The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-02-18

A NoRTHEKs Man AND
A FRIEND TO the UNoN.
BosToN, Feb. is, IL.

BOSTON, feD. 10, 1891.
ARREST OF ANOTHER FUGITIVE SLAvE--Rlor
AND RESCUE OF THE FueIrWE.-Deputy Mar
shall Riley, and assistants, arrested at Corn Hill
Coffee House, to-day, one Frederick Wilkins,
IA negro waiter, on warrant issued by the u.
$. Commissioner, g. Il. Curtis, on a complaint
that said Wilkins is fugitive slave. He was
taken with no opposition, and carried immedi-
ately to the u. s, Court room.
The news Of the arrest spread rapidly, and
the court room was speedily filled by a large
crowd of rather excited spectators. The ex
animation, however, went off quietly. Seth J
Thomas appeared for the claimant, and Messrs
Small, Elias Grey, Coring, and Others, for the
defence.
From the documents offered by the claimant
it appeared that the accused WAS the property
of John Debree, Purser in the. U. ). navy, OF
Virginia, and that he escaped in May, 1850
The deposition was to the effect that the cliim-
ant had seen the prisoner in Boston and con-
versed with him, when the prisoner acknowl-
edged that he escaped from Norfolk. The coun-
sci for the defence asked for a postponement in
order to prepare testimony. This was granted,
and TUESDAY, next, at 10 A. NJ, was assigned for
the examination.
The deputy marshal then ordered the room
to be cleared of spectators, which was gradually
done. The prisoner remained in the custody of
a dozen men, as, by law of the State the jail
cannot be used to imprison fugitive slaves.
His counsel wishing to consult with him,
they were readily admitted to the room to the
number Of half dozen. They remained about
an hour, and in the meantime large crowd OF
negroes gathered upon the outside, blocking up
the entrance in the court room: and as the door
was opened to let the last lawyer leave the room,
the mob from without suddenly rushed in,
seized, and knocked down the officers in keep
ing, and filled the Court room. The prisoner
himself was frightened at their demoniac APP
pearance, and fled with cry OF murder, to the
farther end of the room.
lie was however, secured by the mob, who
had speedily slienced the opposition of the few
officers in the room, and taken in triumph down
the stairs, and into the street. The officers did
not attempt to follow, and with shouts of tri-
qmph the mob hurried off with the fugitive, and
were last seen in the vicinity of Belknap street,
where negroes chiefly congregate.
While the mob was in the court room, the
sword of the Marshal, hanging in the sheath
over his desk, was drawn by one of them, and
f1ourished over the heads of the officers. 1t was
afterward found in the street. The mob show ed
no weapons, though number Of the negroes
boosted of having revolvers in their possession.
One negro, in his flight, dropped his knife.
There were several white persons In the mob,
but they did not appear to act in the rescue
The rescue, of course, caused great excitement
throughout the city, as one of the most daring
outrages upon law and order ever enacted. IL
is thought impossible to arrest the fugitive, rs
his friends have no doubt hurried him of ere
this, to the Canadian frontier. U. s. Marshall
Devent is absent at Washington.