New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-12-09

"A.
or point below, on tide water; for the Lambert.
vile Water Company; for Plank Road FROM
/ Pennington 10 the Delaware.
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The nostan sInyc Hunt Another story state
rrcnt OF Deputy sheriff Coburn.
From the Boston Journal, Dec-5
We have received from Deputy Sheriff Coburn.
the following statement in relation to the letters
of Messrs. Knights and Hughes, the two Southern
gentlemen whose presence IN this city created 50
much excitement few weeks since. |. will DO
seen from this statement, that their iatimat'onA
That oHcer Coburn. III the discharge of his delicate
andunpleasant duty, departed from that consider
ate aud gentlcmany department and conduct
which is a marked characteristic Of the officers Of
the law in Massachusetts are erroneous
To IRE Edifor q the Boston Da,ly Jog'nll
DEAR SIR: 1t being well known TO the public
that am the oliicer who arrested MeSsrs. w Iitla
II Hughes and John knights on then recent visit
to Boston, for m alleged conspiracy 70 kldnap
William and Ellen Crafts and inasmUch as tho
statements Of these gentlemen are calculated TO
make an erroneous impression upon the public
mind, perhaps not Intentionally, respecting my
official course and 10 place me ana my acts IN sn
erroneous lght before the public, and To make Is
appear that was DESTROYS, II tito counteRanoe
the mob Mt least 10 take those gentlemen as my
prisoners to the place where a mob had collected
Tor the rurpose OF insult and outrage to them
deem it due no less to the public thant to myself 10
state precisely what took place atthe time OF sheF
second arrest on the 2sth 10, OF october last
that being the time more particularly alluded to
by Nj. Hughes-and leave the public to Judge how
far the impuatIon made by MIR. Hughes is justified
by the facts
Agreeaby to previous appointment, at q o'clock
P NJ. left my Office accompanied by Charles List.
Esq. and no one else and walked 60 the United
States Hotel where found Mr.. Knights in one OF
the stores under the hotel | stated my business
to him, and at his request, went to his room in
the hotel, where found MIR. Hughes, to whom
also made known my business. After few min
utes conversation respecting their mission--they
obtaining warrant-it being, as they sad, then
in ths hands of the Marshal &c | said, Gentle
men, will order carriage, and II you VIII SO
with me to my Office | will send Immediately to
whom you wish for bail, as had done III the ar
rest made by me in the morning. They said they
were fearful of another crowd ii they went to my
office To which l replied that | did not appre-
bend the least danger, as the arrest was knownto
no one but Mr.. List, who had accompanied me,
and did not think him disposed to make any dis
turbance but they had any fear OF that would
take them directly TO my house, - Leverettst.
where they should be fully protected and have
ample time TO obtain bail, and should be welcome
to remain through the night If they desired |
made this proposition for their own Gccommoda-
ton and in order to give them more time TO pro-
cure bail than would have been the case ii they
had remained at the hotel or at my ouce-should
the gentlemen who were already bail for them in
100000 decline or be absent; and also to avoid, II
possible the necessity of committing them to jail.
From the delay in getting bail in the forenoon ar
rest | had reason to suppose that there might be
longer delay, as the sum required was double the
former amount This proposition seemedto please
them, and was assented to without one word oa
remonstranCe.
We left their room and went down stairs into
the hall OF the hotel | ordered carriage at the
side door and while standing in the hall, we were
met by Col Thomas Mr.. llughess lawyer 1t
is hardly necessary for me to say that the Ian
guage attributed by Mr., Hughes to Col. Thomas.
viz; that he Col. Thomas) "t0id the She3ID that
lce (meaning The prsoncrs) Should not go TO MS
| office is incorrect, as all who know that gentle
| man know that he would not such language
to me as an officer Beside. we had not started
| for my Office, but We're waiting in the hall tor
! carriage to go to my house ! stated that had
| again arrested the gentlemen, and they were now
! required to get bail in $4,000 He said that Mr.
Riley had agreed to meet him there at 81 o'clock.
II was then some fifteen minutes past5. | said.
then, gentlemen, this matter, by the aid OF Col.
Thomas and Mr. Riley, can without doubt, be
arranged here, without leaving By permission.
then took the gentlemen into the ladies' draw
ing room, Where we remaned-no one being
present but one friend OF theirs, formerly from the
South who called to see lhem-until Col Thomas,
who went after the bondsmen, returned. Mr..
Riley and Mr. Willis came, and the bonds were
executed. ! stayed some halt hour, engaged
in pleasant conversation, when | left alter
shaking hands with Messrs Hughes and X nights,
and listening % the expression OF their satistac-
ton, and obligations for the manner in which
had conducted the arrest. On leaving the hotel
| went directly to my Office in Courtsduare
where | arrived before O'clock and learned,
to my surprise, that there had been great
crowd in the square, which had, however entirely
dispersed previous to my return
1t will thus be seen how far the statement OF
Mr. Hughes is in accordance with the exact trans
action; and that Mr., Knights was not only out Of
his facts, but forgot the order of events when he
said III bis communication made to the public, that
" at O'Clock other warrants were issued against
u.s. &c and that he understood that a great
crowd was assembled at Court-square for the
purpose OF mobbmg us, and that "oiiicer Coburn
wished to carry us there 1t was my utmost de-
sire to treat those gentlemen with all that COurte
sy and consideration to which they, as strangers,
arrested under peculiar circumstances were enti-
tied so that it could not with any shade of truth,
be said from any official act of mine, that the Off
GERS of the law OF Massachusetts lent any aid be-
yond what duty, carefully, courteously and con-
sideratey performed, imposed, in support OF what
they and their Southern brethren significantly
term persecution and notification. For making
the several bonds in the several cases, sending in
different directions for their friends, procuring
carriages, and for such extra detention as their
cases required, | made no charge. While they
were in my Office, in my custody, | allowed no
person to use any abusive opprobrious ephi-
thets toward them and when they left my office
in the forenoon, | procured carriages, and gave
them all the protection in my power, from the
menaces and insuts Of the crowd.
DANIEL j COBURN Deputy Sheriff
CtyoJ Boston, December h, 1880
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nof,,a of tho Iudipnn Sfafe C0nyenfiOH.