Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-11-17

sions upon this point, are adverse to the arennen,
One might fairly infer from this clause that Judg
Kane had not the slightest idea that these person
had cyey set foot on PENNSYLVANIA soil nt ttwitl
standing Wheeler's statement before the Court ha
they spent some hours mt Bloodgood's Hotel i
Walnut street, and Notwithstanding the fact. wei
known TO the Judge. that their route from Wasl
ngton to New York lay through the heart of th
City OF Philadelphia. And the utterer of thcs,
contemplate qibbles darcs TO charge Passmor
Williamson with falsehood and evasion, and to rca
to his auditors homily on the Importance of speal
ing "lull, direct, and unequivocal" truth. Aite
the decision was pronounced, Mr.. Williamson
counsel, Hon. Charles Gilpin, and addressed
the Court IN some remarks preliminary to II mooi
which he intended to make He contendcd tha
Williamson had not possession or custody Of tn
persons Nhom he was commanded to produce, anC
he nowsuggested that the return should he am .n
ded to express this, in q manner cont?rmatory t
the views Of the Court. JVhiie lie pas Spcokiag
Mr.. Nandykc rose and moved that commitment
under the seal of the Court be ISSUED, and the de
ltendant, PassmOre williamson, be placed in the
custody of lhe Marshal Mr.. Gilpin proceeded
when Judge Kane remarked that the District At
| torney had precedcnce, and that any motion of de-
PENDANTS counsel must be reduced to writing Mr.
Gilpin was about to reply to the motion of the
District Attorney, saying that it had not been re-
duced to writing when the Judge announced that
1t had been already granted Such conduct or
the part of judicial officer needs no comment.
! While these scenes so disgraceiul to Pennsylva-
MIA, were tralspiring in the city of Philadephi
another plot Of the minions of slavery was in pro-
! cess of execution. Ga the 10Th of july Mr..
Wheeler entered complaint before James B. Free
man, Alderman, who issued warrant for the ar.
rest Of Isaiah Moore, Wm. Custis, John Ballard
james Martin, and james 5. Braddock, tcolored
men, They were arrested and thrown into the
clock up" Of u station-house, where they were left
until the afternoon of the next day, suffering from
intense heat, without food, and without permission
to see their friends. They were then brought be-
! fore the magistrate, exhausted with fatigue, want
OF sleep, excitement and hunger, and held to bail
in the excessive sum of $1,000 each, to answer to
the charges of highway robbery. melting to riot
riot! AMI assault and battery. In default Of bail,
they were committed to prison.
! Passmore Williamson also arrested on the
last three charges lie had hearing before Al
derman Freeman, and was held to answer in the
sum OF $4,000
| On the oSth of July Isaiah Moore, Wm. Gusts,
John Ballard, James Martin, and James S. Brad
dock were brought before Judge Kelley, on a writ
of habcas corpus, and an application made for re
duction of bail. Mr. Wheeler was again present,
and testified against them. District Attorney
Mann abandoned at once the charge of highway
robbery, eharacterzing it as absurd" and again
as ridiculous" Judge Kelley, after inflicting a
reprimand upon the Alderman, reduced the bail to
$1,000, in the of Ballard and Custis land $500
went before the Grand Jury. The result was an
indictment for Iiot and also against Pssmore Will
hanson, and William Still, the well-known clerk
at the Anti-Slavery office. The case was called for
hearing on tho 9th inst, but The parties not being
ready for trial, showed cause for continuance,
which was granted.
On Wednesday morning, August Goth they were
all, excepting Passmore Williamson, put upon their
trial. upon the charge of riot and assault and bat
terry, in the Court of Quarter Sessions, in the city
of Philadelphia Judge Kelley presiding.
Wheeler appeared as the principal witness
against the defendants. His testimony was sub
stantially the same that he gave before Judge
Kane lie swore that the defendants came on
board the boat, headed by Mr.. Williamson; that
williamson and the defendant, Still, talked to the
woman Jane and endeavored to persuade her to 90
off the boat ; both Still and Williamson telling her
that she was free and urging her to go ashore
she was asked by them if she did not wish to be
free she replied that she did, hut did not rant to
ieaee her master during the ringing of tho last
bell, she rdS seized and carried dorm the gang
rag and on shore; the two child en- were also
seized ard carried after her ly the defendants"
On crosscxamination he said he did not remem-
Der whether he told her on the boat that she was
free to go if she wished but he declared that he
''had said SO before, had always felt so; did not
want to have any one about him who did not wish
to stay; had exercised restaint or control over
her she knew perfectly well where she was going
and was satisfied to 60"
Believing that all the persons who could contra
dict their testimony were included in the indict-
ment, Wheeler and the other witnesses for the
prosecution were embolden to swear in the stong
est manner to such points as they thought could
not fail to secure conviction. Their amazement
and confusion can be better conceived than de-
scribed when Jane johnson suddenly appeared on
the witness stand. Her testimony utterly destroyed
that Of Mr.. Wheeler and his witnesses. 1t was as
follows:
81 can't tell my exact age, guess l am about
25; was born in Washington City; lived there
this New Years, if shall live to see 1.-TWO years
came to Philadelphia about two months ago.
| came with Col. Wheeler; | brought my two
children, one aged 10, and the other year or so
younger we went to Mr.. Su)ly's and got some
thing to eat we then went to the wharf, then into
the hotel.
Col. Wheeler told me to stay on the upper porch
and did not let me 20 to dinner and sent by the
servants some dinner to me, but | did not desire
any after dinner he asked me if | had dinner;
told him | wanted none; while he was at dinner |
saw colored woman and went to her and told her
was slave woman travelling with very curious
gentleman, who did not want me to have anything
% do or say to colored persons; she said she was
sorry for me | said nothing more, then / went
back and took my seat where had been ordered
1y Col. Wheeler: he had told me not to talk to
,oored persons; to tell everybody was travelling !
y lth SOhB W ne htelncu W
hink might be led off; he did not tell me could
De free if wanted to when got to Philadelphia
IN the boat he said he would give me my freedom
le never said SO before had made my prepara-
ions before leaving Washington to get my freedom
n New York; made suit to diguise myself in
they had never seen me wear ito escape iD
when got to New York; Mr.. Wheeler has that suit
n his possession, in my trunk; | wasn't willing to
ome without my children; for | wanted to free
hem; have been in Col. Wheelers family nearly
NO years; he bought me from gentleman Of
Mr. Crew. he was not member of
}ol. Wheelers family; Col Wheeler was not more
han half an hour at dinner; he came to look at me
rom the dinner table, and found me where he had I
eft me; did not ask leave of absence at Blood
,ood's Hotel; while Col. Wheeler went on board t
he boat a colored man asked me did l wan. to go '
With Col W.; told him mo, do mott" at 8 o.
lock that night he said he would touch the tele-
raph for me and some one would meet me at New t
FORK; said was obliged to him; no more was
aid then; had mover seen the man before when [
Iul Wheeler took me on board he took me on the 8