The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1843-02-11

II Chapter Of escapes, in rhich il is told hour
Juckson escaped from jail, ho,c he made the Sheriff
stand back, and hotr he ,cas finally taken By posse
&c. For several months negro from tho Dor
der Of Pennsylvania has boen confined in the Jail
n this town, charged with entcing nc gro slaves
away. A great prejudice exists against him here
both among the blacks and whites-n regard to
his guilt we have nothing to say except that the
law holds every man to be innocent until he is
proved to be guilty.
On last Saturday night lie made a desperate
effort to escape. His plan was well laid but for
tune was against him. lie was under the i'm
preston that the sheriff was away from home,
and having by some unknown means got his
irons loose SO that he could slip them off at the
proper time, about midnight he set his bed on fire
and cried fire! fire. fire! Justify. The sheriff and
turnkey were both awakened and the latter got
up and went to the Negroes room. Immediately
upon his entering the room the negro knocked
him violently against the WALL sn atched the key
out of his hands, locked him in, threw ofthe part
of his irons that were loose and made off. The
shoriff knowing from the noise that all was not
right, sprang from his bed, got hold of an old
sword and ran down stairs; finding the negro gone
he ran out and overlook him in Back street.
Here followed q scene unwitnessed by any except
the combatants, which must have been most lu-
dcrous; the sheriff in his robe de eha,n5re, bare
head and barefoot, at midnight in a snow storm
armed with an old dull and rusty broadswe I'd /,
fighting laundering big niger. Owing to the
duness Of the sword he could not wound him So
verely, & after fight ofa few minutes, the negro
0y getting pole several feet long, mado the sheriff
who BY this time was numbed with cold, retreat.
He ran back to the Jail, found the key where the
negro had fallen and lost it, let out the affrghted
turnkey, and in less than 90 minutes posse Of
10 persons fully clothed and equipped, and head
ed by the sher if, were in hot pursuit
Fortuna tely for them, but unfortunately for
Jackson the snow had fallen to depth sufficient
to enable them to track him, and aided by glass
lanterns, they followed him at swift pace,
through swamps and thickets and over bitches
and hedges, and caught him in about couple Of
hours in gully beside the turnpike, l-s mile
east of the town, after following him circuitons
route offs or miles. They had much difficulty
| in getting him TO town on account of his stub
bornness; in crossing the creek he threw hmsel II
rom the log # high, down on his head for the
pu, pose of breaking his neck, but it was too
tough and never crack'd; when they got him in
the Jail he dash cd his head furously against tile
wall to knock out his brains, more to tho detri-
ment of the wall than himself. And having
been left alone moment he was found suspend
ed by the neck by his handkerchief, but was cut
down alive.
He is now securely chained 10 the floor by n
double set of irons and can neither escape nor
taho his life. Had the sheriff been from home
as no believed, and had there been no snow on
the grou nd (and he of course did not know it was
snowing) his attempt would have been successful
Blythe Sheriff desires US to express for him,
his sincere thanks 70 those gentlemen who assist
ed him with 50 much spirit in re-takns him.