Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1853-10-28
a Struggle for Liberty.

l
We find in the opinion of Judge Grier, dis
charging the U. S., officers who were arrest
ed for assault, DC, the following relation @
the facts in the Wilksbarre slave case. Sucl
bold determination and resistless efforts forfree
dom, would make hero of other than tn,
despised fugitive slave, and win for the pa
trlot an undying reputation in the history o
heroic men:
~The three Deputies of the Marshal. ac
companied by two gentlemen from Virginia
who were well acquainted with the fugitive
to be arrested, entered the dining room Of
the Phoenix Hotel, in the morning about I
O'Clock, and found the negro Bill, or William
Thomas in the The agent of the own
er took hold of the fugitive and handed him
over to the officers, saying, "this is the boy
| require you to take under the warrant
as the officers proceed to arrest him, telling
him they We're United States officers, vio-
lent struggle ensued; and the landlord of the
hotel, who was sitting at his breakfast, got
up and went around the table and said, "BilI.
give up there is no use to resist" Bill call
ed for his pistos.-The landlord ATTEMPTED
to get hold of him. Bill made pass at him
in the face, but missed it, and struck him on
the shoulder, The officers attempted to Sc
cure him; one Of them seized him around
the waist,-he was thrown on the floor, but
rising with them, he obtained possession of a
carving knife, and attempted to stab Mr..
Settle, who had come to the assistance of the
officers.-The blow was partially warded off
by another person, SO that Settle was struck
with the handle instead of the point of the
knife, on his elbow, and disabled from render
ing further assistance. The knife being ia
ken from him the officers endeavored to Sc
cure the prisoners hands with shackles or
handouts, but succeeded only in getting them
on his right wrist, when Bill struck Cresson,
one of the deputies, over the head with hand
cuffs, intlicting cut on his temple, and stun
ming and disabling him for time. Bill was
again thrown down, the officers in vain at
tempting to secure his hands with the hand
cuffs; Bill rose up with them, and seized a
table knife and wounded slightly the hands
of Jenkins, who held him around the waist.
This knife was wrested ftom him, and like
wise fork he had seized. While Bill had
possession of the carving knife, and was en-
deavoring to stab the officers, some one cried
out to them, "Why don't you shoot him." one
of them answered. ave don't want dead
negro" "Do not hurt him,"-one ofthe wit
nesses said, "he fought desperately, and en-
deavored to kill them" He made his way
to the door at length with two of the officers
endeavoring to hold him, and finally released
himself from Them and escaped and ran to-
wards the river. The officers then said they
would.try to brighten him. and fired off pistols,
but did not point the pistols towards him.
Bill waded into the river; some one furnish
cd him with a large knife. The officers then
dispatched messenger for the Sheriff. who
refused to render them any assistance. Bills
clothes We're much torn, and considerable
blood had been shed over his face and clothes
in the struggle; alarge crowd collected ;some
exhorted Bill not to be taken alive, and he
declared his intention to die or be drowned
rather than be taken. The officers after dial
lying some time, being afraid to make fur
thcr attempts to arrest him, as no one would
assist them, gave up the attempt and went
away, saying, las the negro would not be Ia
ken alive, and they did not want him dead,
they would pursue him no farther" He was
afterwards taken away by some person on a
wagon, and made his final escape.