The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-12-11
WASHINGTON, ID. G.
THE CHR1sr1ANA TREASON TRIALS
FIRST DAY.


sing out OF the disturbances which took place
recently at a place called Christiana, in Lam
easter county, during the progress of which
Mr. Gorsuch was killed and his nephew badly
wounded
A number of jurymen applied to be excused
on various grounds. mainly because they wer,
hard Of hearing These applications were :,
numerous that Judge Grier remarked: A" i
seems As if the whole country is becoming
dsdt-an epidemic, am afraid is prevailing
District Attorney Ashmead stated that d,
proposed to proceed with the trial of Castnel
Hanaway tomorrow morning.
Judge Grier said that I'm a case Of such i'm
pOrtance he did not wish % hurry them: but
he wanted 70 get through one case in two
weeks 50 that be coull le in Washington 10y
that time
Thaddcus Stevens Esl. replied. that one
case. he hoped. would be- finished in half that
time Up in his county they hang man in
three days and he TRUSTED tha~she gentlemen
here would not a~k for o longer time.
SYcoNp Jay.
Tuesday N5rtmbr 2j.-The United State
circuit court-pre~ent Judges Gricr and Name
Mr. Ashmead moved for the arraignmeut o
the prisoner Cashier Runaway
John VI Read E>l On the part Of the de
fence stated al This time that the counsel con
sidrrei it Their dlty 70 make some suggestion.
In ralerrace % the intmation Of the District
Attorney that lac would move 10 quash the
array Of jurors They did not desire 10 take
exceptions 10 the selection of the jurors in the
present cas-. bat thought that the order of the
court in ,ummoninc the .iury-IOS in num-
ber-was not in accordance with the laws of
the State. which we've sanctioned by act of
Congress. The counsel however. waived all
exception to the jury
Mr.. A,hmead stated that if Mr.. Read
thought the United States had any particular
Gayoy for the array. he was perfectly willing
t2at IL SHOULD be luashed II reference TO al
< i"&'1spror- ~ ePurf c0ai'f -,'o,,.,,-. e..
many IIrOT- "a, ,nc 1-s.s,,,.,o. ..,ezs.>.r b
case demand lhe court sald ihtS, IS tuere
wa, no other matter before it than to arraign
the prisoner, the arrangement of the prisoners
should be- proceeded with.
The clerk Of the court in due form. arraigned
the prisoner
The prisoner pleaded Not Guilty
The cmpaneling OF the jury was then pro
cceded with and solomon Newman called.
Mr. Ludlow stated that the Government pro-
posed to ask each Juror, who is not set aside
under the right which the prosecution claimed
to do. "A series of questions, which he submitted
To the court, as follows
l. Have you any conscientious scruples upon
the subject Of capital punishment so that YOU
would not, because you conscientiOusly could
not, find verdict of treason death being the
punishment though the evidence required such
"A verdict
? Have You expressed or formed any opin-
ion relative to the matter now to be tried
Are you sensible Of any prejudice or bias
therein
3 Have you formed an opinion that the law
Of the United States, known as the Fugitive
Slave Law Of 1850, is unconstitutional so that
you cannot convict a person indicted under it
for that reason, if the facts alleged in the in
statute 10 be- constitutional!
/ Have you formed or expressed an opinion
as to the guilt or innocence of the accused or
Of the other persons alleged to have particl
pated with him in the offence charged against
him in the indictments
MIR Read said they never had seen or heard
Of the questions until now, and they were called
upon to speak upon them. His objection to
them was, that the questions had been put in IA
nest when they could in his opinion, have been
reduced to n few simple inquiries
To the first question, rs to whether the juror
would or would not find n verdict Of guilty of
treason, if the testimony warranted such a
finding, the punishment being death, was not
objected TO- if put in legal form,
Mr. Reed fully commented upon the other
questions proposed to be asked
The court took the list OF questions and
amended them A number of jurymen were
called, challenged and set aside
The court adjourned
THIRD DAY
Wedneaidb NOrcmber 26.-The court met
this morning at 10 o'clock and resumed the
preparatory proceedings in the Christana
Treason cases.
On motion of the United States Dctrict At
tomey, Robert J. Brent Attorney General of
Maryland, was admitted to practice ny an at
tOrney of this court and took the usual oath
A number of iurymcn were called and set
aside
Michael IT, jerks, David Cocklcy. James
Penny ferre Brnton, set aside; and Isaac
Myers not present, fined 500
James COwden was accepted ~ Il Juror
which completes the panel of twelve jurors
The following is list Of their names. Robert
Martin, Robert Smith John Junkcn, James
w. Hopkins Ephram Fcnton, solomon New
man. and Jonathan Wainwright.
The twelfth juror was not sworn, because
the jury could not separate if all were sworn
Tomorrow being Thanksgiving day, the Judge
adjourned till Friday morning.
FOURTH DAY.
FriddB NOrember 2s.-1hc United States
District Attorney. John w. Ashmead. Esq.
opened the ease. He detailed the events which
preceded the visit Of the special marshal,
Henry II. Kline and the MesSrs. GorNch. of
Baltimore county Maryland to ChriStana. in
search of the slaves of the elder Mr. Gorsuch.
and all the circumstances attending that visit
and its melancholy and deplorabe conse-
Quences
MIR Ashmead said he would show one i'm
portant fact by the testimony he would offer, to
which he would ask the special attention of the
jury. 1t was ths-that the defendant was, il
not the prime mover in the outragcs at Chris
tlana, the chief promoter ut the time: that. be-
fore his arrival at the scene, the blacks assem-
bed there were discouraged and asked "A par
ley After he came on the ground, they raised
II shout and preciptatcd the catastrophe now
the subject of investigation.
Mr. Ashmead said that il he made out the
facts referred to by him, by the testimony he
would insist upon conviction of the defendant
of the crime Of high treason He then gave
the definition of this crime rs set forth in the
Sd section of the 81 article of the Constitution
of the United States; and then gave histori.
cal sketch of the constitutional and legal pro.
visions ON the subject of fugitives from labor
by the United States and the State Of PennSyl.
yania.
George r. Ashmead, Esq, for the prosecu,
ton, submitted the record of the United States
Circuit Court of this circuit of October g.
lsI5 to show that Edward d. lngraham Esq,
was then appointed II commissioner by the
court. There being no opposition, the record
was admitted and read
Henry II Kline was called
John NJ Read Esq inr tho dn(anca oskpI