The New York herald., 1850-12-07
The Fugitive slave Case In Boston.

STATEMENT OF DEPUrY SHERIFF. CosuRN OF
BosroS, IN REPLY TO MEssRs. KNIGHT and HuGHEs,
OF GEoRGIA.-lt being well known to the public
that am ,he officer who arrested Messrs. Willis
II. Hughes and John Knight, on their recent visit
10 Boston, for alleged conspiracy TO kidnap Will
liam and Ellen Crafts and inasmsch as the state
mens of those gentlemen are calculated to make
an erroneous impres sion upon the public mind, per-
haps not Intentionally respecting my official course,
aud 10 place me and my acts in an erroneous light
before the public, and TO make il appear that as
desirouS IT not To counieuanos the mob,
take those gentlemen as my prisoners 10 the place
where mob had cole cied lor the purpose Of insult
and outrage to them, deem il due no less to the
public than 10 myself 10 state precisely what took
place ut the time Of their second arrest the 18th
day of October last-that being the time more
particularly alluded to by Mr.. Hughes-and leave
the public 10 judge how far the pa taiion made by
Mr.. Hughts Is justified by the facts.
Agreeebly TO previous appointment, at halfpast
four O'Clock, p. M Il left my office accompanied
by Charles Lisi, Esq and no one else, and walked
10 the United States Hotel, where / found Mr..
knights in one of the stores under the hotel. I
slated my business 10 him, and, at his request went
20 his room in the hottl, where / found Mr..
Hughes, TO whom also made known my business.
After few minutes conversation respecting their
mission-the obtaining a ware nit being, they
said then in the hands OF the Marshal, &c., said,
gentlemen, will order carriage, and if you will go
with me TO my office, will send Immediately TO
whom you wish for bail-as had done in the arrest
made by me in the morning They said they were
fearful OF another crowd, IL they went TO my Off ce.
To which lreplied that | did not apprehend the
least danger, as the arrest was known to no one
but Mr.. List, who had accompanied me, and / DID
uot think him disposed to make any disturbance;
but If they had any fear Of that would take them
directly 10 my house, 22 Leyerett street, where
they should be fully protected, and have ample
time to obtain bail, and should be welcome TO re-
main through the night If they desired. | mad,
this proposition for their own accommodation. and
in order 10 give them more time 70 procure bail
than would have been the case IL they had remain
ed at the hotel or at my office,shoud the gentle-
men who were already bail for them in $40 900 de-
cline or be ABSENT and also avoid il possible the
necessity Of committing them TO jail. From the
delay in getting bail in the forenoon arrest, had
TO suppose thar there might be longer delay,
as the sum required was double tho former amount.
This proposition seemed TO please them, and was
assenied 10 without one word of remonsrance.
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 hail, we were met
by Col Thomas, MIR. Hughes's lawyer" IL is
hardly necessary for me TO say that the langu age
attributed by Mr.. Hughes TO Col. Thomas, VIZ
| that he (Col. Thomas) "told the sheriff that we
(meanng the rrfsoners) should not 60 to his
Office" is incorrect, a. all who know that eentle-
man, know that he would not use such language
| 10 me az officer Besidee, we had not started
for my Office, but were waiting in the hall for a
carriage to 60 TO my house. stated that had
again arrested the gentlemen, and they were nov
required to get bail in go 900 lie said that Mr..
| Riley had agreed TO meet him there at half pas
| hive o'clock. lt was then some hfteen minutes
II,
the aid Of Col Thomas aud Mr. Riley. can, with
out doubt, he arranged here, without our leaving.
| BY permission, then took the gen lemen into the
ladies' drawing room, where we remained-no
one being prfscnt but one friend Of theirs, former
| ly from the South, who called TO see thrm-uniil
i Col Thomas, who went after the bondsmen, re-
| turned-Mr. Riley and Mr.. Willis came, and the
bonds were executed. stayed some half an hour,
| engaged in pleasant conversation, when left,
after shaking hands with Messrs. Hughes and
/ knight, and listening to the expression of their
| Satisfaction. and obi ligaiions Tor the manner in
| which had conducted the arrest. on leaving the
hotel, went directly TO my Office ia Court square,
| where arrived before seven o'clock, and le lrned,
to my surprise, that there had been great crowd
| IN the square, which had, however, entirely dis
persed previous TO my return.
| II viii thus be seen how far the statement OF Mr.
| Hughes is in accordance with the exact transac-
tion; and that Mr.. knight was not only out Of his
fsc's, but forgot the order Of events, when he said
IN his communication made to the public, that " al
81 o'clock other warrants were issued against us,
| &c., and that he "understood that great Gro wd
was assembled at Court Square for the purpose o
moobing US and that =" officer Coburn wished tc
carry us there" II was my utmost desire 10 trea
those gentlemen with all that courtesy and consi
deraOn TO which they, as strangers, arrested unde
peculiar circumstances, were entitled; so that /
could not, with any shade Of truth, be said from
any official act OF mine, that the officers Of the Law
Of Massachusetts lent any aid, beyond what duty
carefully, courieousy, and CONSIDERABLY performed
imposed, in support ~ what they and their South
ern brethren signihcastly term persecution an'
nullifcstion. For making the several bonds in tn,
several cases, sending ia different directions 10
their friends, procuring carriages, and for su1h ex
ira detention as their cases required, ! made N
charge. While they were In my Office, ia M
custody, allowed no person to use any abusive o
opproorious epithets towards them; aud when the
left my office IN the fcresoon, procured caria ges
end gave them all the protection in my powei
nom the menaces and insults ofth crowd.
DANIEL j CoBURS, Deputy Sheriff
BosToN, Dec. A, 1850.