The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-07-23
THE PHILADELPHIA SLAVE CASE
OUTRAGEOUS PRocEEDINGs,a

,rc,.,E aue p bfsddo ocE, hve free negroes
her two sons from Hon. John L Wheeler Of Noy,h
Haao,ins una. Minister to Nicarssus The proceed
asMust ,he robbery of his slaves q nssro rufyisn
sez "a hin and threatened to his throat If he ala
ne no' assis.. Mr vsndyke appeared for the tinted
s ses .h ana Messs Giipin Hopper, Pierce and Bier
Mr. Vsndyks briefly stated the fact. Of the ease a.
M.,s ,Sa,ows; Ins hon John Wheeler is citizss Of
worth Carolina, he has been for some tins Am.r;-
can Minister to q foreign power He has been A. hi.
Z s u aishs,se Of bis duties and returning to
a.et orief visit to the United States He Is the
rd o. three coored servants named Jane, Daniel
.h as ,o. ~ss proceeding to New York on "wednesday
sne io.n, 20 embark for Nicaragua and vbsc On
board q the wharf at this city with his thrsa On
wants the respondent came board and All Al tho
free They told him that they wished to .tsv ,.
their master. when the respondent and fftssn -.
.wen.y coiored persons took them forcby from the
custody OF their master. The Two boys cried to 20
nack to MIR Wheelsr but the respondent here ons
fs,smore Williamson. forced them a~ay
seized Mr.. Wheeler by Tie throat !. h. waaliem:on
20 outrage on his property and sad tbsf
ne & maae any resistance they would cut bis throat
counsel en either side the Hon John 7. wy 9s .ns
was sworn and testified a. follows
co,or. aa.ve OF NORTH Caroiins; g the of the
washington city on Wednesdsy the I8th nnder an
ofdef % from government to embark at New York for
Nicsrsgua to which port he was an acc, ,editsd AN.
basssdor. He bad been in that seryice sbon, ra
hsd came home short tio1e ago ana was o-Ja,sa -,
s;c. fonse OF the confused of pc
anals In that country; bis wife and three asr
VAT. we're with h1m; reached PhiladsIp ahsut a
quarter past O'Clock on his way to New Yorb. ma.
tns ooas 70 go to the residence of hi.
for Mrs Whseler; had obtained tb trunk eontsinin
tne a'tcles SPOKEN Of and returned toths wharf but
O'clock for the next tran-which time q az .nsnt a.
the nearest hotel, Boodgood's, at Walnut .t wsarF
on GONG on board the boat at little before o'clock
thraa nnfc
deck to get out of the noise and bustJ1 shnr,, a
fore ociock-the last bell has just runs al mn.
pers an individual whom, Recognize as M Pdpss.
more Williamson, docking at the respendant1 csnos
up TO me an6 asked II he might speak TO my seryaots;
witness replied that he could not imagine wbat buE
ness he could have with his (witnessl ssrvants and
that If he had any thing to say, with sss was tie pro
past witness and ask ed the womsn If @b
and II she knew she was In free ccuutryU or some
5nag lke T. and then, 'if they the servantsJ would
with whom she WIS going. where and how she wa.
going The (respondent) then took her bv the arm
ana 70 ioTee hsr away witness ntsrfersd and
tw1 colored fellows who had come nm thar ss;zy.'d
and held witness, and one of them said aIf rou
MAKE any resistance wiz cut your throat" do not
and he'd me; one of them il called aRsbbitt;S by the
loterfeIence OF some gentleman. who seemed to be
hurried down to the lower deck and saw Wiilisn.
son hurrying the woman off and other colorad nsr
SINS VIII hS 0oys VINO were struggling to get away;
weh up 70 Williamson and asked him what be wss
going 10 90 with the woman; he answered that his
name was Psssmore Williamson; that he could be
found at 7h and Arch streets and that be voniS bs
responsible for any legal claim be fwitnes,1 m;.bt
have on the savef; By this time the coored
with Mr Williamson had got the servants off the
wharf, Front street. hurried them into a carriage
which was standing about square below Valiant in
assEI open sPsoe WIN warehouses; in it IDock
Williamson walked behind the crowd and ssid .oms.
tnink IN a whisper to large burly policeman, who
was standing near. "A'
to observe the people who were commirtins The
Outrage, out the policeman refused to have anv-
thing TO 40 With the matter as me was not slave
catcher" o
Cross-examined- Williamson walked back
With me from the carriage he offered To write III.
name down, bu. told him could write il musaIt
he gave no directions to the driver: II was moi .
Regular coach stand; there were no oiher carriages
near; tne people standing about the carriage, and
VINO hurried the servants into IL, were coIored
The officer alluded 10 by Mr. WheeIer testif ad
that he saw the crowd, and saw the negro bows
srngeiing TO get away from the abotionists who
held them. Was asked by Williamson, if he would
protect hlm In his attempt to take the ives fro
their master, and told him that he "wouId have
nolhing TO do with Ii, unless there was row and
then be would make arrests" "-'
capt Hunter testified lnat ne waa In the ennlov
Oh lhe Camden and Amboy Railroad, was on the
the cry was murder; little boy strug Cling in the
arhs Oh negro, cried murder, aud kicked and
Struggled to get away from him; this was ON ,he
nwer oeck OF the boat, just as the parties had come
oo"n stairs; could not say who the men were that
hAo the boys; they did not want 10 90 with ,ha
parry VINO had them, and they said so =
MF fss"more Williamson was then affirmed and
tesuneo IN substance as follows: After the colored
Peopie ieis DOCK street In the carriage saw no
more of Them. | do not know whsre thew are.
have had no control over them. nor have hsd -
hand Ia their escape "N ''S
MY whole connection with the affair was tbis--
| haa heard that these three persons were 10 the
city, and felt anxious TO inform them of ,ba; :
rights For this purpose went 10 BIoonoood,s
notei, where saw yellow boy; | asked him about
the matter, and he told me where the psrtv was
"nen went upon the upper deck of the boat
ss~ tnal man (pointing 10 Mr Wheeler) approach
eo the coiored woman and asked her II she knew
her rights; that by law she was Free Mr. w asked
me what wanted told him my errand He (Mr
J kept interfering and said she knew her rights
ana ne did not want any interference with his al
fairs. -.,-.. - -.- tl-'
Mr. w. reminded her of her children AT homs
and asked her if she wanted TO leave them .he re-
piled that she did not, but tha she wanted 10 be
tree. Mr. Wheeler insisted that the woman did
not want to go. There was an excitement and
the children cried. saw them taken awav Ths
object was secured of enabling them TO act In az.
cordance with their rights
Question by Mr. Vandyke-Was 1t your object to
take them from Mr. Wheeler? -5 90
Answer-It was, II they de sired Il
Cross-examined-Wm Still a coIored man frst
Informed me Of the matter. n -
Still said nothing to interfere; when went down
to the boat saw him talking to Mr. Wheeler: he ia
clerk at the Anti Slavery Office In North Fifth ST.
still was the only person on board knew; saw
him this morning; had conver sation respecting
this case; We conversed to the safety of ,hs
party; he said they were SAFE and that they would
not return under any circumstauces he did not tel,
me where they were; am Secretary of the Act.
ing Committee of the old Pennsylvania Anti.
Slavery Society. -.
After argument by Mr. Vandyke, the defendants
counsel gave the matter into the hands of the
court rf-s 4s.-- --.. = -"
Judge Kane said that the case was 40 grave. and
rs consequences might be very grave to the re-
spondeDt who might even pass into the condition
OF prisoner, that he desirous, before passing
upon the two motions, to have time for reflection
Ia the meantime bail might be taken In IS 600 for
further hearing on the second motion, ION the
charge of perjury and the motion for contemp,
could 60 over.
He would also ssy, at the rick of its being con.
sidered exra.judlcis, that Ii II IL really In the
power OF the defendant 10 produce the bodies oj
the lhrea persons 1t would to him (,he Judxe) bet.
ter tor him to do So Judge Kane said In conclu-
sion, thath would hold Mr.. Williamson IN e5 O0(
Tor further hearing at the nc It term of the cour
on this day week
Ths court room was denseIy crowded. and the
excite msnt 10 regard to the case was genera
y rrGr.o ohrxxS .~s,r