Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-10-23
The Kidnapper Captain.

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1t is sometimes necessary 10 tear OF the
mask which wickedness puts on, but we can
not see how any one can depict more truly
than he has done himself, the character Of
Capt. Hannum. He shows himself to be an
unprincipled wretch, who from sheer coward
ice and lack Of humanity became the ready
tool and abject slave of the South, willing to
crawl in the dust so that he might be permit
ted to kiss the feet # his tyrant masters
Read his s~ervile letter, and then pity the
white slave and kidnapper cap~tain-JAMEs
w. I~IANNUM.
From The NelO Orleans Picayune.
Tie case Of Capt. Hannum.-We have
great pleasure in complying with the wishes
Of Capt. Hannum, cf the brig Ottoman, by
laying his letter before our readers:
BosroN, Sept. IL, 1916.
Editors Of The Picoyune.-In my owl ma
i've city, a refugee from the fury Of the Abo-
iillouists, ! address you on a grave subject,
'h9ugh it has placed me in the midst of ma
ry a conicll and IudicrouS scene.
| cleared Il your port on the 9th, and slil-
I'd on the 10Th Of August, in command of the
brig Oltomin, for Boston. Seven days out,
mulotto slave WAS found secreted in the
i~orc-prak (; ! kept a lookout at the masthead,
In the hope Of finding some vessel by which
% send him back, but unfortunately did not
succeed (; kept on my way, and arrived off
Boston Light at two on the morning of the
5th. Here | placed the runaway on board of
a pilot-boat for S lie keeping till four A. NJ.
the next day, Wnen | arrived from town ac-
cording to agreement, and took the darkev in
my boat, which contained, besides myself. a
trusty friend, a boy Of sixteen, and a boat
man. Agreeable to arrangements in town, |
was to await the bark Niagara, 10 sail next
day for New Orleans. That night an Elster-
" gale commenced, and next day no Niara-
IA came. Unable to weather it any longer in
the lower harbor, | kept her away for Spec
tacle Island. There, as i'll luck would have
it, while taking "a drop Of consolation at
the hotel, the negro gave me the slip, and
with the boat made sail for South Boston
Point; post haste we followed in another
boat, but he landed about ten minutes ahead.
We took after him through corn-felds and
over fences, till finally, after a chase Of two
miles, | secured him just as he reached the
bridge. Accusing him of theft, | marched
him arm in arm, towards the Point, followed
by a crowd of men and boys-a friend came
up WIN a ltdlll, NicU L uEONB 10 ltle GOl0t,
and we took to our boats and were off.
The news of the escape and capture spread
through the city-oficers were despatched
in all directions-Sl0O reward was offered for
the 'kidnapper captain and pirdte-boat War
rem" That night we lay al anchor under
Lovell's Island-lhe easterIy blow continued
we dared not venture farther out. Next
morning our case was desperate. Out of wa
ter and provisions. | beat down to the outer
island in the harhor, IAN uninhabited pile of
barren rocks,) landed with the darkey and
boy, and sent my companions to town 70. sup
plies and another boat, while we remained
hid in the guilies Of the rocks. They return
ed at night with the "Vision," the fastest
sliler in the Bay, and took US off. SO hotly
were they pursued in town, that the only re-
rreshmentS they were enabled to obtain were
gin and crackers, and on these we subsisted
during the remainder of the expedition. We
now stood for sea, and waited for the Niaea-
ra, till , p. NJ. the next day, (the l2th,)
when she came out in tow of Il steamer.
put him on board as the steamer left, irving
Capt. Rea letters explanatory of the whole
affair. No sooner had | left the bark than |
discovered a steame! making directly for US.
knowing she could chase but one. | steered
a course opposite to the Niagara, ill the slra-
lltl tnhlt ny anu OINtltu NE 10 IltdF We 10 Z,
this for some time | refused to do, wishing to
delay them as long as possible, in order to
give the Niagara a chance to gel clear. Bly-
onets g~listenei in all parts of the boat: dar-
kies were there Of every hue, crying out,
run him down. Fire into him" &c.
After this was hushed, and | had brought
them to terms of civllity, | hove to and re-
ceived on board two officers, who examined
the craft; not finding the object of their
search, they went on board the steamer and
put of for the bark: but they had wasted too
much time with me-the Niagara was well
out to sea, with a fine breeze. The Adolf
t%ionists, after chasing her a few miles, be-
came sea-sick, and commenced casting up
their accounts the balance were in favor of
returning home, and back they went, to wreak
their vengeance on your humble servant
humble enough, God knows, though elevated
10 garrett life.
Stigmatized as a slave-stealer at the South
branded as a kidnapper at the North-my
situation is anything but envIable. The Jour
nails here are bitter against me, and accuse
me of interested motives. On the contrary,
with a hundred dollars reward against me, |
have been Obliged to spend a like sum in or
der to re-ship the negro to his master. Mr..
John H.. Pierson, Esq, a merchant of this
city, well known for his integrity, is the
owner of the Niagara and Ottoman, and sane.
lions my proceedings. This is my lengthy
story lay it before your readers, that they
my know We are not all Ab0lilionists, and
that tn reputation of our beautiful city may
not suffer through their disgraceful proceed.
Ings. Very respectfully yours. gentlemen.
JAMES w. HANNUM,
Master brig Ottoman.