Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1845-08-15
From the indianapolis Sentinel.
The Indiana elave-case decided.

The Indiana e~lave-case decided.
United States Circuit Court, Friday, May 23rd,
lS45.-Vaughnn vs.. Wiliiams-Debt for the rescue
Of slaves, damages $500. Tho above case came on
for trial on Wednesday last before the Court and Ju.
ry, Judges Mclean and Huntington presiding.
In the fall Of the year 1885, one Upton, a citizen
Of Kentucky, owning three slayes-a mon, a woman,
aud a child-eame TO Illinois, and settled in Warren
county. During the time be was there, in the win.
ter following, and in tho spring of 1886, he built him
self a house, and cleared a certain lot Of land--about
thirty acres-parto Of which was done BY the aid and
assistance OF The slave Sam, which was the name Of
one of the slaves; also, Upton was assisted by his
sons, who had previously settled in this State, and
beside whose farm was that of their father; the ne
gro woman worked in The house, and was understood
by the neighbors to be the wife Of Sam; the child, a
girl, was their child.
In the spring of 1886, the ~neighbors of Tiplon
having limited to the negroes that they were free, OF
which he heard, some time in April, sans year, no
took them ia a covered wagon to Missouri, and there
sold them as slaves. The man who bough. them
from Upton, sold them to the plaintiff for about
81 100. This was soon after their arrival 10 Nilsson
ri, In 1887 they escaped and came to the State OF
Indiana, and resided IN Hamilton county, on a small
farm bought for lhsm by he kindness ofsome friends
until Ihe time Of their re-eapture, which was some
time in 1913 or ~. The old negro man 70 about ff-
ty, the woman about Thirty, aud the girl about nine
years Of age. Some time 10 l643, IA, armed with
a writ from Missouri, and a warrant from this State,
the plaintiff attempted 10 arrest the negroes in their
cabin under night, but was preyeoled until The morE-
lug, when the neighbors, alarmed with the cries pro-
cceding from the cabin, hocked in to their aid, and
the defendant, with others, refused TO allow the plain.
tiff to carry of the negroes by force. An investiga-
ton was demanded and agreed to, but While on the
way to The Justices Office the negroes escaped by the
AID and assistance of the defendant and the crowd.
The action was brought to recover damages Of
$500, recoverable under the act Of Congress, against
any person aiding or abeiting tho escape Of fugitives
from labor when arrested by ,heirowner. The case
was ably conducted by Alsasrs. Wick and Barbour,
and 0. II. Smith for The plaintiff, and Mesars. Brad
ley and Quarles, and Judge Stephens, for the de-
PENDANT.
Judge Mclean after summing up The evidence in
a very able manner, charged The jury as TO the law in
the case, who, after a short retirement, found a YER
dict for The defendant, which was in strict accordance
with the charge of the court. The trial lasted two
and q half, and created great excitement.
By the above decision, the following point is set
tied in this State, viz:
That slaves brought into a free State by their own
er, he becoming a resident or citizen thereof, and US.
ing lbem as his servants, are free, and any subsequent
sale Of them in a slaveholding State is void and in
the event of their escaping afterwards 10 a free Stale,
they cannot be re,captured as slaves.