Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-05-12
From the n. Y. Tribune.
FACTS OF SLAVRY IN KENTUCKY.
A CASE OF CRUELTY AND TORTURE.


Paris, (Ky.) Tuesday, April 10, 1865.
On Monday, the lZth of March last, a Circuit
Court, for Bourbon County, commenced. a Grand
Jury Of sixteen housekcepers were em pauncled
and sworn. On Tuesday, at noon, the Jury came
from their room into open Court, when the follow
ing was read: "Au Indictment VS. "Alpheus Lewis
'r. and Margaret his wife, for cruel and inhuman
treatment Of slaves, a true BILL" Upon the
reading of which the foreman stated that it was
the unanimous wish of the Jury that, if the law
authorized Il, the Court would proceed to take I'm
mediate possession Of the slaves specified in the
Indictment. The case being something new un-
der the SUM- in this latitude, it was kept under ad-
Nisenent until the next morning, when an order
was made by Judge Duval, directing the Sheriff
3take possession of said Slaves, (Sally a woman
tf perhaps 60 or - years, and Martha, q girl 10
or II years ofage,N and to summon the said Alpine
us Lewis, Jr. and Margaret his wife, to appear in
the Bourbon Circuit Court, on Tuesday, the Goth
Of March, to answer the said charge. According
~, the negroes were taken possession Of, and
placed in the custody of Jos. Porter, our TAILOR, and
the parties summoned as directed.
Tho next day, Mr.. Lewis came to Paris, and en-.
ployed the best physician or physicians to admin
lister to the wants of his pretched slares but, not
withstanding their skill and the rapid improve
Inent made upon them, they were not in a condi-
ton that their owner could bring them into Court,
and Gisprove the allegations which were made
against him, or rather which were made against
his wife. But, on The contrary, when the case was
called up in Court, the Hon. Garrett Davis, Mr..
Lewis's lawyer, remarked, in substance, that the
slaves in question were in the possession of the
Court, and flat the Attorney for the Common.
wealth could have sush order made in the case as
he (the Attorney chose. Whereupon the attorney
Mr.. Dickerson, Of Georgetown, asked for an order
to sell said slaves, according to the statute, of which
! suIjoin an extract:
"If the owner Of any slave shall treat him cru
ely and i%nhuman!y so as; in the opinion of a Jury
to endanger the life or limb Of such slave, or ma
terially to affect his health, or shall not supply his
slave with sufficient wholesome food and raiment,
such slaves shall be taken and sold for the benefit
OF the owner. On the petition of any person, YER
Tiled by oath, or upon the presentment of a Grand
Jury, setting forth substantially the ill-treatment
of the slave, the Court shall cause the owner of
the slave to be summoned, and m ~, if it shall APP
pear proper, direct the Sheriff or other officer to
take possession Of the slave and hire him out, pen
ding the proceedings; and such judgment and Or
ders shall be given by the Court as the finding of
the Jury shall justify" AIT, 4, secs. . and 3. Re-
vised Statutes, vol. 9, p ga.
The Court then rendered a decree to that effect.
appointing Thos. A. Taylor IL Commissioner, and
directing him to advertise said slaves for sale, on
Monday, the I'd day Of April, it being County
Court day for Bourbon County. They were ad,
vertised by sticking the following paper upon the
Courthouse door, and in no other way, and at no
other place that the writer is aware of:
COMMISSIONER 5 SALE or SLAyEs.-As Commits
sloner, under n Decree of the Bourbon County
Court, at the March Term, 1855. in the case of AL
pheus Lewis and Margaret his wife, l will expose
10 public sale, at the Courthouse door, in Paris,
on the I'd day OF April next, County Court day for
said County, on a credit of four months, two valu-
able slaves to wit: a negro woman aged about 25,
and n negro girl about -. Persons wishing to
purchase, can see said slaves by calling on j. Pot
ter. Bond, with approving security, will be re-
CURED, having the force and effect of replevy
bond"
March %, 1855. THos. A. TAYLOR, Com.
missioner"
Notwithstanding we have two newspapers pub
lshed in Paris, and j. is the custom to advertise
valuable property sold under a decree of Court, in
the papers, tho Commissioner and both of the ed
itors, who are lawyers, and doubtless heard of the
case, for 1t produced more general excitement than
any case that was in Court, however kept it out
Of the papers. Why is this SO? For answer it
may be said that the predecessor of the editor Of
9he f2aG, for n recent notice of the passage of
Matt L. Ward through our town, in which he de-
nominated him rs the great unhung," was attack.
ed shortly afterward in the city of Lexington by
the Flournoys, and genteelly caned; and, when he
was atterward told that the Flournoys were rela-
tives of the Wards, and that they were influential
men too, whose politics were with The Flag, and
therefore he ought not to have published such a
notice, he replied: that lie did not know they were
relatives. In commenting upon this, the editor of
The Citizen said that the editor who was caned
ought to have known that Ward was related to
some one. Both of our editors know that "Alphe-
US Lewis and Margaret his wife have many
wealthy relations, and it is even yet true that Tie
rich haM stoRy friends"
II was evident, however, that the neighbors Of.
Mr.. Lewis intended to do all that the law would
enable them to do, to correct the evil complained
OF, and 1t is generally understood that If there is Il
repetition OF such conduct as has been lately per-
petrated, the law will not be called into reauisition
iaasmuch as 1t is a very inefficient one, such con-
duct, they say, shall not again lie known to them
and 60 unpublished.
1t will be observed that our law does not prolib-
u our tyrants from resupplying themselves with
servants, or rather slaves; nor, indeed, does it take
from them, or only for a time, those that have been
barbarously treated. Mr.. Alexander, a merchant
Of Paris, after seeing these negroes, became very
anxious TO pur- .se the elder one, from the fact
that he, about two years ago, bought her father and
mother at the same time tir. Lewis bought Sally
and he had found them to he good servants, and
wished to buy her, measurabiy to crafty her pa
rests, not doubling that she too was q good SER
want, rs che was so represented at the sale two
years ago, and so her countenanee indicated. But
he was informed by the sheriff that there would
be no use in entertaining such an idea as Mr.. Lew
Is had made an arrangement 10 have n negro-buy-l
er at the sale TO bid them in for him, as he was de-
ternined that they should not be sold to remain il
this country. So the sequel proved. They were
bid in by Mr.. Lewis's agent, and they have been
removed to parts unknown. Whether their tor
lures have ceased, ''lcponent saith not" they are
evidently not yet in Il condition to be taken off for
sale.
Mr.. Lewis not defending the case. the testimony
was not elected in open conrt, but il has been free
~ made known by the Grand Jurors, rs presented
80 them. Before the Jury, Zone Of Mr.. Lewis's
nsigabors, Mr.. David Montgomery, of revOlutiona-
VI descent, testified that on the FIRE; Monday IN