Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1850-11-16
Correspondence of The Tribune.
The Boston Slave Hunt and the Vigilance
Committee.
BosroN, Thursday, Oct. 81.


The slave hunters, Knights aud Hughes,
left the City yesterday at o'clock p. NJ full
ly persuaded, nfter n weeks trial, that all at
tempts TO arrest Mary aud Ellen Crafts IN
the City of Boston, were worse than useless.
Yet not blow has been struck, or an act OF
violence done!
As soon as il was known that they were
about TO take out n warrant, the Vigilance
Committee WINS called together, aud vari-
ous sub-commttees appointed. Among
these was n committee OF legal gentlemen,
whose duty il was to give Crafts the benefit
of every legal weapon of oiiense or defense.
This committee consisted of S. q. Sewu
Charles Sumner, X. II. Damn, jr., John G.
Park and George Minot. In addition TO
these gentlemen, Charles G.. Lorng, Esq,
one Of the most distinguished lawyers in the
State, volunteered his services. After full
deliberation, this committee notified the
Commissioners that IL they acted under the
law, they would he sued on the ground of
the unconsttutionality of their appointment,
ond that the same course would he taken
with the Marshal and his deputies, or any
other person who should act under the di-
rection of the Commissioners. The ground
was taken that the process under this law is
a civil process, and that the outer door Of
house cannot be broken IN for the purpose of
serving il, and the Marshal was notified nc
cordingly. Crafts moved his bed aud cloth
ing into his shop, and made it his domicil-
his castle.
In the meantime Crafts, on his own re-
sponsibity, without advice from any parties, |
determined on resistance. lie armed him
self fully, and made up his mind to sell his |
freedom with his life. His shop is in the
midst Of the negro population, who were in
state of intense excitement, armed aud de-
Nm ma n
approach within hundred yards of Crafts
shop without being seen by hundred eyes,
and signal would call powerful body at
moments warning. The Marshaps assist
ants made reconnoisances and were perfectly
satisfied that il the "ouier-door' doctrine
prevailed, the process could not he served at
all, and ii that doctrine was not adhered to,
the process could only be served with blood
she'd
II must be distinctly understood TINT this
forciblc resistance was matter with which
the Committees had no concern whatever
They confined themselves to legal meas
ures solely.
As nm offset to the Roman simplicity and
grandeur of this poor ninu, seated calmly at
work at his sader's bench, in an upper
chamber, the Spartucus of his race, there
was a ludcrous side of the picture. Knight
and Hughes were themselves arrested and
held to bail in $4,000 each, on a charge OF
slander. After some difficulty they found
bail. The next day they were arrested OH
charge of conspiracy to kidnap William
Crafts, aud again in the afternoon on a simi-
lar charge as TO Ellen Crafts. Two arrests
day was their smallest allowance. After
the last arrest, the excited crowd of negroes
followed knights carriage, and Ie took
flight through Court and Leveret streets,
over East Cambridge bridge, running tolls,
20 East Cambridge and thence to POrer's.-
The mob overlook and threatened him. and il
was with difficulty that some of them were
kept from violence, hut no actual violence
was inflicted. Knights was thoroughly al
armed. A portion of the Vigilance Com
mitiee waited upon him and Hughes, aud
told them that they had no intention 10
threaten them, but that their presence peril
led the peace of the city rs well as their
own lives. They promised TO leave the city
the next morning; but when the morning
came they were not gone. Several com
plants were made against them, and pre-
pared TO be seryed-one for carrying con-
cenled weapons; another for "snokng in
the Streets" contrary 10 the City Ordinance ;
another under the statute against "profane
cursing and swearing" IA plenty Of which
they did y another for fast driving through
the town of Cambridge. Truly the Bostoni-
ote uIo iuW-uDlulHB people! Ihe cOmbl-
nation Of the tragical and the comical, the
serious and the ludicrous, with the harass-
Tnent of handbills, arrests, and crowds at
their heels wherever they went and the GER
tainty that their process could not be served
without bloodshed, ovcrcame their obstinacy
and they took the express train for the South
waited upon by large and respectable com
ulittee.
knights and Hughes are said to be men O
low description, mere hireings Of specula
tors, deserving no better treatment than the
received. These various arrests, however
were not made by the legal committee, bu
were the voluntary suggestions of parties
taking the responsibility upon themselves
The committee were prepared to serve wri
de hop'ine repiigedndo upon the Marshal, th,
moment the arrest should he made, and thu
TO raise an issue between the Stutc and Ma
tional tribunals They also proposed to hoI.
Crafts TO bail for debt, in order to try IN
question whether tho certificate ofthe Com
missioner will override the civil processes q
the State. made for other purposes As
lsn resort, Crafts was to be arrested on