The New York herald., 1845-08-29
IMPORTANT FROM THE ANTIRENT REGION.
Movement OF the Observation-Disclosures
County Declared In n State OF
InsurrectiOny


Movement OF the Authorities-DeIaw
county Declared I'm n State OF
Insurrection!
Very important intelligence relative to the affairs
IN the Antl-kent region, was received by yesterday
mornings mail from the north.
After considerable delay, Gov. Wright has issued
MS proclamation, declaring the county OF Delaware
IN state of lnsurrection; in other wo:ds he has
placed that county under martial law; step that
ought to have been taken Immediately after the
murder OF Sheriff Steele.
This important movement, however, if carried
out with vgor will produce crisis among the An
kenters, and tor ever settle the troubles IN the dis
We shall now see the moral, and perchance, the
physical effect of this proclamation the nerves o
the rioters.
Proclamation,
The Sheriff District At orney, Judges of the County
courts and other officers of the peace, and citizens Of the
county of Delaware have laid before body of ev
denee to satisfy that the execution of civil and Grim
mai process in that county has been orciby resisted by
bodies o men, that combinations to resist the execution
OF such process by force exist in that county and that
the power Of the county has been exerted and is
ccnt to enable the sheriff and his deputies having such
process to execute the same and have applied to
exert The authority with which clothed by the 10Th
section Of the act entitled IAN act TO enforce the law
ard preserve order" passed April Is, 1915
The evidence presented to establishes saslactori
~ the following, among other facts =
lha the execution OF civil and criminal process began
10 oe resisted by boes .t men, IN the county OF Della
ware, as early Us March last
cess by otce under the denomination of an.irent
equal rights associa.ons, commenced being formed in
that county, more than one ago.
That these associations have engraed upon their or.
gani1ation force of disguised masked and armed men
suhecto the orders and directions of the officers of the
associations and by and through which force under the
protection of its DISCUSSES and masks, the resistance to
the execution legal process is to be made and is made
hat the me mbers OF this armed force denomnated
Indians, or Natives: are organized in bands called
tribes, and have their leaders and commanders called
cnleis, having names in imitation of Indian chiefs
me m
bers OF the armed force, observe and sun.
port the constitution Of the ciaon and 10 keen s
cret all things communicated or known to them which
require TO he Kept and in the Of the dsgused
ana armed men, the further clause is added that they
VIII stand by each other as long life shall last
Ihat the avowed and declared object OF the associa.
tons to by force the collections of rent and
execution OF process issued for that object but that the
cases OF resistance by force against execution of e-
GERS OF me law have not been entirely confined pro-
ceedings for the collection of rents but have been
tended IN some instances, to other legal process.
That these associations, and organizations of dspui.
seq masked and armed force are not confined to the
county OF Delaware, but exist to great if not to an
equa extent IN several adjoining counties and that the
organizations, armed and unarmed wherever they exist
nave and avow common object, make common cause
ann act N entire concert and cooperation.
That IN all the prominent and fragrant cases Of resist
ance u the process and officers of law in Delaware
and other counties members of these armed bands
dgused aud masked men have been the prominent ac.
tors and that in the county Of Delaware before the
sage OF the law above referred to- this resistance had
exertion OF the of the county to preserve
and order, and execute criminal process only
Iha early in the month of May after tho passage of
the law OF the 10th OF April last above referred to- the
Sheriff Of the county of Delaware applied to the Cover.
nor under the I'd section of that law and received au
thoy to organise armed guard of 400 men, aid him
III he preservation oi ORDER and the execution OF civil
and criminal process within the county
That strong feeling has existed in the county against
that provision of the law which charges upon the county
me expense oi such an organized and armed force the
citizens con'ending that unequs and unjust re
qure OF them to encounter in their persons the labor
and peril Of enforcing the law against these armed
binatons oil their and the adjoining counties and
thereby subject the property of Delaware county onlv
tothe taxation Decessaryto meet the expenses thus
red; and that the Sheriff has been unable to organize
guard under the second section the act of sufficient
strength and permanency to enable him execute the
civil placed in his hands or calling for xecu,;on
That the consequence Of this state of things has been
asubstantial suspension, in the county of Delaware
process for the collection of rents from the close Of
serious disturbances there, in March last until very
recent and very signal instance be hereafter partic
lafly noticed; the Sheriff having undertaken within
that time to execute and carry out such process in but
one instance and in thaa voluntary nj
the parties relieved him. before the point reached
winch resistance has been usually met and he having
IN numerous other instances declined TO receive and at
tempt to execute such process
That some time during the last month, pursuant to
proceedings by way OF distress for rent against
ny the name Of Moses Earl of the town of Andes in
the county of Delaware, the Sheriff had appointed day
ed and upon the day Of sale attended at the place and
met large collection ofpersons whose appearance and
conduct satisfied him that their object prevent
sale; not one Of whom would make bid upon any part
ofthc property offered for SALE and from he learn
ed that disguised and armed force of some sixty mel
was secreted in the woods adjoining the field where
was trying TO sell the property; whereupon he adjourn
cd the sale to the 7h day of the present month"; at the
That the 7th day of the present month the Sheriff
attended at the place OF sale accompanied by his under
sheriff. Osman ~ Steele, Erastus S. Edgeron, a consta.
BILE OF the county and Peter Wright the agent of the
landlord who attended 10 bid upon the property These
masked and armed men, about strong by which they
were surrounded as movements were made ind.
pery and by portion of whom in obedience the
der of one acting their chief the horses upon which
steele and Edgerton were mounted shot and kill
ed ana steele was mortaly wounded and survived but
six hours three balls taking effect in his person. and
from twelve to twenty. guns being fired The execution
OF civil process was thus resisted the enforcement
the law prevented and the order and peace Of society
deeply and rreparaby disturbed and broken in this in
stance.
That this cold and cruel murder of most estimable
and valuable citizen, and bravo and faithful public officer
Tor no other cause or than the discharge of
his Official duty, as he had socmnly discharge
IT, has so aroused the energies OF the patriotic and law
abiding citizens Of the county Of Delaware to enable
the sheriff. Tor the purpose OF the arrest and punishment
OF the mufderers their aders and abeors organize
guard posse under the second section Of Che law
fefred TO in conformity to the authority obtained from
the Governor in May last for that purpose but only
for very short period which has already expired or
on the part OF the Sheriff. of being able to avail hmsel
o the aud OF that guard for any other purpose
than the execution of the criminal processes to which
TINS startling murder may give rise.
That It has been subsequently asccrtarcd that in adj
don TO the disguised and armed force Of 30 men, which
actually surrounded the Sheriff and his assistants and
shot down The undershcrif additional similar force
offorty picked rhemen stationed the bushes by
the side OF the road and 10 the place Of sale with
directions to watch the posse which was apprehended
would follow the Sheriff and come to his aid 10 order
to halt II II should attempt to pasg and 10 shoot down
the who composed it. if they should not obey the
order to halt thus making the whole disguised and arm
cd force, assembled upon this OCCASION to the ex
ecuIion oil the law and Of civil process 26o men, or
than that number
That considerable portions of this disguised and armed
n( al. H..
and were not citizens Of the county OF Delaware
That these organizations to resist the law the exc.
cuton CT its process have extended themselves to the
magistracy OF the county OF Delaware AMI justice
OF the peace Of some of the towns that county arc
found enrolled members and officers of the associa
Citations, not under the Indian disguises bearing
TO resist the law by force forgetting the oath of Office