Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1844-10-11
From the Morning Chronicle.
Mr., TOrrey'S Justification
OF HIS ATTEMPT TO BRE.4K Jill

Mr., TOrrey'S Justification
OF HIS ATTEMPT TO BREAK JAIL.
/ have commonly acted on the maxim Of the late
venerable Dr.. Emnons, viz: to do what thought
right and leave to others the business OF Justl1yllS
me or not, as they pleased. But in this case, when
ATTEMPTED to do what, in ordinary cases, is Vio-
laton Of just lar, feel bound to depart from my
usual course, and ask hearing.
First AS to the facts. | obtained from friends
in another city, some saws and chseIs with which
to escape from prison. No prisoner but myself
knew where they were to be obtained, when they
came, or who brought them. The persons who
brought them to me, in the Jail, dtd not 6noaC @hat
they brought. TO them never spoke or wrote on
the subject. | had most Of the tools many weeks,
and all of them for a considerable time before any
prisoner knew it. never asked any prisoner to
unite with me in the effort to escape. Neither the
vigilance of that faithful officer, Mr. John Hoey'
nor the treachery of Dryer, nor any thing else but
my sickness, and such a'degree Of physical debility
as to hinder me from doing my part of the labor
and watching, prevented the entire success Of my
plan Of escape. Sick, myself; betrayed by the
counereiter, Dryer, (who lived on the food gave
him out Of pity, and then basely betrayed me,) my
attempt was defeated | made all the arrange
mens for the effort before had been week in
prison.--The first arrangements being defective, |
made better ones at later period.
Secondly, 'Why make such an attempt at all !?
How does it consist with your duty to submit
Christian to undeserved evils, for Christ's sake?
Can you justify yourself to Him. as we'll to So
ciety" My answer shall be frank and simple.
One ofmy motives cannot wholly approve, on
strict Christian principles In all other respects |
think have right to the sympathy and cOunten-
ance of all honorable and good men, in this mat
ter.
/. When was committed to jail every single
item of evidence duplicating me, in the Heckroue
case, was false and peTuredj yet, so carefully
planned to make it we'll nigh impossible to pr0Ue
it by second testimony Each witness was gerry
careful 10 haze met me alone! One man, however
swore to having seen me 'at my m0ther'S house, in
Hartford county, Md, in 1881 or 1872 My Mass
friends will laugh at so gross perjury Bu
the knavo was very anxious to identify me? Ii
the Winchester (Va) case, where there is not 6
particle Of true evidence against me, false wit
ness had been prepared to give dlrect testimony
against me, there. Not doubling, from the knowr
character, threats and pay of my prosecutors, tina
such evidence to any needed extent would be
brought forward, regarded the hope of escaping
it as vain; at least, while | remained shut up II
prison.
2. From the time of my arrest, the whole clique
of slave-traders, sIave-catchIng police men, lou
shareholders, and their abettors, including one Of
two of the prison officers, have made it their bust
ness to abuse and SANDER me and my friends, will
the general object Of preventing the existence, o
at least, the expression ofany personal or Christ
ian sympathy for me. have had too many friends
for their purposes, as they often complained.
found threats, persuasons and falsehoOds freely re
sorted to, to hinder respectable citizens of Baltl
more from visiting me; aud lClb success. M
kind andlady and the young ladies of her family
almost daily called on me, to give me chance t
breathe the fresh air,by walking few moments j
the prison yard. They are poor; they are mol all
tisaverX people; but have human hearts. and ar
TTginians They were very kind 10 one amo,
stranger. This was enough for malice to Wor
= upon
Suddenly the young ladies were excluded, wit
rude insults, from the jail yard The reason as
signed was, such gross lewdnesS in the sight of
half Of persons, constantly passing, a
would imply in ME and the lady "a degree OF shame
less degradation that hot even rashneSs and drunk
enness would excuse in common street walkers
Such point is not to be argued Those VIII
deem me capable of such vice are welcome
maintain their opinions till the judgment day
This shameless tale was trumpeted about the cit,
Of course, was the last person to hear it. 1t d
Inc much injury liz many minds. But E3-no pei
son who circulated it seemed to be sufficiently re-
pecIable to justify direct contradiction or actio
for SANDER. 1t was deemed sufficient, therefore
to connect general demand for investigation
to my character and standing, with some otht
matters, in an article in the Baltimore Sun. TIL
for the time perfectly siIenced the band of miscrt
ants. But they had gone too far to retreat. a
this time, Mr.. Dean Walker formerly merchal
IN this cItY but now Il respectable citizen of Met
way, where my family now are, came to Baltmol
on business of his own. Hearing the flying an
lying reports of these persons, without saying
word to the, he appears to have made some inqu
ries of them, as to what they alleged against NJ
0G- Forthwith they spead the story through Il
city, as far as they could, that 'Mr. Torrey hi
long been separated from his wife; and she hi
sent OH Mr.. d. Walker to obtain evidence to G
divorce from him. SO one of them impudent
told me. Mr.. Walker had brought me kind lie
ter from my wife; and knew erincapahle OF b
pocrisy. One Of them met of my counsel in t
street, and told his story in triumph. When t
frequency of my correspondence with Mrs. &c
rey was suggested, as Inconsistent with his tai
the wretch dared assail her good name. IS
can't be his true wife, said the creature. He
could ], a prisoner, in the hands of such being
tell how far their malice had reached? Mig
they not have poisoned the confidence Of my W
and her friends' The very thought was madde
ing-I confess that my feelings in this matter, I'VE
were not very Christian They were too mu
like indignant nature, to be very Christ-like.
was not till after my attempt to escape, that |
ceived from Mrs. Torrey letter contradictng
whole ofther atrocious lalsehoods, so far as tn
had connected her and her friends with their tai
in this connection it should he said, that these pr
sons have spared no falsehood to destroy the 90
name of the family in which boarded. The
siest of these agents of shame, are noted slaN