Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1854-12-29
A Very singular Slave Case.

The ludmnapoi.s JDura1l, of the i'h inst.
contains the report of trial which took
place IN that cl,y a few days since, and
which presents several features of consider
able interest. The facts as given are sub
stantialy these: Beniamin Waierhonse was
indicted last March on the charge of aiding
slaves 30 cscape He was riding IN August,
1883. m his wagon, and when he stopped at
the town Of Orlanl he had with hun three
colored persons. he stopped to get some
thing 10 eat ter himself and the negroes
Cyrus Fillmore Ia brother Of eX-President
Fillmore was present at the time and asked
him "if he was on the Underground Rail
road" After Teiu shiny themselves Water
house and the negroes passed on. lie was
indicted in Mach 1851, Tor aiding the escape
Of slaves bur the indictment being defective
M several important particulars, it was quash-
ed. The chef defects were, that the ne
groes were not known to have been slaves
and n slaves, II was not known who the
owner was; or that Warehouse knew them
10 be slaves, and was aiding their escape.
The Marshal, however, was determind 10
make an example Of Mr.. Waterhouse, and
Cyrus Fillmore was engaged by him TO go
TO Canada with Mr. Payne, Of Lexington,
N.Y. Ait Sun ~ tlii Wv VI Atit Allillf
aud try to disc over the negroes and ascer-
tain from them evidence against Warehouse,
&c. The following is an extract from Mr..
FIlmore's testimony on the trial;
Gurus Fillmore sworn; ! am "a brother to
theeS-presldeni live IN l.angraEge County.
lndlana am acQuauiru Nth deteAuant. a.
August 80, was standing on the steps OF a
public house IN GRAND, and some colOred
folks with defendant drove up in a two horse
buggy, one OF the negroes driving asked
defendant II he was on the underground rail-
road; he said yes, and that he had three fine
fellows. and inquired for Captain barry |
told him of Clark, who was also an abolition
ist, and he finally drove up there fhos.
Clark came out when they drove up, but
can't say saw them get out; saw them no
more after they drove to Clark's | was
within ten feet of the negroes as the wagon
turne : IN the street this was both to 25th
August, 1854, $50 miles from GRAND to De-
! troit: UeHt 10 Canada icih Pnyne, and
found, as ! supposed, one of the same ne
groes this was latter part of June last; the
same negro, think, from being a thin, light
/ colored negro, and from his having peculiar
nod. or wink. which had noticed before at
Orhnd he was pr city near all black, about
as black as those we call black here
would not call him unprecedented ! might
be mistaken in his being he same negro;
understood under ground railroad to mean a
concern got up to rua away iugltves (; de
PENDANT lives on the road leading iron Union
Mills to Fort Wayne.
Ga cross examination Mr.. Fillmore stated
that he went to Canada at the suggestion o.
the MarshaL Mr.. Robinson and Mr.. Payne
the claimant of the slaves, stated that III,
Marshal and Fillmore went to Canada for The
purpose of identifying the me- roes, and tina
they were both to be paid. Mr. Payne founs
his slave Tom at Windsor, Canada. sick
they recognized each other; Fillmore wal
with him. Tom was one of the negroes
whom Mr. Fillmore supposed he saw at Or
land. in the wagon with Mr.. Waterhouse, il
August previous.
Upon this evidence Mr.. Waterhouse wa
again indicted and was tried in Indiana poll,
last week. The trial lasted three days, ans
all the power of the Court was brought /,
bear against Warehouse The jury, afte
being out several hours, returned as a yer