New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-08-03
PHILADELPHIA Letter.
A FUGITIVE SLAVE CASE--CONFLICT OF JtRlSDlC-
TIoN BETWEEN THE FEDERAL AND STATE COURTS
DEATH OF AN EMINENT CITIzEN-TIlE SAN


A FUGITIVE SLAVE CAsE--eoNFLGcr OF JuRlSDIc-
TIoN BETWEEN THE FEDERAL AND STATE COURTS
DEATH OF AN EMINENT CITI2EN-TilE SAN
JACINTo.l
Correspondence Of tbf grrsetui.
PHILADEDPHTA, July %.
Our city has been in a state of semi excite
ment for the last few days, growing out of
case under the fugitive slave law. The slave
was claimed by Mr.. J. c. Howard, respectable
gentleman of Cecil county, Nd, and his claim
so completely made out that the I. Commits
sioner, Mr.. L. d. Ingraham, had no difficulty in
granting the usual certificate, remanding the
slave to the custody of [. s Marshal, with Iii
rectious to see him safely returned into Mr.
Towards keeping, and to protect the latter
from all attempts that might be made to deprive
him of his property. The abolitionists, finding
themselves thus foied by the clear justice of the
claimants case, and the decision of the Commits
sioner, procured two writs Of hGbeGS corpus, one
of which was served on Mr.. Howard, and the
other on Mr.. Wynkoop. the IT, S. Marshal, re-
qurisg them to produce the body Of the slave
before the Court of Quarter Sessions This
writ the Marshal, acting under the direction of
his counsel, refused to obey, and declined pro-
ducing the negro, on the ground that he had
been committed to his custody by Superior
Court The Judges of the State Court held that
the production Of the negro, under the writ OF
6a5eas corpus, must be made before any in
quiry as to the case could be gone into, and on
the Marshal's continued refusal to obey the writ,
he was, by order of the Court, taken into Gus
tody, and committed to prison for contempt
The object Of the parties who have taken out
the writ is undoubtedly to get the negro out of
the Marshars custody, have him committed for
some minor breach of State law, and then in
one of the thousand ways that the law leaves
open obtain his release, and transport him be-
yond his masters reach In this case, it is in
tended by the Marshal's counsel that he would
be responsible to the owner for the full value of
the slave, even though his escape was accom-
plshed by means which he had no power to re-
sist. The United States Court subsequently
issued a writ of habeGs corpus for the body Of
Marshal Wynkoop, but afterwards quashed it,
thus acknowledging the legality of the action
had by the State Court If this be So the Mar
shall willhave no resort but to remain in prison
or purge himself Of the contempt by producing
the slave
The death Of John Price Wetherill Esq, one
of our most eminent citizens and business men,
is a matter of general and sincere regret He
died Of dysentery, produced, it is supposed by
over exerton and exposure during the recent
reception Of President Pierce in this city, in
which, as Chairman of the Council Committee Of
D.. -, l. L -
thorough going, energetic business man, always
the first and most liberal in the promotion of
any public or benevolent enterprise, and has
probably done more than any one man now liy-
ing towards the prosperity and Advancement of
this city
The L s. steamer San Jacinto, now lying at
our Navy Yard, presents 4 notable specimen Of
the manner in which Uncle Sans Naval mat
ters are managed by the g old fogys' Of the
Bureau of Construction The published ac-
counts l am told, do not give anything like an
adequate representation Of the miserable state
Of wreck and confusion into which her engines
have been brought in the endeavor to make
them work. All their parts are cracked and
strained, and are Of little more worth than So
much old iron, Entire new engines will have
to he constructed, which cannot be accomplish
ed in less than eight or ten months At 3 cost Of
over 100000 / am informed that the cost OF
repairs abroad to the San Jacinto, to patch her
up after her various breakdowns, have also
reached a sum nearly equal to the first cost Of
her engines QUIZ
TuINGs ~ New YoRE TIL etotll number Of
deaths in New York during the week ending the
23d ult was 52lt which was decrease Of 43
were 2l1 deaths among children under one year,
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