Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-11-12
Correspondence of the Boston Recorder
Capture and FecapturG Of a Fugitive
Slave,
New York CRY, Der. 81, l946

New York CITY, Der. 81, lS46.
MEssRs. EDlroRs The City Hall and the
Court of Sessions have been scenes ofno little ex-
citement this week, on account Of a slave case
which has been pending. A vessel recently
from Mobile was found to have on board a tu-
gitve slave in irons The poor telo" mad
crept INTO the hold under assurance, as ne says
from one of the hands, that he would be saie' II
he kept hidden until they reached the Que
,catcr. He accordingly made his appearance
when out at sea and was Immediately manacled
by order of the captain, who, fearing that MS
craft was in danger, determined to take him back
on his return voyage As soon as the facts
were known some friends Of humanity applied
for writ of habeas corpus, and he was released
by order of Judge Edmonds, who decided that,
as the captain was neither the owner of the slave,
or his authorized agent, he could not appear as
legal claimant The m1ttcr however was not to
end here. 1t was known that the Mayor had
issued a warrant for his arrest Immediately on
discharge, and a reward of $50 is said to have
been offered by the captain for the capture OF
his intended victim. The poor boy ran for his
life, and was some hours secured in the building
in which the An:i-Slayery Society has its office.
Finding that he could not long escape the Wig
lance of the police, his friends endeavored to
send him out Of danger in box, with load OF
goods which carman was conveying to the
boats. The plot however was suspected, and
the fugitive again incarcerated,
A second writ of habeas corpus was immedl-
tl,o e . Mnvor ct
in the case most thoroughly sifted by Counsel
lors Jay, McKeon and White; the first gentle
man searchingly investigated the equity o. the
Mayors proceedings, and the latter argued the
question of law so cogentIy and powerfully, that
it is thought Judge Edmonds will again release
the prisoner. His decicion was not given at
the latest accounts. Judge E. is firm, faithful
and fearless, and all that an honest juror can
do for the rights of humanity, in consistency
with the laws which he must adjudicate, he will
surely do. The plan of the poor slaves enc
mics is, to multiply groundess accusations en-
ough to detain him, on any pretence, until his
owner appears the excuse, that the captains In
terests must suffer-as if the fugitive had no in
tereSts Can the man, who would buy his pal
try gains at the price of a slaves blood be
genuine sailor? | forget-there are pirates
should he not be put on bolrd SLAYER at once
or pirate ship as for transporting merchan
die for honest men, would be not poison ever
rag Of cotton and every pound of sugar he trans
ported
The SLAVE CASE AT New YoRK-Judg
Edmonds this morning gave his decision il
the case of the alleged slave from Savannah
In this decision his Honor decided that the la,
under which the slave is sought to be detained
is unconstitutional and void. He therefore OF
dered the coIored man to be set at liberty. Th
coored man had brought suit against the cap
tain for having caused him to be illegally arres
ted, and the captain brought suit against tn
coored man for having subjected him to certa
penalties under the laws Of Georgia, by sc
creting himself on board the captains vessel
4 criminal warrant had also been issued by tn
Mayor against the colored man at the instanc
of the mate of the vessel, for an assault and ba
terv on the mate. After Judge Edmonds CAV
his decision, the various parties met in the may
ors office, and mutually agreed to abandon a
further or pending proceedings in the case, an
let the colored man be set at liberty.
NJ Y. Jour Of Commerce of Saturda!