The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-10-27
From the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin.
THE wILKEsBARgs SLAVE CAsE-oPINION OF
JUDGE SRlER

The concluding part of the opinion is as fol.
lows:
in order to correct any false impressions
which may have been received with regard to
this transaction, we think it proper tn give
brief history of the facts elected from tho
testimony of numerous and respectable eye-w,t.
nesses, who have been examined and testify,
not to rumor, but what they saw and heard
The three deputies If the marshal, accom-
panied by two gentlemen from Virginia, who
were well acquainted with the fugitive to he
arrested, entered the dining room of the PhG-
nix Hotel, in the morning about seven O'Clock
and found the negro Bill, or William Thomas
in the room The agent of the owner 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
proceeded to arrest him, telling him they were
United States officers, "a violent struggle ensued
The landlord of the hotel, who was sitting at
his breakfast got up and went round the table,
and said, Bill, give up; there is no use to re-
sist' Bill called for his pistols The landlord
attempted to get hold of him. Bill made pass
at him to hit him in the face, but missed it and
struck him on the shoulder The officers at
tempted to secure him one of them seized him
round the waist-he was thrown to the floor,
but rising with them, he obtained possession of
a carving knife, and attempted to stab Mr. Set
tie, who had come to the assistance of the of
| fcers
"This blow was partially warded off by an
other person, so that Settle was struck with the
handle instead of the point of tho knife on his
elbow, and disabled from rendering further as
sistance. The knife being taken from him, the
officers endeavored to secure the prisoner s
hands with shackles or handcuffa but succeed
ed only in getting them on his right wrist, when
Bill struck CrOssiD one of the deputies over
the head with the handouts, infcting cut
on his temple, and stunning and disabling him
for time. Bill was again thrown down, the
off GERS in vain attempting to secure his hands
with the handouts; Bill rose up with them,
and seized table-knie and wounded slightly
the hand of Jenkins, who held him around the
waist. The knife was wrested from him. and
Likewise a fork which he had seized While
Bill had possession Of the carving knife and wa.
cndeavoring to stab the officers, some one cried
out to them, why don't you shoot him. One
of them answered, I'VE don't want dead ne.
gro Do not hurt him. one of the witnesses
said, he fought desperately, and endeavored to
kill them He made his way to the door ut
length, with two Of the officers endeavoripg to
hold him, and finally released himself from
them, and escaped, and ran towards the river
The officers then said they would try to fright
en- him, and fired off pistols but did not point
the pistols toward him. Bill waded into the
river Some one furnished him with a large
knife.
The officers then despatched messenger
for the sheriff, who refused to render them any
assistance. Bil's clothes were much t,rn and
considerable blood had been shed over hi, face
and clothes in the struggle; a large crowd col
lccted some exhorted him not to be Ia ken alive
and he declared his intention 10 die or BIO
drowned, rather than be taken The officers
after dallying some time, being afraid to make
further attempts to arrest him, M no one would
assist them gave up the attempt, and went
away, saying, As the negro would not be Ia.
ken alive, and they did not want him dead, they
would pursue him no further After the de-
parture of the officers, Bill said to two witness.
es, who inquired of him if he was hurt that he
was not hurt, but had some bruises about the
face He was afterwards taken away by some
person on a wagon, and made his final escape
1--WE are unable to perceive, in this transac-
ton, anything worthy Of blame in the conduct
of these officers in their unsuccessful endeayors
to fulfill most dangerous and disgusting duty
except, perhaps, want of sufficient courage
and perseverance, in the attempt to execute tho
writ. That the information on which the war
rant to arrest the prisoners was founded was
sworn to by one who did not know whether the
matter of the affidavit presented to him was
true or false, and by statement of but half |
the truth it was wholly false.
"The prisoners are therefore discharged"