Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1855-05-17
Slavery illustrated,

another page Irom Paris, Kentucky, detail
ing certain facts suppressed By the press of
that town. Indeed We have no words suf7i-
cien'ly strong to emphasize the comment
which such things call forth; namely, NAL
treatment OF slaves by lady of wealth and
position-maltreatmert SO exquisitey brutal.
tnat even the conscience Of a slave commu-
nifty could not legally overlook it, though the
despolism over the local journals prevented
the latter from bringing it to light As a
defender OF the poor, humble, Ghd voiceless
we stand in the stead oflhe coSed Kentucky
press, and on au horty for whose exactness
we can vouCt, and which we have fortified
by special inquiries made upon the spot, we
present to our readers the suppressed crcum'
stances in question.
The following are substantially the facts in
relation to this case OF cruelty, as will be
found in the letter ol our correspondent, hay.
ing teen given in evidence before the Grand
Jury OF Bourbon co. The parties presented
were Aipheus Lewis, and Margaret his wife,
the latter laid to have inherited a larger es-
tate than any other person in the county -
One Of tho victims OF the lady's cruelty is a
slave named Sarah, grown woman, report
cd as the mother o. children. She was strip
ped entirely nakcG by the directions of Mrs.
Lewis, and her heels tied up to tree about
four or five feet from the groun!. The mis-
tress then directed one negro man to torcs a
pump, and negro woman to direct stream
OF cold water from hose against the help.
less slave; while the lody pelted her with
stones till she was tred and then burned
her badly in several places. including the
most sensitive parts of the body, with hot
irons The suilerngs of the other slave
were oI equal intensity, and as similar in
their nature, are not so minutely described
by eur correspondent.
The Jaw OF Kentucky provides that slaves
cruelty maltreated shall be sold by the order
! of u court. The accusation against Lewis
and wife being clearly established, the slave
we're sold: but the law oeing defective even
IN the view Of slav ethics, the victims were
bought back by the oppressor, and are now
in parts unknewh. In justice to the neigh
bors, it must be said tina: they acted well IN
the premises, aud threaten not to abide by
rotten law if there be a repetition Of such
cruellies. The saleaof the mallre ated slaves
was simply advertised by sticking written
notice Oh the Court House door--ths origi :
| nal manuscript o. which is now in our pos
session.
The reason our correspondent affords why
no further publicity was given to the sale o!
these valuable slaves, and why the entire
case has 5een suppressed by the local papers
is plainly true. A Kentucky editor has been
waylaid by The relatives of the notorious
Nj t. Waru, because tho latter was described
by him as 1.-THE great unhung;" 80 the Jour
naiists Of Bourbon County have kept secret
the hideous facts OF torture we detail, for fear
that influential relatives might main or mur-
der them! Fortunately for the hopes OF tie
country, there are elsewhere presses which
are nots accessible to such restraint, and
where the cause OF the feeble and the wron-
ged can .ind an audible and fearless voice
1hls Is not solitary case; apart from those
recounled in Uncle Toms Cabn-all o.
them founded on iact--we remember that
some twenty years ago wealthy and accom-.
plished lady OF New Orleans lad regular
torture chamber, fitted up with variety OF
deylsh utensils with which to wreuk her
maiignity upon ner slaves; and when her
house was forced, hapless wretch was found
In one o! these machines, a metallic cap fit
ting the head, with a screw in the centre
pressing down upon the skull and brain of
the victim. But the cruefies OF Mrs. Lewis
II less ingenious and complicated seem even
more inhuman and revolving. Even in Ken
lucky, with It's comparatively high degree Of
education aud religion such is Slavery; such
lis effects on woman; such its iniuence on
the American press, lowering it to the level
OF that If Paris or Moscow! Freezing, sto-
ming, buf ming! The Cruelties of gladiatoral
shows, and their hot irons for resistants, re.
vived; and all inIthc hands OF white Chris
tian woman, OF education Und breeding, aud
family influence sc great az 10 sthe every
revelat len and abolish even the freedom Of
the press.
To extend this system, the energies of our
National Government have been lent, and
the revolution .! kunzas set an foot, where
morals and manners suited to grizzly bears
prevail for its suslentalion. or ii truth, Ken
tucky is spreading her name. Cold-b!ooded
inquistorial cruelty-uhscathed, un-
pun!shed-and ST fe even, so tar as the local
press is concerned, from the punishment of
notoriety and general indisnalion!-N Y.
IrJ.