The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-04-29

We have TO chronicle another of those dasta rdly
outrages which have rendered this portion Of the
State reproach throughout the land.
il 10 generally known that the collection of rents
in this county has been impractcablc for many
years in consequence Of the difficulty of serving
legal papers, The officers whose sworn duty it Is
To execute process are elected by anti rent votes.
Ii has been necessary FORE Tor the landlord to
employ other persons to make the necessary SER
vice. Those who have been thus employed have
been repeatedly mal.rcated, and one was shot
year and q bali ago.
The attorneys Of Mr. Van Rensselaer, had Sc
cured the services during two three months past
of very worthy and resolute man in Rensselaer,
vile. who had served process in several cases The
anti renters determined to make an example Of
him. He had been appointed by the surrogate =
commissioner, with two other persons. TO lay off
widows dover in q farm in the town Of Bern. On
Wednesday last he sent for by one Of his asso-
ciate commissioners, residing in Bern, and mott
ned that they were ready to proceed to the admea-
surement He accordingly went to the farm that
was to be measured, about seven miles from Rens-
selaervillc, and commenced the survey.
While thus engaged carrying the chain with one
Of the COMMISSIONER and the third having the COM
pass, upon turning the corner OF piece OF woods
he discovered band Of twenty or thirty "ln-
dians" in ambush, who Immediately sprang upon
him. The cowardly assailants, who were COM
pletely disguised, and armed with rifles, toma-
hawks, &C., bound his hands painfully tight with
their preparations for tarring and feathering him
A fire was built, the tar melted, and he was then
entirely stripped Of his clothing, and his body
his hair and face, covered with the tar and feath
srcd The several articles of his apparel then
tarrcd on the inside and put upon him, apd again
tarred the outside and coated with feathers. In
this plight he WA marched around the neighbor-
hood for some hours, the scoundrels who had him
in charge being fed and treated by the inhabitants
1t was about sunset when he was seized, and
about ten o'clock he was escorted holneward Two
miles from his house another fire was built, more
tar warmed and poured over him, and additional
feathers. After this. when they had in vain endea-
vored to extort from him promise TO serve no
more papers, he was permitted to go to his house,
which be reached about midni sht.
Upon reaching his house he endeavorcd to pre-
vent his wife from being alarmed, by assuring her
he was uninjured, and advising her Of the sight he
presented. But when she came to behold him, she
tainted. He concerned, also, lest his children
should behold the father they respected in the
plight to which the miscreants had reduced him.
With much difficulty he restored his wife, and in
the course of the night WINS able to remove the
pitch from his body, having burnt up his clothes.
This 10 plain narrative Of the treatment to
which respectable and worthy citizen Of this
county has been subjected, for brayely doing a
duty which is summed by the proper legal officers,
through cowardice or worse motives. 1t is impos
sible that any one should read it and not feel in
dignant and ashamed that such outrages have pre-
vailed in this region for so many years, that the
law ia q dead letter, and that for 80 Infamous an
offence against the person no redress can be OBJ
tanned. And this ia New York!