The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1851-04-16

a eonveFsiag with Sims, and ascertain
inc What BE defence Wae- Nc. sewan
aid Ne believed, II time were allowed
bs should Be able % show that Sims
was free BY the laws Of Georgia. IS he
lis by the laws of Massachusetts,. The
counsel said. however, that they had no
objection to the reading Of the Georgia
papers, de bene esse.
Colonel ThoInss insisted upon his
right to proceed with the case On the
compliments side BY putting In the
proofs.
The commissioner said the Law re.
CURED the proceedings To be summary.
which he understood TO mean that they
were TO be conducted with as much ex-
petition as was compatible with regular
judicial proceedings. The object Of
the requirement probably was. that a
claimant should not be unnecessarily
detained in prosecuting his claim. and
thereby be put TO large expense. But
whenever legal and proper grounds for
delay were shown. il would be granted
in this as in any other judicial proceed
ing. He saw no reason why the claim
ants proofs should not be put in forth
with, and IL the defence were not pre-
pared TO 90 into the cross-examination,
II could be deferred until all the writ
ten and oral testimony had been put in
by the other side.
Col. Thomas now proceeded to the
power Of attorney given to Mr.. Beacon
BY James Potter. and authorization
thereof. Next the deposition Of John
Williamson, Adam Short, Edward PEN
dergast. and Nj. Sheftoll, ir., all Of
Chatham county. Georgia. describing
Sims, and declaring that they had long
known him as the property Of James
Potter. planteS. Of said county, and
that he escaped in February last.
Covering these affidavit was the pre-
scribed certificate Of Henry r. Jackson,
judge Of the superior court Of the cas-
tern district of the State of Georgia.
He certifies that the said Potter, " hav-
ing by such witnesses thoroughly and
satisfactorily made out said ownership
Of said slave and escape, and having
also proved BY said witness the general
description Of the said slave with such
convenient certainty as might be-" he
causes the necessary papers for the re-
clamati0n Of Sims TO be made out, au-
thcnticated, and furnished to the said
Potter. as provided BY the statute.
The counsel for the defence gave no.
tice that they had wciehty objections
TO offer at the proper time to the legal
sufIiciency Of the authorization Of the
power Of attorney. the dispositions, and
other certified papers.
The oral testimony was commenced
by calling Edward Burnett. who iesti-
fed that he belonged to Savannah ; that
he knew Sims there; had known him
some ten months, and that his name
was Thomas Sims; had worked on the
same scalfold with him at bricklaying
some months /; worked with him last
August end September; had, while
working with him, asked him whether
he was a slave or free. lie said he was
a slave, and belonged to James Potter,
rice planter. MIR. Potter lived some
tenor twelve miles out from Savannah.
Witness knew Sims mother and sis
ters; they had told him they were
slaves of Mr.. Potter. Sims had said he
had to pay wages to his master; il was
$40 month, or whereabouts. Witness
knows MIR. Potter, personally.
The next witness called was John 3.
Beacon, agent and attorney of Potter,
and he testified as follows: I know the
prisoner as the property Of James
Potter. have known him ten years.
He lived the larger part of that time
with his mother. lived within sixty
or seventy rods Of them. His mother
received his wages. and paid them over
to Mr.. Potter. She did so with the wages
Of all the children. The arrangement
was made for her benefit. | have been
present at his mothers when Sims had
accounted to Mr.. Potter Cor his wages.
Have been present when Mr.. Potter has
demanded the payment Of Sims's wages
of his mother. Sims left on the 22d of
February, and understood he went of.
in a wagon. After he had gone his mo.
Their told ne that if | found him,
whether it was in slave State or
free State, to bring him back. for Gods
sake.
Colonel Thomas said he had another
witness. but for the present would rest
the case for the complainant here.
The counsel for the defence not being prepar-
ed to proceed, the case was postponed until the
next morning. Pending the hearing before the
Commissioner, one Of the lawyers for the fugi-
tive went before the Supreme judicial Court of
Massachusetts,, and applied for writ of ha5eas
corpus, which was unan maus,y refused
On Saturday, the examination before the Com.
missioner was resumed. The following tcle-
graphic dispatch is copied from the Washington
Republic:
The Boston Fugitive Naue Case
The examination inia The ,ase Of The fu-
eiilve slave, Sims, was continued this