The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-10-21
GENERAL NEWS.

IMPORTANT THlAL-RlGnr FUGITIVE SLAVES 10 Hold
rRorERrY.--YALprY on SLAVE MABmAGEs-Tn the Phila-
dephia Gazette Of the issue Of the 18th inst find the
following particulars Of which Is likely attract
considerable attention, 10th At the North and S0ath
settling new aud important principle:
Thompson Wilsonn the district court for the city
and county Of Philadelphia, October II, lS55,Ths was
an eectment 70 the possession Of house and LOT
the north side OF Carlton street 9Th street
The plaintiff the daughter OF Robert Thompson a
coiored man. who slave IN Virginia and away
and came into Pennsylvania about 1888 1895 and Ia
1912 purchased the lot Of ground IN question and built
h0use it. II IN evidence that he lived and cohaoi
ed with free colored in Virginia 70 BON he
repued TO be married and by whom be bad ten children
of whom tue plaintf the only survivor
After he TO Pennsylvania he sent for this
but before she arrived here he formed Acquaintance with
another woman, whom he afterwards married The wife
from Virginia also married egan after arrival here He
died about 1850 leaving both wives and the plaintiff
wing bim The first wife is since dead. he property
was 10 possession o. the tenants Of e second wife and me
plaintiff claimed heir Of Robert Thompson. The Judge
charged IS follows
sbarswood p T. This is a curious and interesting case
Robert Thompson was a slave. He married free woman
in Virginia then away TO Philadelphia married
another ouan purchased the lot Of ground in question:
improved it, and died The plaintiff is the only survivor
OF children by the whom he had in Virginia.
II the last fife Of Robert Thompson his lawful wife
she ia entitlcd 10 the property.
1.-THE plaintiff must recover on the strength o. her own
title amy person else has better title she cannot
There two questions OF interest presented IL
this case:
al Could Robert Thompson a runaway slave hold
property in Pennsylvania
II think he could except that he could be reclaimed BY
his master he had all the rights OF freeman The act Of
assembly of 1850 having abolished slavery In Pennsyya-
MIA he be deemed and adudged freeman except for
reclamation by his master Until might've slave IS recoy
cred by his he is 10 be deemed have all his civil
rights As between himself and all other persons except
the master he is be adjudged freeman If the
should come and claim the property IL would present
.rl,tg IA
eide,
- Was the plaintiff legitimate child Of Robt. Tbomr-
son
aThs is to be judged Of BY the law Of Pennsylvania
The law Of Virginia which legitimates the children Of null
marriages has power 10 make bastard Legitimate
child, to inherit property in Pennsylvania Were
Robert Thompson and his wife living in lawful wedlock at
the time of the birth Of the PLAINTIFF That depends
the law OF Virginia We without evidence as TO what
thatlaw is respecting The marriage Of slaves
No civil rights against the master, can be acquired
by the marriages. but between the slaves themselves
not satisfied that the marriage and s effects are not
valid The law of the FORUM 10 tie absence Of proof %
what s necessary constitute valid marriage contracted
sewhere is the rule Of evidence Cohabtaon and repu
talion evidence Of marriage in Pennsylvania, and
lawful marriage may be inferred from Them see
TO distinguish this from any others
leave to you the question whether Robert Thompson
and this lived and cohabi.ed together and
wife in Virginia There is some little difference in the
testimony the witnesses Some said they lived and
habited and wife, and others that they lived and
cohabed man and wife as slaves do. Aud win re-
the bane whether the hole
dence the plaintiff is entitled 10 recover
Verdict for the plaintiff.
SUPPOSED RUSSIAN PnRArEER EnnAReoRp AT NEW
YoRE-We copy the following from the New York Ex-
press of Friday last;
"a complaint has been made by affidavit; against this
vessel alleging that she has been fitted out for service
Russian pryaieer Upon these ahdaylts the Maury was
Immediately ernbargoed. The marshal visited the
sci, and after examining her, Informed the United
States district attorney that he found BOARD OF her 250
tons Of coal 10 the hold and ten iron mounted
wooden carriages four iron deck number Of
small and side in the cabin, several boxes OF
shot, and assorted cargo, lurnter, &c
The owners Of the barqne, however, explain this By
saying that she built by MesgTs Roosevelt Joce,
Co.. after the model Of the barque Penguin that che is in
tended for the China trade that she has been advertised
for the last three weeks in Eve daily newspapers to sail
for Shanghai that the shipped pursuant
order from a house in China and they intended
for merchantmen trading in the China sen.
They express themselves willing TO have the cargo
and examined.
The naming of the barque after Lieut. Many who has
been much favored and noticed by the Russian Emperor
was considered suspicious circumstances
This is explained by the statement that she named
during the month Of last May OF compliment TO Lieut.
Gaury for his services rendered navigation The vessel
TO take four missionaries and Chinamen ard
unless prevented is expected to sail next Wednesday,
PERsosA-Thackeray will deliver the first of his series
of lectures the four Georges Of England and English
society during their regps Thursday evening Novem-
Der ], at Dr. Chapms church, New DIRK.
LIBERAL pAY-The Rev. Henry Ward Beecher is giving
lectures out West at Sl25 each and expenses paid
HoMICrDE.We learn, says the Atlanta (Ga) Intelli-
gencer of the 18th instant that named John Hus
key engineer the Georgia railroad shot in De
caur Wednesday night last by George Brice Huskey
died Of the wound the night
GIvIsG sHP.-lt is rumored that Capt. Nye, of
the steamship Pacific will retire from the service on his
from his present voyage and Capt Edrdge will
succeed hin.
A STEAMSHIP RACE pRopED.-The United States mail
Aago and the Vanderbilt steamer Ariel both sail
cd from New York for Havre via Cowes at IL o'clock on
Wednesday September 2Gh and it understood that
was TO be trial of the speed of the steamers The
Ariel ahead the first day two but the Atlantic
brings news Of the Aragos arrival Cowes the 9th Of
October and there nothing said Of the Ariel so that
she could not have arrived The trip Of the Arago
short oneony nine days. For her il is
aordnary she has generally been from eleven to four
days in making her voyages.
MISS NIGHTINaALEA correspondent of the Philadelphia
Bulletin writing from the English hospital at Scuari Sep
TENDER II, says:
Although this is unquestonably the largest hospital in
the world, snd in respects excellent school for
young physician yet am on the whole somewhat dis
appointed Every in authority has, it is true been
kind and attentive, but there patients suffering
from fever, cholera and dysentery than wounds so
that there IS the opportunity for surgical practice that
| had expected
Tho most interesting person here without doubt is
Miss Nightingale with whom have had the good fortune