Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1855-04-13
Another Slave Case.

. - -
travelling through Ohio with piece Of
property which he called Rosetta
a girl some is years old. lie stopped
to spend a Sunday at Columbus, and
on Monday the property was detained
BY writ ofhabeas corpus. and. it APP
pearing 10 the satisfaction Of the court
that she had been brought there; she
was pronounced free. II appears
that she was in the care Of q Mr.. Mil
Ter. by whom Rev. Mr.. Dennison
was sending her from Kentucky to
Virginia, as a!present 10 his daughter.
In few days the pioss divine called
to see his quondam property, with a
view Of inducing her to return volun.
tarily with him to Kentucky. He told
her how hard free nigers" had to
work-how nobody took care Of them.
and that If she stayed in Ohio she
would never sec her mother again.
He talked tenderly, kindly, piousiy,
but the poor ignorant "chattel" could
not appreciates his good counsel. and
said that. after oil, she would prefer
being free. He then took AN affec-
tionate farewell Of her, almos! In tears,
saying 81 shall probably never see
you again"
He went. however, to Cincinnati,
and sued out writ from the United
States slave catching commissioner,
and had her arrested as fugitive
slave and taken to Cincinnati. Here
again aiwrit Of habeas corpus was OBJ
tanned and after a patient examination
Of two days she was pronounced free.
She had not. however. been in the
hands Of her guardian Eve minutes,
before the U. S. Marshal siezed her
under the writ that had been neutral
lied by the decision Of the State Court,
ia trial under habeas corpus Is no,
aperfect farce.
She was then taken before the
Commissioner for trial. and another
writ Of habeas. corpus was sued ou
! and the Marshal III. II. Robinson o
the Enquirer.) was commanded t,
bring the body again before the Pro
bate Court. Failing to do 80. he wa
, fined $50 and ordered to be imprison
ed until he was willing to obey tn,
Court. lie was, however. taken on
: OF Jail. on a writ Of habeas corpus from
, Judge Mclean.
4 In the meanwhile. the trial progress
. sed before the Commissioner. who. If
r ter several days elaboration. pro
: nounced the girl free. having no
escaped" from q slave State, bu
. having been s"nt by her master.
After due elaboration. Judge Nc
n Lean declared that Marshal Robinso
r was not entitled to imprisonment. o
s in other words. that the Judge Of III
4 State Court had transcribed his pow
!. crs.
J. In many respects this is one Of tn
Q most interesting cases that has com
II under our notice. since the enactmer
Of the present fugitive slave law. w
|. may be wrong, but we think thu
e Judge McLane's decision renders
L writ Of habeas corpus nullity, so "a
If as this law is concerned. We believ,
IT however. he gave the true intent an
1t meaning Of the law: and 1t develops
IF what we always contended was col
re- tanned in it. denial Of the writ Of hi
70 beas corpus What else can be Il
AZ effect Of this decision? On this wri
,e the girl had twice been taken fro
I. her captors, and twice declared fire.
1. yet with knowledge Of these fact
to the United States Marshal hurries h,
At before the commissioner. who migl
.e have again sent her to bondage; IL
is State Court may not interpose.
If There are other enormities in III
r law that await only an occasion {
to development, but which will be d
ir veloped sooner or later.
"a In the mean time, we ask freem,
Of to watch its operations and pay Il
i. taxes its execution costs. and III,
act as freemen.