Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1851-09-27
From the Pennsylvania Freeman.
The Slave-lIuniing Tragedy in Lancaster
County.


As the reports of the ufffny which came 10
as were contradictory, aud having good rea-
son to believe that those of the daily press
were grossly one-sided and unfair, we repair
cd TO the scene Of the tragedy, and by pa
tient Inquiry and caroihl examination, endea-
vorcd to learn the real facts. To do this,
from the varying and conflicting state ments
which we encountered, scarcely two OF
which agreed, in every point, was not eOsy ;
but we believe The account we give below,
ms the result OF these inquiries, is substantial
ly correct
Very early, on the morning Of the l1th
inst, party of slave-huuters went into n
neighborhood about two miles west OF Chris
tiana, near the eastern border of Lancaster
County, in pursuit of fugitive slaves. The
party consisted of Edward Gorsnch, his son
Dckerson GorsnelI, his nephew DIR. Pearce,
NiclIolqs Huichins and two others, oil from
Raltinore Co., Nd, and one Henry II. Kline
q notorious slave-catching constable from
Philadelphia, who had been deputized by
Commissioner lngraham for this business.
~ about day-dawn they were discovered,
lying in ambush nenr the house OF one VIM.
Parker, cOlored man, by an inmate of the
house who had starred for HIS work, He fed
back TO the house pursued by the sIaye-hun-
fers, WHO, entered the lower part Of the house,
hut were unable TO force their way into the
upper pari, 10 which the family had retired.
A horn was blown from un upper window (;
TWO shots were fired, both, as we believe,
though we are not certain, by the assnlarts,
one at the colCred man who fed into the
house, and the other ut the inmates through
the window. No one was wounded 10y eth
er. A pariey ensued, The STAKEHOLDER de-
mnnded his slares, which bc said were con-
ccaled in the house. Three colorcd men
presented themselves successfully at the
wiudow, and asked if they were the slaves
claimed; Gorsuch Snid that neither of them
Was his slave. They thd him they were the
only colored men IN the house, aud warned
him aud his party TO leave, ns they were de-
fermined never TO bc taken alive as slaves.
Soon the coiored people from the neghbor-
hood, alarmed by the horn, began to gather,
armed with guns, axes, coril-cutters or clubs.
Mutual tbreaenings were uttered by the
two parties. The slave-hunlers told the
blacks that resistance would he useless, as
they had party of thirty men in the woods
near by. The blacks warned them again to
leave, rs they would die before they would
20 into slavery.
From an hour to an hour and half pass
ed in these pareyings, angry conversations
md threats, the blucks increasing by new ar
rivals, until they probably numbered from
thirty to fifty; most of them armed in some
way. About This time, Cashier Ilanaway, n
white man, and Friend, who resided in
she neighborllood, rode up, and was soon fol-
lowed by Elijah Lewis, another Friend, a
nierchant in Coopervile-hoth gentlemen
highly esteemed as worthy add peaceable c-
tizens. As they came up, Kline, the deputy
marshal, ordered them TO aid him, as Uni
ted States Officer, To capture the fugitive
slaves. They refused, OF colrsc,--as would
any man not utterly destitute OF honor, hu-
nbanity and moral princple-and warned
she assailants that il was madness for them
10 attempt to capture fugitive slaves there,
or even to remain, and begged them, IT they
wished to save their own lives, to leave the
gFounh
Kline replied, Do you really think so ~
Eyes" wns the answer, "the sooner you
leave the better, IL you would prevent blood
she'd" Kline then left the ground, retiring
10 veTy safe distance into n cOrIl-tieId, nnd
toward the woods The blacks were so ex-
Rsperaied by his threats, that, but for the in
ierposi,ion Of the two white Friends, il is
very dNulaful whether he would have esca-
ped Without INJURY.
MessFs- Hanaway mad Lewis both exertod
their influence TO dissuade the colored peo.
ple from violence, and would probably have
succeeded iA restraining them, had not the
assaiIing party frca upon them. Young Cor
such asked his father TO lenve, hut dle old
man refused, declaring, as it il said aud be-
lieved, that hc would "ge to het, or have hi'
slaves."
Finding they eoAld do nothing fiE,her
Runaway and Lewis both started 20 leave
again eOunselling the slave hunters To e
away and The cOlored people to peace; bu
had gone but few rods, when one OF ia,
inmates of,he house attempted to eoAle oU
pt lhe door. Gorsuch presented his revol
ver, ordering him back, The eolered maj
replied, "You hnd better go awoy if yo,
d,n't wantio get hurt !" and at the same lim'
pushed him aside aud passed out. Madden
nj at this, aud s,imulsied by the question o
l,,s na.,l,atv whether he would a. fnkc aiicl