The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-11-22

I
diana, requiring my delivery to his agent, the
same Mr.. Gavit, the sheriff, who was to have
| received four hundred dollars for Mr. Browns
conviction. Governor Wright apparently evaded
| the responsibility of direct action by timely
visit to Washington city. His private secretary,
Mr.. Francis King, made out the papers but
the Secretary of State, Z. B. Collins, ESQ.,,
refused to affix to 1t the seal of the State and
sign the warrants, because he did not believe
the private secretary to be Governor of the
State. On the return Of Governor Wright, ne
issued the warrant. / have in my possession a
certified copy of the documents from Kentucky
upon which the warrant was issued, attested
by the Indiana Secretary of State. give here
a copy of these warrants:
| To has ErcelLeacy Joseph A. Wright, Gorernor
IF the State Of Indiana:
Whereas Thomas Mccormick stands charged,
by indictment in the Union Circuit Court, with
the crime of abducting and stealing of slaves,
and removing them out of the State of Ken
lucky, which crime is felony under the laws
of Kentucky;
And whereas information has been received
| at the Executive department of this State that
the said Thomas Mccormick has fed from
justice, and is now going at large in the State
of Indiana and it being important and highly
necessary for the good of society that the per-
petrators of such offences should be brought to
justice:
Now, therefore, |, Lazarus W. Powell, Gov
ernor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. by
virtue of the authority vested in me by the Con-
stitution and laws of the United States, do, by
these presents, demand the said Thomas Nc
COrmick fugitive from the Justice of the
laws of this State, and make known to your
Excellency that have appointed John S. Gavit
my agent to receive said fugitive, and bring him
10 this State, having jurisdiction of the said Of
| fence, that he may abide his trial for the crime
with which he stands charged.
In compliance with the acquisitions, here
with annex and submit to your Excellency a
copy of the indictment upon which this demand
is founded, which l certify to be authentic.
In testimony whereof, / have hereunto set
-, my hand, and caused the seal of the
VI Commonwealth to be affixed, at Frank
fort, on the eighth day of June, in the
year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and
fifiy-fve, and the sixty fourth year of the Com
monwealth.
BY the Governor: l.. w. POWELL.
GRANT GREEN, Secretary Of State.
Bylaws ". TATE, assistant Secretary.
The COMMONWEALTH or KENTUCKY,
UNION COUNTY AND CIRCUIT, '"'
Pleas before the Hon. Collins ID. Bradley Judge
of the Union Circuit Court, at the Court house
in Morganfield on the thirteenth day of April,
in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and fifty-five.
BE it remembered, that heretofore, to wit, at
a Circuit Court holden for Union county, at the
Courthouse in MorganGeld, on the twenty
seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord
one thousand eight hundred and fifty-fve, the
Grand jury empannelled and sworn well and
truly to inquire of and due presentments make
- al 4
and done within and for the body of this Circuit,
upon their oath aforesaid, among others return
ed into Court the following indictment against
Thomas Mccormick, to wit:
UNION CIRCUIT Court.
The Commonwealth of Kentuck.y dgainst Tho
mas Mccormick.
INDICTMENT
The Grand Jury of Union county, in the name
and by the authority of the Commonwealth of
kentucky, acuse Thomas Mccormick of the
crime of abducting and stealing of slaves, and
removing them out of the State of Kentucky
! committed as follows, to wit: The said Thomas
| Mccormick, on the Sd day of May 1854, in the
county aforesaid, ieloniously did steal, take and
carry away, a negro woman slave named Winney
aud her infant child, name not known to Jurors,
the property of James Rice of the value of
S800-that is, the said woman slave worth
500, and the said slave child worth Sl0O-
the said Mccormick, at the time, neither having
lawful or color of claim to said slaves
And the Grand Jury aforesaid further accuse
the said Thomas Mccormick, that, on the day
and year last aforesaid, at the county aforesaid.
did then and there feloniously seduce and entice
| the said slave Winney, with her infant child, of
| the value aforesaid, to leave her owner and
possessor, the said James Rice; said Mccormick
then having neither lawful or color of claim to
said slaves.
And the said Grand Jurors further accuse
the said Thomas Mccormick, that, on the day
and year last aforesaid, in the county Aforesaid,
he, the said Thomas Mccormick, did then and
there feloniously aid and assist the said slaves
Winney and her infant child, of the value
aforesaid, to make their escape from their said
owner and possessor, James Rice, and to pass
into the State of Indiana; he the said McCor-
mick, at the time, having neither lawful nor
color Of claim to said slaves
And the Grand Jury aforesaid further saw
that the said Thomas Mccormick. Oh the day
and year last aforesaid, in the county aforesaid
did then and there feloniously aid and assist
one Thomas Brown in stealing, taking, and car
rying away, a negro woman slave, named Mary,
and her infant, the property of Thomas Harris,
of the value of eight hundred dollars-that is,
the said woman worth seven hundred dollars,
and the said infant slave child being worth one
hundred dollars-he, the said Thomas McCor-
mick, then and there not having lawful or
: color of claim to said slaves
And the Grand Jury further say, that the
said Thomas Mccormick, on the day and year
last aforesaid, in the county aforesaid, did then
and there felonously entice and seduce the
said slave Mary and her child aforesaid, the
property of Thomas Harris aforesaid, of the
value aforesaid, to leave their said owner and
possessor, he, the said Mccormick, not having
lawful or color of claim to said slaves.
And the said Grand jury further say and
charge, that the said Thomas Mccormick, on
the day and year last aforesaid, did then and
there feloniously aid and assist the said slave
Mary and her infant child, the property of the
said Thomas Harris, to make their escape from
their said owner and possessor, against the
/ r-N'"A and dignity of the Commonwealth Of
Attorney for tie Commonwealth or Ae,.sur
hy, an Second judicial District, pro tenn.
a Information given by James Steele: Summons
George Robertson, Ind.
f "A true bill. j. b. PAYNE, Foreman"
: Upon which indictment, Collins B. Bradley
t the Judge of the Union Circuit Court, made tn,
following endorsement, to wit:
4 $4,000. The Clerk will issue bench warrant
y endorsed, permitting defendant TO give bail il
the sum of five thousand dollars.
4 c. d. BRADLEY.
d And on the same day, to wit, at a Circui
It Court holden for Union county, at the Court
house in Morganfeld, on the twenty
: day OF April, in the year of our Lord one thou
: sand eight hundred and ffty-fve:
:, Ordered, that bench warrant issue agains
the defendant, Thomas Mccormick. with an en-
dorsement thereon, directing the Sheriff to lie
y him to bail in the sum of five thousand dollars
q And afterWard. to wit at n further day of III,