Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-09-01
SLAVE CATCHING PERILoUs BUSINESS
LEoAI DECISION TO THAT EFFECT.

The other day we gave case Of Life Insurance,
which illustrates the murders committed on Fugl-
tive Slaves in North Carolina. Since then anOth-
er case of Life Insurance has come to our knowl-
edge, which shows what the Supreme Court OF
Pennsylvania thinks of the business of slave catch
ing--or slave taking, to the milder phrase of
the learned Judge. 1t is reported in the twenty
first volume Of Pennsylva State Reports. 1t
seems that one William Calender obtained poll
ley of insurance on his life for tie sum of S5OUO at
the Keystone Insurance Company of Iiorrisb4rFh
on March Goth, 1851, about noon. lie left liar-
risburgh on the same day, and died in his own
house, at York, during the following night. of
arsenic, which he purchased on the forenoon OF the
same day. His administrator, suing on the policy
1t was proved on behalf Of the company, that he
represented when he procured it that his business
was that of farmer and evidence was given that
he was concerned in hunting runaway slaves
One witness stated that he would not take per
son at any rate if it was known that he was en-
gagged in slave catchins-that it was Il more per-
ilous occupation than furming-and the person en-
gagged in it was liable to be shot down or assassi-
mated Chief Justice Black, in delivering the
opinion Of the Court, said:
at was shown on the trial, that the assured had
not for many years been farmer; that he had
been at Wilkesbarre in search oe fugitives, and
had gone to llagerstOwn to bargain for the appre-
hension of others; that he was at Ilarrisburgh in
pursuit of negroes, whom he spoke of running
over to Frederick without warrant In short, the
evidence is very strong that for some months Mt
least previous to his DEATH he habitually and
very diligently occupied at the business. But
what is more still to the purpose, he told person
at nagerstown few days before he effected the
insurance, that he was engaged in that business,
and had 4 man Mt ii Iirrisburgh who knew all the
slaves that ran away from that part of Maryland.
This is said to be frivolous, and so insufficient to
establish the fact that the Court ought not to have
permitted verdict to be given on 1t. We are not
of that mind. If the insured, who represented
himself to be farmer. was in fact slave taker
by occupation, and il the business of slave taking
would expose his life TO greater danger than farm
ing it is not possible to escape the conclusion that
the policy was thereby rendered void, since. ii II
was wilfully made, it was q fraud; and though
made ignolanty or by mistake. it was warranty
by the express terms Of the policy"
1t is superauous TO add that tho verdict of the
ljury in favor of the eomrany was sustained both
on the ground Of the suicide and Of the misrepre
sentatun.
Thus ended the life of one of those slave hun
whQ have infested the border counties of Pennsy !
vania, and whose race is passing away. Will
self murder in his heart, and Ii, on his lips, he
purchased policy which proved to be as worthless
as his life Then, driven to desperation, as hi
looked back on his 1evish career and forward
to the retribution which awaited him. he went un
repentant and unsummoned into the presence D
his Maker. To the steadCast Quakers of Pennsyl
lvania arc we indicted for the decision Of the Su
Ipreme Court which renders the life of slave hun
ter as valuelest as it deserves to be.-BoSton Tel
p5r There is to bo a grand conferences Of al
the Jews in the United States. in Cleveland, on th
l7th Of October next. to deliberate upon the 70!
flowing points:
4 !. On the Union Of American Israelites.
.. On plan to organise a regular pernanen
Synod or Sanhedrim Of Rabbiu.
8. On plan for religious and schoiistio eduea