Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1851-09-17
AWFUL LOSS or LIFE IN AN ATTEMPT
TO CAPTURE FUGITIVE SLAVES


We learn from the baltimore papers that pain
full r,lmor had reached that city on Friday to the
effect that Mcssrs. Edward Gorsuch and his son,
Dickinson Gorsuch, of Baltimore county had been
murdered in Pennsylvania, whilst endcavoring to
arrest some runaway slaves. The rumor has PROV
ed but too true, and the matter is still more seri-
GUS than was at first supposed. slip furnished
us from tho Baltimore county Jacksonian gives the
following particulars
The citizens of this county were Yesterday
shocked with the thrilling intelligence brought by
the passengers in the ears from York. that two of
our most estmable citizens were killed on Thurs
day morning last, by negro mob, near Lancaster,
Pa. The most intense excitement now prevails
throughout the county, and yesterday morning a
large body of people from the neighborhood Of
Monktown and the vicinity proceeded to the scene
of the outrage.
The particulars, as we learned them yesterday
from one of the party, who reached home on
Thursday night by way of Philadelphia, were as
follows Mr.. Edward Gorsuch and his Dick
mson Gorsuch, who reside on the York road, some
six miles above Cockeysville, accompanied by
Nicholas Hutchins, of Joshua, Nathan Nelson, Dr.
Thomas Pierce, Joshua Gorsuch, and some others
whose names we have not obtained, proceeded to
place called Christiana, between Lancaster and
Philadelphia, to recover some runaway slaves who
belonged to Edward Gorsuch, and who ran off a
bout year since since. They discovered the
house in which the negroes were secreted, and up
on their entering it, the negroes rushed up stairs,
and, with loaded muskets in their hands, prevent
ed the party from ascending.
! A horn was blown from the windows, and in
few moments large crowd of negroes and whites
surrounded the house. The Marshall, who was
in company, commanded the whites to assist them,
but not man complied with his order Mr.. Cor
such and hstfriends, finding themselves thus over
come, retired from the house, and as they did SO
they were fire upon from the upper windows of the
house, and attacked by the crowd outside. Ed
ward Gorsuch was shot in the breast and fell dead.
His son shot in the arm and shoulder, and is
reported this morning to have since died from his
wounds. Both of them beaten with clubs
after they were shot. Joshua Gorsuch, a nephew
of Edward Gorsuch, was shot, and though still
living, is considered to be in great danger. Dr.
Thomas Pierce was shot and badly beaten, and it
is feared he cannot survive. Messrs. Hutchins and
Nelson escaped and got off to Philadelphia.
Two or three of the negroes were shot, it said,
| by some of the officers in the company. DR..
Pierce and Dickinson Gorsuch were still in the
care of some white people, near Christiana, and
up to the hour of our going to press none of them
had been brought on. Such was the violence of
the attack that none of the survivors could remain
with the wounded, but had to escape as best they
could The crowd of blacks and whites, it is said,
numbered over two hundred in few minutes after
the blowing of the horn, none of whom interfered
to save the lives of our citizens.
Neither time nor space allows us room for COM
ment, and were they both ample, our feelings are
too much excited to enable us to speak further of
| the matter Edward GOrsuch was one of those
men who are the pride of the community. All the
parties with him were our most respectable, intel
ligent and useful citizens. 1t is an outrage of no
ordinary character, and one that has filled our
community with melancholy gloom. The law
of the land-the very statute upon which hangs
our destiny as an union-has been wantonly and
openly violated, and the death of one if not more
of the best citizens of Mary land has been the con-
sequence.
| We have received further intelligence from the
scene Of the murderous riot and outrage, which,
however, it will be seen, varies somewhat in its
details from the above accounts. The following
apparently authentic particulars are from the Co.
lumba (Pa.) Spy, of Saturday:
| One of the most dreadful occurrences we have
| ever been called upon to record took place near
Chrstiana, in this county on Thursday morning
last. Mr.. Edward Gorsuch, respectable citizen
of Baltimore county, Md, accompanied by his son,
three nephews, deputy marshal and others, re-
paired to Penningonville, Chester county, to ar
rest two fugitive slaves named Pickney and Parker,
(of which Mr.. G.. was the owner,) who were Iiy-
ing near Christiana. Early on Thursday morning
they proceeded to the house where the slaves re-
sided, and attempted to arrest them-the marshal,
in the presence of white man living in the neigh
borhood, having first read his authority to do so.
The slaves were advised to surrender but re-
fused and, whilst the owner and his party were
attempting to secure them, about one hundred ne
groes gathered, who at once commenced an attack
on the whites-incited, it is believed, by the white
person in whose presence the marshal read his au-
thority to arrest the slaves. In the melee which
ensued, Mr.. G. knocked down with a club,
and whilst in the act of falling shot by one of
the slaves, the load entering the right lung and
proving fatal almost instantaneousy. His dead
body was afterwards robbed of about S400 in mo-
ney and gold watch The son, on witnessing the
party, which it is supposed struck him in the arm
or the posterior. The negroes afterwards attack
ed him, and shot him and beat him very badly
He also would no doubt have been killed, Gas we
are informed by one of the nephews,) had not a
white man and a negro interposed-the former of
whom cried '.for Gods sake don't hurt him more,
he is dying now,'' and the latter got the body
and protected it. He is now lying at Chrstiana,
very much injured, though his wounds will not, it
is thought, prove fatal.
In the fight two of the nephews were also injur-
ed, one of them having received shot through the
right arm. The Deputy Marshal is said to have
showed want of nerve to discharge his duty
The whole party dispersed shortly after the oc-
currence leaving the body of Mr.. G. where it fell
| and where it was afterwards found.
The affair has created the most intense excite
ment-and the conduct of the person or persons
who instigated the colored people to the course
they have pursued, is universally condemned, in
terms of no very measured kind. Upon them rests
the responsibility of the blood that has been she'd
and to the law they will be responsible.
Another account says 1.-THE assailing party
was headed by an old negro preacher. When
he saw the fallen bodies of Mr.. Gorsuch and son,
| l. bod ri Nod
ing, sforbear, men, forbear You'll all be hung
They are dead''
1t will be seen by the following Geographic dis
patch, that the Marshal has returned to Phadel-
phia with number of prisoners, and that young
Mr. Gorsuch is in almost hopeless condition:
PHILADELPHIA, Sept IA, 10 P. M.-The officers