New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-08-09
THE WHEELER SLAVE CASE.
cor..pondsa,e Of The n. Y. Tribas,.

Core pondenoe Of The n. Y Trbuss.
PHILADELPHIA Wednesday Aug T. 1856.
] have seen and cOnversed with four Of the five
colored men who were imprisoned for the part
they took in the rescue Of Wheelers slaves. They
are out, as you may know, on bail. They are
sober, spectabe-looking persons, and quite ln-
telligent asked them If they were sorry for
what they did "NO, indeed e. they said they
we're glad and only wished another chance
would offer to do the same thing again They
are unanimous in saying that no one Of them, and
no one else 10 their knowledge, threatened to cut
Mr. Wbeelers throat, or said anything that could
bear that construction. They made no threat
whatever, nor did sIy one Of them collar Mr.
Weeeler or in any other way lay hands On him.
This they distiDctly and sOlemny assert and be-
lieye them. The statements Of Wheeler on these
points are false Whether they were the image
Of his terrified in seiDatiOn-fOr he was almost be-
tide himself with frght--or were deliberately
manufactured from the whole cloth, l can't say.
Some merchants of Market st. are making up
purse for the benefit Of these cOlored men, and
quite liberal sum has already been raised. This
is a good move. II was due to the men for what
lItl rhuCifuf anu ~ pi'E't ~ PN'He N'Dsii-DHf
to good behavior. They have all families; the
wife Of one of them was confined during their i'm
prisonMent James Martin, who had been 13
years in the employment Of the Camden and Am
boy Railroad Company as porter, and who was
anxious to retain bis place, would not wait for
reduction of bis ball. but gave bonds in $1,000 for
his appearance at Court in order that be might
return and resume his duties but in going to his
post be was informed that he had been discharged.
The officers of the COmpany-that is, President
Thompson and Commodore StOcktOn-were unWil-
ling to retain him in service after what had trans
PRED Subsequently Martin procured from Gstz-
mer, and one or two others of the subordinate
officers in whose immediate employment he had
served strong testimonial his good cha racer but
Mr. Tn, mpsOD, when asked TO sign it, refused
He could not pass over lightly so gross an ofense
There has been some talk in certain Of our Phila-
delphia papers about the luxurious" appoint
ments OfMr. WilliamsOn's apartment 10 NOyamen-
sing and about the leyees Of his friends" which
he holds daily. Well call it "levees" or what
you choose Mr.. Williamson certainly does see
great many people His friends and others inter
ested in his case 90 to see him every day in large
numbers, and from morning till night he is hardly
any hour without company. But the story ab nut
Luxurious" furniture hasn't quite 80 much
foundation, as you may Judge. i was down there
day OF two ago, and speak from observation.
His apartment is a cell of ten feet by fifteen
1t has a door at one extremity and a cleft in the
wall in place of a window at the other. His fur
nlure consists of a creahing secondhand cot bed
stead a Icketty ditto Windsor chair, pine stool
for his tin wash basin, and two and half yards of
old ingram carpet At bic Leyee" the day was
there one guest sat in the cot bedstead, another
the pine stool while ], declining the generous offer
of the host of the Windsor char, sat on the floor
with my back against the wblte.washed wall You
may Judge from this the extent Of the talkedof
&" arstocratic' prisoners luxuTies in the way of
furniture. MI