Hannibal journal and western union. (Hannibal, Mo.) 1851-1852, 1851-09-25

From the Baltimore american, ofhe 18Th.
Horrible ARRAY Citizens &C Baltimore
County Murdered by Fugitive Slaves
! We briefly mentioned iii yesterdays Ameri-
can the fact that intelligence had been received
in this city, that two citizens Of Baltimore coun-
ty had been killed in Chester county, Pa, whilst
endeavoring to recover some fugitive slaves.
The confidence which we expressed in the cor
rectnoss Of the report has been confirmed by the
/ intelligence since received, and which invests
the affair with the character Of one Of the blood
lest and most horrible Of outrages. The partic-
ulars which we have been able to gather up to
the time of writing this, in some degree
contradictory, but this may be explained by fur
Their accounts. The following details are the
most reliable that have come to our knowledge:
GA party of persons from Baltimore county,
consisting of Mr.. Edward Gorsuch, his son
Dickinson Gorsuch, his nephew Joshua Gorsuch,
DR.. Thomas Pierce, Nathan Nelson, Nicholas
HMchins, and ether persons whose names we
have been unable to ascertain, went into Penn
sylvania for the purpose of recovering two ran
away slaves, belonging TO the elder Gorsuchs
and who were known to be harboring in Ches-
tier county, at a small place called Christiana,
between Lancaster and Philadelphia.
The party secured the aid of Deputy !. 5.
Marshal, and of several police officers from
Philadelphia, and on Thursday morning pro-
ceeded to the peigborhood in which the slaves
were supposed to be secreted. When near othe
house to which their suspicious were directed,
they met two negro men, one OF whom was re-
cognised by Mr.. Gorscuch as his slave. The
whites gave chase and the negroes ran and sue
ceeded in getting into the house, which was
closed against the pursuing parties. "A horn or
bugle was Then sounded by the negroes in the
! house, and billet of wood was thrown from
! the windows striking one Of the party of
whites. In the meantime considerable crowd,
mostly of blacks, began to- collect around the
house, probably caledothere by the sound Of the
buSeo
Vi Mr.. Gorsuch and his party attempted to force
t their way iRto the upper part Of the house
where the blacks had fled, bJlt finding the negroes
armed with guns, scythes and other weapons,
and also finding that the crowd on the outside
D was rapidly increasing, attracted by the contn-
If ued blowing of The horn, theyoconcluded that it
was impossible to effect the capture of the ne
# groes, and commenced aretreat from the house.
As they left the house "a discharge Of firearms
1. took place from the negroes in the house, and
If Mr.. Edward Gorsuch was instantly shot dead
ball entering his breast, near the 'heart, anC
another taking effect in the left shoulder of his
:. son. The negroes afterwards rushed on the
: them in a shocking manner. The son oof Mr.
N Gorsuch, it is reported, was entirely disembow
eled by a sweeping blow 'witho:a scythe.-s
,e Mr. Joshua Gorsuch and Doctor Pierce, it il
tee said, were also dangerously wounded, and were
,e living at house in the neighborhood of the seem
ne Of he conflict, in an almost hopeless condition
le An officer said to be from Baltimore, was als'
w wounded though not mortally, and was after
wards taken to Columbia, where he was LYNN
of ats last accounts
he The son of Mr., Gorsuch after his father wa
-44 killed dfcwsupistol and shvt de7id the TieJf
n who had fired the fatal shot. He was then sc
ch upon and babarously murdered in tho amapnc
he we have stated above. The crowd that collec
Of ted about the house al the blowing of the horn
is reported To- have amounted to some 20C
n showing that the negroes had learned the pun
n pose of the Maryland party, and had made al
. rangements TO oppose them in the murderou
me- manner which was afterwards carried out. %
en- is also reported that several of the negroes wei
nd either killed or seriously wounded during IL
he aifray, but this report seemSto be uncontlrmed b
the more authentic accounts. Among the crow
q who collected around the house there were
m number of whites, who not only refused, whe
!called upon by the Deputy Marshal, to assist
ore the enforcement Of the law and the capture
he the negroes, but they actually encouraged the
d in their murdcrous outrage" 90
The receipt of the intelligence OF these horr
1o bic outrages has caused the most intense feelir
NV both in Baltimore county and this city. Nj
~ Gorsuch resided on the New York road, abo
,os "a miles from the city, where he was the own
~, Of fine farm and valuable mill seat. He w
well known throughout the whole county, an
we may add, respected and esteemed wherev
he was known. His son, and, indeed all Il
in parties who acted in the affair, were, persons
noe standing and responsibility, and the outrat
the perpetrated upon them whilst lawfully al
Of peacefully attempting to re-posseSs hemselv
and of their property cannot, OF course, but
the deeply felt. The slaves they We're in scare
n of runaway about year since. 1t is suppose
eve that the information which put the negroes
ion their guard, and enabled them to perpetrate I
= ), murders which followed, was sent from IN
I,nt adelphia, where Mr.. Gorsueh and his trlen
tI, first went to procure the necessary legal add
"a This opinion has confirmation in the Statem'
Wv" published in the Philadelphia Inquirer, viii
n at says; nn,c,rv, ,no
the Anpi
ID Il Since the above was put in type, we h;
this ascertained from Mr. Merryman, conductor
or n the Susquehanna railroad, who came throu
limo from, Columbia and Harrisburgh, Xesterd'
mn, some additional particulars in relation TO
the horrible tragedy, Young Dickinson Horsu
no we are glad TO learn is not yet dead, though