Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-12-08
MISS. DELLA A. WEBSTER,

- Wv AhA"l'NNhAaNN Ai
account Of Miss Della \ WcLstcr's treatment from
the hands Of the chi,alrous Kentuckians. We
have published the facts before, but vet think il
well to price them again upon record. After mar
rating TIE facts Of her incarceration in, and release
from the Penitentiary, Miss Web.ter proceeds
In 1852 | purchased IL valuable farm, consisting
Of six hundred acres of superior upland on the fer
tile banks of the beautiful Ohio, (,outh sidc,) d.
rectly opposite and overlooking tie City Of Madi.
ron. Here in my rural home ! liSel in peace I'M
Ill the Winter Of 1851, ut which time the persocu.
tons were renewed with teniJld yisur.
An nnti.W ehster meeting was appointed to be
held ut the Bedford Court House on the 6th OF
February, which was attended by Il largo crowd,
nnd flaming aud exciting speeches were made and
plans coucUctod to drive me from the State. 4 set
VI resolutions were drawn up and discussed and
adopted, the puTport Of which was as follows:
"Whercas, it is knorn that Miss Della A. Web.
stcr has recently run of numerous slaves from
Trimble County; therefore resolved, that it is the
tiW and determination Of the citizens Of said coun-
ty that Miss Della \, Webster leave the state"
4 committee of fifty men, comprising the most
respectable and wealthy citizens Of the county,
whose names were appended to the catalogue, were
appointed to wait upon me next day to enforce the
resolutions. This whole conspiracy was formed
without my knowledge, and without any Shade or
color of provocation. And on the III Of Fcbruj.-
ny, while quietly seated at my cheerful ircside,
enjoying the peaceful retirement Of my own little
p%tradisc, | was suddenly surprised by the arrival
uf u large force who had come to carry their plans
into execution. II was n dark and dismal day,
md the rain pouring down in torrents. Thorough
ly drenchcd, and shivcring with cold, they were
invited in to warm. The weather was severe and
/ ordered the fires recruited. They SIT some three
tourths of an hour before they brOached the OBJ
lect of their visit, and a length the president in
trOuucnl tho Sprrpfirv. WnO rpluCtOUtIV OrpW forth
y paper, and with IL trembling voice read the
weighty resolves.
When he had concluded | raised two objections
to the resolutions. First, their ~illegtlity; and sec
ondly, they fly0rci too strongly Of cowardice and
mobOcracy.
| told them that | ha chosen Kentucky for my
home, and | told them Mat l expected to live and
die there, Notwithstanding their '~actarmmahoH."
They then required that | send in u written reply
% the resolutions to be read at the next County
Court, bat utterly and positively refused me Il copy
OF the resolutions to which they required an ans
wer. | however replied the best | could from
memory, assuring them in very ietided terms that
! should exercise my right rsO ".free tchtte citizen
Of the United Staies orcr tie age Of treHtJ-onc
years" to live whore | chose; that / was not intim
idated by their thrcats, and should stand my ground
2ctcHSeicsS and oi0Hc; and When they should see
fit to carry their threats into execution, they would
not require 50 large an army to storm 50 weak q
!urtreSs as waited upon me with their resolutions,
though they might require a larger one to hold it,
e.:
This reply I sent to The Court, MS reqrcsted.-
Soon alter another committee. including the Judge
himself, was appointed to wait upon me, and add
another clause to The resolutions. Ashamed OF
the business, not q mln Of the former committee
would serve On this.
Next day, being the It'll of March, while en-
gtged in my domestic pursuits, | was again sud
denly surprised by the arrival of the committee,
who had come In deliver the riQtpuS mcSsnrp in
substance as follows; Unless you consent forth.
with to sell us y0W plantdtiOa, and speedily leave
the State, no more to return, you will he mobbed
at a dead hour Of the Night, and the threats Of the
redSS executed"
These threats they did not deem it necessary to
cnumerate, knowing | had previously been inform
ed Of their character, namely
Your fences will all be torn down, your fine
orchard ruined, your valuable timber destroyed,
your cattle and horses slain before your eyes, your
barns and out houses burned, your dwelling house
blown up, and yourself assGssinated at the mid.
night hour"
| told this venerable Committee to tell their con
stituents they could carry their nclarious threats
into execution as soon as they saw fit; that they
would find me at home. and though but a lone wo-
man should stand my ground. That | had in
vested my little air in that piece Of land, had
paid my taxes promptly, was Il law-ahiding citi-
zen and would sacrifice both liJersy and life before
| would he driven from the field; that | loved Lib.
crty, that my motto was "Ernclom or Death, " and
if necessary | would shed tie last drop Of my
blood in defense Of my constitutional rights.
| told them further that ! supposed that they
were perfectly aware Of my position before they
came, as that was the substance OF the reply ] sent
10 their former resolutions.
They declared they had not heard a word of any
reply, and until now were not aware / had re-
piled. That it had all been concealed from them,
and the general feeling was that | had treated
their resolutions with silent contempt. Thus say
ing, they apolOgized, assured me Of their respect
and kind feeling, and rendering their good wishes,
they 1ade me adieu; and | was once none left in
quiet.
On The morning Of the 18th (same MONTH my
promises were invaded by a gang of rufians arm
ed with pistols clubs g.. and the whole day spent
in industrious search, but not indirg me they wee
constrained to believe the statements of my dOmes-
tics, that having been i'll frr several days l had taken
a trip to Cincinnati for my health and TO get some
deeds acknowledged, and as soon as that business
was completed would return.
On the l4th | returned, but was still very feeble.
! had not been home an hour before a band Of
men, headed by the High Sheriff, environed my
house and demanded of my domcstics that their
mistress make her appearance i%nsianter. | was
In my dressing rooai attending to the duties Of the
toilet, and sent them word to be seated in the par
Tor ind | would be down in a few moaIents. Des-
perate, and unwilling to wait an instant, they got
an AK, with which they were absut breaking down
the door, when one of them succeeded in tearing
of the lock, and the Sheriff was ascending the
staircase. followed hy his ruthless gang, when |
approached and requested them to return to the
parl"r and await my convenience. They aTolo-
gized and withdrew to the par.or. In a few mo-
ments | went down and was formally Introduced
to the Sheriff, who handed me a warrant which
read to this effect:
"Whereas, John w. Coleman stAlcs ur,der oath
that he suspects Della A. Webster has made an
attempt to entice away Daniel McCalty Payne's
slave Tom, and divers other slaves f,om Trimble
county, therefore | command that slid Della A..
Webster be forthwith unprecedented and brought
before me to be dealt with according to law.
1Signed) ROBERT GRAY"
The sheriff said this move was only to ~appease
the excitement Of a few individuals, and after an
examination hefnre tho Lndre [ unnld In disnhnr.-