Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1852-06-04
Another Slave Case.

xAAVtnCA SAotC SoOos
A colored man well known in Harris.
burg to most Of our business men, named
James Phillips, was knocked down on
Monday afternoon last, at the railroad
bridge, by one of the officers of Commiss.
ioner M'Allister who approached him
under feigned proffer Of a shake of the
hand and before he could recover from
the blow, he was secured by the others Of
the gang Of official kidnappers present, and
hurried off to M'Allister's Office, where
he underwent the sham or pretense of a
trial, which lasted several hours, and
which resulted in the Commissioner turn
ing him over to the claimants with a
certificate made out before the pretended
trial, on what the Commissioner said he
considered as prinaa f,cia evidence that
he was slave. Phillips was then taken
to the county prison and there kept until
yesterday morning early, when he was
taken in the cars to Baltimore.
Phillips has fc.n residing in Harrisburg,
it is alleged by those who know him best,
about fifteen years, and has always sus-
tained good character, and is a very
industrious and trusty man. He has been
employed by the Forwarding men, and
railroad company, generally, and is said
to be one of the most reliable fellows to
be found. He had married respectable,
industrious colored woman, and had chill
dren, from all of whom he has been thus
most inhumanly torn, and not even allowed
the privilege of a parting farewell.
The pretended trial is said by those
who witnessed it, to have been of most
extraordinary and farcical character. The
owner of the slave alleged to have run
away, was not there /; but two men from
Virginia, armed with pistols, bowie knives,
dirks, &c, who presented a power of attor.
ney from the alleged owner, testified that
Philips wa. the man, because he bore a
resemblance TO certain slave family.
One Of them said that he, the witnessj
was only ten or eleven years old when
Philips ran Of, and that he, Philips, was
then only fifteen or sixteen years old. The
whole testimony is said to have been Of a
character that would not have convicted a
person of the most trifling crime ! yet in
the important issue of 'liberty and the
pursuit of happiness" it was deemed
sufficient by those having fees dependant
upon the result, to sunder all the social
ties and relations of life, and send 4 help
less mortal into perpetual and hopeless
bondage 1t is said that the power o.
attorney produced by the Slave catchcrs
was originally different, and had beer
altered to meet the description of Philips
During the trial, the wife Of Philip
stood by his side without uttsring word
but when the certificate was handed ovel
and the slave grabbers drew out theil
handouts and hobbies to fasten upol
their victim, she became frantic, and tn
scene which followed was one Of the mos
painful and heart rending. She wa
taken home in = state of insensibility.
This case has produced the most intens
excitement through our community ; evel
those who formerly approved the Fugitiv
Slave Law, now denounce and condemn il
A subscription is now on foot to rails
money to buy Philips freedom an
/ another to test the legality Of the cours
of the Slave Commissioner. F.-Ha'
risbury Telegraph.