The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-02-03

/ Ford-all the titles being recorded in the prop
er books kept for that purpose.
Having traced the titles back as far as posi-
| Bile in New Orleans, the party then proceeded
to the city of Washington, where Burch lived !;
and on making inquiry, found who was the
keeper OF the slave pen in that city in l84l /;
and also ascertaincd from the keeper upon the
colored man Solomon ~ being pointed out to
| him, that he was placed in that pen in the
| spring of lS4i, and then kept for a short pc
riod by Burch.
Immediately upon the receipt Of this infor-
nation, complaint was made before the police
of Washington against Burch, for kidnapping
and selling into slavery this free colored man
| The warrant for his arrest was issued on the
| 18th inst, by Justice Goddard, and returned
| before Justice Morsell .Burch was arrested
and held to bail in the sum of S3,000-Shekels,
slsye-trader OF seventeen years standing go
| ing his bail.
On the 18th inst, at 10 o'clock. both parties
appeared before the magistrate Senator Chase
| from Ohio, Gen. Clarke, and Henry B. North
rup, being counsel for the plaintiff, and j. II
Bradley for the defendant Gen Clark and
| K. II. Northrup who were sworn as witnesses
on the part of the prosecution, established the
foregoing facts. On the part of the defend
ant Benjamin Shekels and B. A. Thorn were
sworn. The prosecution offered the colored
man who had been kidnapped, as witness on
the part Of the prosecution, but il was objected
to, and the Court decided that it was inadmis-
sible. The evidence of this colored man was
absolutely necessary to prove some facts on the
| part of the prosecution, as he alone was cogni-
| Zant of them
Mr. Shekes, who had been as before stated,
r slave trader in the city of Washington seven
teen years, testified that some ten or twelve
years ago he was keeping public house in this
city that Burch boarded at the house, and
carried on the business of buying and selling
slaves that in that year, two white men came
into his bar-room and stated that they had a
slave for sale. Mr., Barch Immediately entered
into a negotiation for his purchase The white
men stated that they were from Georgia; had
brought the negro with them from that State,
and wished to sell him to be carried back to
that State; that the negro expressed willing
ness to be sold, in order to return to Georgia
Shekels, however was unable to state the
names of either OF the white men, or the name
OF the oolored man was unacquainted with
either OF them previous to that time, and had
never seen either since that transaction that
he saw them execute a bill Of sale to Burch, saw
burch pay him S625 and take the bill of sale,
and that he read that bill, but could not tell
who was the vendor nor who was the person
sold, as appeared by the bill of sale.
Burch himself was offered Us a witness In his
own behalf, to prove the loss Of the bill of sale
His evidence was objected to by the proseou.
ton, but was allowed by the Court He test
fed that he had the bill of sale and had lost il
and did not know what had become of it, The
counsel for the prosecution requested the Cour
tn sand 9TH 10 b. Al
Burch containing his bills Of sales of negroe,
for the year 1884, and previous years They
were fortunately procured but no hill of sale
was found of thus culored man by any name
Upon this positive evidence that the man had
been in the possession of Burch, and that he
had been in slavery for period of more than
eleven years the Court decided that the testi
mony Of the save-trader established the fact
that Burch came honestly by him, and conse-
quently discharged the defendant The coun-
sci for the defendant had drawn up, before the
defendant was discharged, an affidavit signed
by Burch, and had u warrant out against the
colored man, for conspiracy with the two
white men before referred TO- to defraud Burch
out OF 1925. The warrant was served, and the
colored man arrested and brought before officer
Goddard. Burch and his witnesses appeared
in court and n. b. Northrup appeared o. ooun-
sci tor the colored man, stating that he was
ready to proceed IA counsel on the part of the
defendant and asking no delay whatever
hurch, after consulting privately for short
time with Shekels, stated to the Magistrate
that he wished him to dismiss the complaint
~ he would not proceed further with it. De.
tendants counsel stated to the Magistrate that
If the complaint was withdrawn, il must be
withdrawn without the request or consent OF
the defendant. Burch then asked the Magis
trate to lot him have the complaint and ths
warrant, and be took them The counsel 60,
the defendant objected to his receiving them
and insisted that they should remain as par
of the records Of the Court and that the Cour
should endorse the proceedings which had bee,
had under the process. Burch delivered then
up and the Court rendered a Judgment of dis
continuance by the request of the prosecutor
and filed it in his Office