering disc rider, which has ai
length 80 lar undermined his strength and
constitution that little hopes are enter
tanned of his recovery. iIs physician, "a
bout two weeks since, believing that his
disorder was approaching fatal lermi-
nation, addressed letter, at the request
or the family, to n son-in-law (Mr II
I.udIuml and daughter, residing in Rich
mond, Virginia. A, the time of the re-
ceipi OF the letter, they were on Il visit
at Old Point, about 100 miles this side
of Richmond, for the benefit OF Mrs Lud-
lum's health, with two childieD, one Of
them an infant, and colored servant. -
Immediately on the receipt of this alarm
ing intell'genee, prompted by the instinct
Of lilial affection, they determined TO
leave ut once for New Bedford, without,
returning home; in the hope Of seeing
their father once more alive The col
orcd GIRL whom Mr. Ludlum had hired of
! her master, for u year, accompanied
them, with full knowledge that after
her arrival here she would be free To re-
| main or return as she pleased. After
ttscN arrival here, about ten days since,
she accordingly enjoyed all the privile-
gcs which are commonly allowed in this
community 10 persons in service, and
went into the streets aud visited whcn
she could be spared, and was under no
i restraints whatever.
/ On the evening of Wednesday last,
after Capt. Dunbar had taken n final fare
Well, as he supposed, of the members
Of his family, the family wsyo u
armedsby finding tho street gradually
filing up with crowd of colored
people aud soon afterwards by the en-
! trance Of on oGlccr with writ of habeas
L eorpss, from Boston, directing him forth
4 with Ia carry the body oi the servant be-
/ fore Judge Wilde in Boston. Mr. Ludlum
Immediately called in n legal adviser
and some other friends The officer
also sent fer n certain reverend gentle
man, whose name WIN become mcmora-
bic in connection with these proceedings,
and who il believed to have insiigated
the movement, and to whom the officer
!. was referred by his employers in Boston,
when the follIsing extraordinary occur
renee took place.
Il MIR l.. stated that the girl was in the
La, al i.n ID a. to
II obsiruct or cvade the service of the pro.
cess. twas admitted by the officer that
| Judge Wilde was at Nantucket, aud the
case could not be tried at any rate before
|, Saturday. morning, but his directions
were percmptory To take her Immediately
into custody and carry her al once 10 Bos-
h ton. Under these circumsta tances, an APP
\ peal was made TO the Rev. iDsii.aror Of
the SUIT, from motives Of humanity to
permit the girl To remnin with the family
until Saturday morning. II was repre-
sented that Mrs l.. 3 health, feeble When
she LETT h00'p, was much impaired by
her rapid Journey, by the grief and ox-
citemeut occasioncd by the alarming
| illness of her father, that her infant re-
quircd The constant attention %! the SER
vant--hcr nurse-and that any security
that conld be demanded, would be given
at once, that the girl should reach Bos-
as early as Judge Wilde. But the Rev
\ gentleman was deaf 10 The voice Of hu-
manly, and only remarked in reply, that
the officer knew his duty and must per-
form it. By this tinr, the crowd of
negroes in the street had increased to
7 "A pretty large number, and it is known
that some of them were armed with blud. !
gcons The noise had however penctra-
ted to the chamber Of the sick man, and
It was necessary To communicate to him
the cause of it. In order TO quiet the |
iumuIt, IT became necessary ut once to
deliver the glrl To the officer. She had
sccreted herself under bed, in order 10
escape from these oilicious friends, and
could only be persuaded to yisld herself
upon the promise that she should 60 back
10 Virginia and SEQ her brothers and
sisters and cousins, ii she wished. She
was taken TO the hunse OF n respectable
clergyman by the sheriff, with n full es-
cort of her pretended friends. Sh; was
taken to Boston Oh Thursday morning
The case will be heard before. Judge
Wilde, this morning We shall apprizc
our readers Of the result
Persons who were present nt the house
Of Capt. Dunbar, represent the scene to
have been one of the most distressing 4
they ever Witnessed IN the meantime,
at late hour 10 the night, The feeble
mother and the exhausted father, who |
hnd wearicd themselves with watching !
the sick, catching such intervals of reposc
day or night, ns they could, wero thus
suddenly LEFT destitute OF the ordinary |
means of assistance for their children
and the girl, who wns as free as air 10
come and 90 when anI where she pleas
ed, has been imprisoned for two days and
three nights, under the name Of EGerir |
The ofEer who executed the process, ~
represented to have conducted himself
with perfect courtesy, and whatever
blame is attached to any person on nc
count OF these proceedings, should fall 1
upon those who could have shown the /