New-York daily tribune., 1855-08-20
PETITION OF PAssMoRE WILLIAMSON

To ne Honorable ne Judges Of he Supreme c'tQ Q PeaaVi
tdn0
The petition of Passmore Williamson respectfully
showetb that your petitioner is citizen OF Pennsy
vsnia and resident of Philadelphia; aud that be is
member Of the Pennsylvania Society for promoting
the Abolition Of Slavery and for the Relief Of Free
Negroes unawfuIly held in Bondage, and for In
a. proving the Condition Of the African Race incor-
porated by Act of Assembly passed the sh day of
December, A. d. l7s9, OF which Dr.. Benjamin Frank
lin wac the first President and that he is the Secretary
of Acting COMMITTEE Of said Society.
That on Wednesday, the 18th OF July la't, your pc
toner was informed that certain negroes, held as
slaves, were then at Bloodgoeds Hrtel in Pnladel-
phia baving been brought by their master into the
State of Pennsy yvania with the intention OF passing
through to other parts Believing that the persons tnus
held as slaves entitled TO their freedom by reason
of their having been brought by their master vol
unfairly into the State of Pennsylvania the petitioner
in the ulfllmeut Of the official duty imposed upon him
by the practice and regulations of said society went
TO Boodgoods Hotel for the purpose Of appnsing the
alleged slaves that they free and finding that
they with their master, had LETT SAID hotel and had
gone on board the steamboat OF the New Ork liEe,
then living near Walnut.s wharf your petitioner went
on board the same, found the party, consisting OF
woman named Jane, about 81 years OF age, and her
two CONS, Daniel, aged about -, end Isaiah, aged
T. and in the presence of their master informed the
said Jane that she free by the laws o. Pennsyva-
MIA upon which she expressed her desire TO have her
freedom and finally with her children LETT the ooat oi
her own free will aud accord, and without any coer-
con or compulsion OF any kind and having seen her
in possession of her liberty, with her children, y0ur
pettoIor returned TO his place OF business, ami has
never since the said Jane Daniel ant Isaiah or
either of them; does he know where they are nor
has be had any connection of any kind with the sub
ject
Your ueti,ioner used no violence whatever except
simply holding back Col. Wheeler their former mas
ter when be attempted by force to prevent Jane ron
leaving the boat Some half dozen negroes employer
as your petitioner Is informed as poTts and o,hrr"se
AT The wbarf and IN the immediate neis hbor lo01, OF
IL cir own accord and without any inyiianOn OF Tue
petitioner but probably observing or understanding
The state of Affairs, folio we'd the petitioner "heh ne
went on board the boat. No Allegation has Oeeh
made that they were guilty OF violence committed ny
them nor any other disorder tan the natural expre
sion Of some feeling at the attempt OF Col "heeis 70
deiain the woman by force; that there was no, any
whence OF disorder amounting 10 Drescn OF 1he
mace ia also fairly 10 be inferred from the tact mat
Two police officers present who were subs queht
" examined witnesses and stated that ihey dd not
see any thing requiring or JUSTIFY ing ef mte'ieNce
ia rrQsCryc tie peace. And your petitioner lcrrts 20
state explicitly that lie had no preconcened coanec-
tion Of any kind with hem or with Their condnct, ana
cousiders that he Is In no way Responsible ther ! Dr.
Your pettorer gave 20 COl.N heel bis ntue and adj
dress with the assurance that he would be respoDs
bic if he had injured any right which ne mao, iuliy
believing at tie time BE- docs still believe, tha ne
had committed no ieuTy whatever TO any night oil Col
! Wheeler.
On the night Of the same day your petitioner was
Iced 10 leave tie city 10 attead an es cton Ot the
/ Atlantic ard Ohio Telegraph Company a. harris-
/ burah and returned TO Phlla1elphia on Friday, the
| aCtL Of July. between ] and o clock \. Nj. IpOn
his return IN alias writ Of habeGs corpus was handed
10 him issued rom the District Court OF the United
States for lie Eastern District OF Pennsylvanii upon
the reton of the said John III. Vince er, comnandins
him that the bodies OF the said Jane, Daniel and Isaiah
he should have before the Hon John X. kane, udse
of the said District Court forthwith. To the sad
wit your petitioner the same day, VIZ: the 2Oih day
of July last past, mace return, that the said Jane
Daniel and Isaiah. or by whatever name they may be
called nor either of them were not then nor at the
time OF issuing said wTir or The original wr1, o. at
any other time n the custody, power or possession o.
| nor confined restrained OF their liberty uy your
peiiiorer therefore he could not nave the bodies Of
ihe said Jene Daniel aud Isaiah before tic sai Judge
/ as hy the said wit he was commanded
/ Nicreupon and eiterward, 10 Wit, on the 9th day
Of July aforesaid It decided ami a0Judged by the
Court hat your petitioner be committed TO the custody
of the Marshal without bail or manprise, as for con-
tempt H. refusing to make return TO wrt OF haDeas
corus tltreoiJIe issuei agans him az tie Instance OF
Mr. John ii. Wheeler, all which spYears BY the record
and nrCoCering in the said case which your peuroner
bees leave 10 produce ana q copy OF an exempinca
,;o ot which is annexed to this petition. Whereup0n
/ on the same d8y a warrant was issued commanding
that the Marsha Of the United States IN aud Tor he
Eastern District Of Penusylyania forthwith take iaIo
custody the body of your petitioner Tor co1,emp' %
I
n rfusing 10 answer tire said wrt OF habess corpus
heretofore awarded agsls hm the said pc i'ionef az
lie relation of Mr.. John h. Wheeler cepy OF whch
i. hereto annexed SLd also warrant BY and from l9
/ Marshal OF tic United States 10 the keep-r OF me
Movameusirg Prison, copy Of which l. also hereto
| annexed. uucer which warrants your penuoneF "-s
/ committed to the said prison, ard Is as" tnere de-
| taired without bail or ulaInprise.
Notwithstanding the record Is silent on The subject
vour er thinks it proper 20 stat tha on ne re-
| turu II tire writ OF hgbeG- corpus, The uige aIo"eI
The relator 10 ireveTse the return by paIoi uhlel
which permission the relaor gave his owl 'es'.,n'!i'
In mich he stated tbst he held the said Jane, Dslhe
end I.aiAh as slaves under the Law OF Virginia, a1i
had voluntarily brought them Win hin Oy IHlIol4 ,
fnom bstmore TO PHILADELPHIA where be had been ae-
| cdepaIlv detsined at BloOdgcods Hotel about tE :
h,urs: and certain other witnesses Here e1a iiel'
From the testimony thus Giyen, though nor a. an Nsl,
rauted by il or by the facts the said Judge decioeu
that youI petitioner had been eoncerne1 N
ahucrolof the said Jane, Daniel ana lsala az ilis'
their Will aud consent npon the de- Of the sad ses'
| boa. but admitting that your peuocne' 'o"N DO
sops,y seive part in sucl supposed a1daeHoh -i'e'
| be bad ei, the deck. o, p-;3sv
The bearing took plsce on tic morning oi F4i9aS