The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1854-09-20
A Strange ueitve.


Seldom nave we witnessed so much
fun, and at the same time so much
food for serious reflection as was devel-
oped by a case heard before Judge Ster-
rett on Tuesday of this week. A gen.
tleman from Mississippi, who formerly
resided here, came on to visit his rela-
tives, and has been staying among them
several weeks. With him for domestic
purposes, he brought a negro nurse,
who is a slave. AS the gentleman's
relatives are all, or nearly all rampant
abolitionists-one of them having edit
ed an abolition paper here-it became a
standing joke among the political ways
about town, that although the country
was absolutely ruined by the passage Of
the Nebraska bill, it was all right for
ab~olitionists to hold slaves. Of course
we have a eolored- population, who, hear
ing the joke upon this point, began to
pick up their ears and scratch their
wool, and wonder if there really was a
Trigger in the fence.n So, on Wednes-
day a " eolored person." more eou
ageous than the rest, determined that
he would try the virtue Of a writ of ha-
beas p The writ was issued, and
the owner of the slave brought forthwith
before our anti Nebraska cotemporary Of
the Gazette, Judge Sterrette. G.. W.
Kelso, ESQ.,, one of the gentleman " put
down in the bill " for the anti Nebraska
meeting next week, appeared on the part
of our " colored population" j. B.
johnson editor of the Constitution, an
anti-N ebraska paper, appeared for the
I" gentleman from the sunny South"
Our readers will see from this, that
all the parties-judge, lawyers, defend
ant and complainant-belonged to the
political household of anti Nebraska
The case was opened by Mr. Kelso in
a flaming abolition speech. When he
had concluded, our friend, the Shanghai
of the Consultation, opened himself
out like a Barlow knife, and went in
lemans." tooth and toe-nail, spurs, feth,
ers and all. The hits back and forth be.
tween the two anti-N Nebraska lawyers
were excellent; in the language of an.
other, they were 'f sweet, delicious, and
tastefully ornamented with PERSONAL
tiles. Then the Judge decided that
Mrs. Dina must be forthcoming. But
Mrs. Dina didn't obey the order for the
reason that Mrs. Dina wasn't in town
Then there was a scene worthy of Cruik-
shank. The plaintif-the darkey-
looked black-and the darkey's counsel
stormed. The defendant looked def
ant, but promised that Mrs. Dina should
be forthcoming the next day at H.
The Judge then adjourned the court
and the parties retired to sleep anc
breathe.
At the hour named MRS. Dina" and
her master, and all and singular his alb
clifton relatives, were on hand so also,
were our colored bretheren SO was the
Judge, and SO were his free and indie pend
emit constituency. Again the lawyers
had a war of words, and again, meta
phorically, each made the fur fly like 8
couple of cats in a dark garnet. The
one commended earnestly that the "nig
gel" wanted to be free, but was " COW
ed down " by the presence of her mas
ter. At this the " Barlow Knife " open
ed itself looked savage over its specta-
cles, and responded:
cts not so your honor 1 know it's
not so for I myself have Intercepted
her I have been alone with her, when
her master wasn't within twelve miles
I have been with her in the street. in
the by-ways, and in the alleys, and in
the lanes, 1--WE hope the darkey's hus-
band won't be jealous, for the honorable
counsel wa only speaking in a Pick
wickian sense,) and I know she is not re-
strained I know she wishes to remain
with her master"
The judge her informed "Mrs. Dina
that she was free; she could do as she
chose if she wished to stay here she
could and if she wished to return with
her master she could say SO. Then up
rose the darkey, the " observed of all
observere." We'll, boss" said she,
just tell yer what it am; lust want
to go back to Mississippi, and OATS all
rs got to say"
That was plump and plain, and the
court SO understood it and adjourned.
The master then took her by the arm.
when the "coloreb gentleman " present
made a rush at him and there came very
near being an abolition riot. Bowie.
knives and pistols flew from their hidin
places, while the uninterested specta.