The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-10-09
SLAVE CASE AND RESCUE AT SYRIA
elise NEW YORK.

In the execution Of the Fugitive Slave Law, !
il seems to be the object Of all concerned to
make il as odious as possible to the People
The claimants under the law and the officers
engaged to assist evnce too often disposition
TO defy and bully public Sentiment The late
events at Syracuse afford an illustration in
point For some weeks, it is said, a claimant
was lying in wait for a fugitive slave. The
name of the latter was Jerry he was cooper,
and engaged daily at his trade. He was claimed
by John McReynolds, Of Missouri and might
have been arrested at any time, while the city
was not full of strangers. But it was thought
proper to make the arrest during the sittings
of an Anti-Slavery Convention in the place
and the meeting of the County Fair, hand
cuff the prisoner and carry him thus through
the crowded streets for the purpose, we sup
pose, of displaying the power Of the law
Had the purpose been merely to secure the de-
livery of the fugitive to his claimant a more
favorable occasion would have been select
ed, and the irons at least would have been
kept out of sight But it was desirable to get up
storm of popular excitement, and breed, we
suppose, new batch of cases Of treason
What followed is told in the following tele-
graphic despatch, dated October LIST
Considerable excitement was occasioned by
the arrest, and a large crowd assembled in and
about the Office of the Commissioner
awhile the examination was progressing. the
negro made his escape isto the street, and was
L. rl H., IS
of whom were DESTROYS to assist in his escape,
and others were equally anxious to assist in his
recapture. A carriage was speedily procured
made available for the object in view He was
recaptured by the officers before he got out of
the limits of the city.
ole was then taken TO the police Office, fol-
lowed by large crowd composed mostly of
his friends.
1.-THE examination was resumed with closed
doors, and the purport Of the evidence adduced
is not known.
Several white men were arrested for assist
ing the negro in his attempted flight
This being the county fair day. large con-
course 81 people surrounded the ppigqe Office,
where the negro and the white men were un-
defgong an examination.
About dusk, the crowd began to throw
stones into the window Of the police Office pretty
freely, which had the effect to adjourn the
court till eight o'clock tomorrow morning"
What followed is thus stated by the New
York Daily Times.
Jerry was then removed to a room back of
the main Office, with the design of retaining
him there until next day Such, however, was
by no means the good pleasure of the outsiders.
The tumult and violence continued to augment
The shower of missiles became so severe as TO
require the windows to be nailed up with
planks. This was not accomplished without
damage to the officers, To intimidate the as
sailants, several guns were discharged from the
building over the heads of the crowd One or
two equally harmless shots were returned from
the assembly; and there appears to have been
no further employment of firearms. At 8 l-2
o'clock systematic attack was made, with
axes sledges, crowbars, and batteringram in
the shape of heavy plank, upon the door of
the outer office. 1t speedily gave way before
the tremendous assault and in a few minutes
the partition of the inner apartment fell beneath
the strokes of the iberators, and after cour-
ageous resistance ON the part of the officers
Jerry was carried in triumph into the free air
of heaven. OF course the chains and manaces
NtTe slriChtn on biic Hrst thuiS, no uuhcuit laSh
in the dense darkness of the ROOM whose lights
had been extinguished at the commencement of
the onslaught, The rescuers, who, as far as
could be seen, appeared to be chiefly negroes,
bore the poor wretch down several streets to
Brintnalps hotel, and placing him in a carriage,
the late slave and captive was speedily beyond
the reach of marshais, masters, and manacles.'
The result will be new indictments for trea
son, Already thirty-seven persons stand indict
ed in Philadelphia, AS many more possibly
may be indicted in Syracuse. Hundreds Of
other cases will follow. DEATH Is THE PUN.
IsHMENT OF TREASON. Does the Government
really suppose that it can hang all these hun
dreds of indicted citizens, without provoking
civil war? Bloody-minded journalists may
counsel IL; but let them remember that Moloch
is no epicure in his tastes. All he asks is, hui
man victims, rhether they be friends or foes
While we thus denounce the violent counsels
of the Government officials we feel it our duty
to deprecate now as we have always done, vio-
lent resistance to the law. The Ballot should
substitute Force.