Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1856-08-19
10. l 8 D 6.
Correspondence of the New York Tribune
Thrilling incidents Of Slavery.
CLEVELAND, Saturday, Aug. 9, 1856,

During the past winter and summer l have
been travelling thro gh Western Missouri
and Kanzas, and the 2lsi Of February
1856, | was in Lexington, Mo-, which l
think may be regarded as the great hot-bed
of those who pride themselves in that appro-
pirate and significant name, Z" Border Ruf-
fans" On the morning of that day was,
for the first time in my life, spectator Of the
sale of slaves.
Two young men, and girl about eighteen
years of age, were placed upon the block,
surrounded by forty fifty shareholders.
The first put up was a - niger of great
beauty and fine form. The auctioneer COM
menced by exhorting the farmers to remember
that the hemp was all down-hands were
scarce-niggers had taken a rise; and told
them that there stood one of the best looking
"niggers in the State, that he was sound
had good teeth and eyes. In Short was an
excellent niger - The bidding proceeded
until s ,250 was reached, and the hammer
fell upon the "nigger," who was led away
| by the highest bidder. During the sale the
auctioneer, and others, INDUCED in witticisms
and puns upon the boy, which set the crowd
to laughing F; but the slave did not laugh.
| Not smile nor tear did notice during the
| whole time. His expression was that of deep
| dependency.
!
two sold. Several others were sold in that
| place during the same week at SheriF's sale.
One gentleman told me that he would almost
as soon sell one of his own children as one of
his "niggers, but he would be compelled to
do it, for if he did not the Sheriff would.
On the afternoon of that same day a large
meeting was held in the Court House for the
purpose Of forming an Z" kmigrant Aid So
ciety." A constitution was presented by a
Committee previously appointed. The neces-
sity of the movement was enforced by an adj
| dress from the Rev. Prof. AkeIs, who is now
one OF the Fillmore electors. He argued that
if Kanzas was made a Free State, Missouri,
being surrounded on three sides by Free
States, must sooner or later give up her cher
ished institutions" The North would
have the majority in Congress, and would ad-
nit no more Slave States into the Union.
They would abolish Slavery in the District of
Columbia, and then it would be hemmed in
and confined within its own narrow limits,
and would smother out and die But oh
with what holy horror that pious man of God
raised his hands and his voice against such
terrible result He urged his friends, in the
| most passionate strains, to do all they could to
make Kanzas Slave State, and if they failed
they would at least have the satisfaction of
having done their duty. His was a telling
|
about &c., 900 were subscribed to send Pro
Slavery men to Kanzas.
On the succeeding Friday a scene was pre-.
| sented in that same Court House, which al
| most beggars description.
Sheriff Withers, having a "nigger woman
| who on the previous day had been neglectful
| Of her taskwork, sent for a blacksmith to come
| and chastIse her. He came bolted the door.
| tied the woman's hands together, and dashed
them over her head to the ceiling, and com
menced whipping. The screams of the wo-
man brought her husband to the rescue. He
broke open the door, and with butcher
knife in his hand rushed forward to cut his
wife loose. The slave and blacksmith en-
countered each other, and in the ARRAY the lat
ter got his arm cut. The slave finally surren-
dered, and was led away to jail, while the wo.
man received double whipping. These a.e
| the facts in the case.
News of this :" horrid outrage" was soon
| circulated and the excitement became intense
One leading man was heard to say: God
d-as me If don't sink my soul to hell If I
don't put a stop to this SlaUe rebellion, If can,
only get three men to JOIN, aO9h me-" When
asked how he would do it, he said will
take this slave and that other one that is in
jail, and hang them both upon the same tree,
and let them hang there week" Three
of four O'Clock that afternoon was agreed
upon for the execution. The excitement grew,
waxing wilder and fercer every hour, until
such storm of passion ragged as was fearful to
behold. At four clock, the mob, number
ing two or three hundred, moved towards the
Court House. The -" boy" a uuadroon of
about forty years of age, was brought into the
building and placed within the bar. Col.
Reed was called to preside, and Col Walton
explained the object of the meeting.
He said: a great crime has been COM
mitted-an outrage upon one of our citizens
by niger We have come together not to
imbrue our hands in the blood of innocence.
but rebellion of savesis becoming COMMON
Something must be done to put a stop to it.
to protect our wives, our children, and our
sacred homes"
A member of the Legislature earnestly re-
monstrated against mob law, and recommend
ed that day be appointed to whip the bow.
and have all the slaves Of the county present.
He was not heard through, for the speech did
not suit the mob. A Committee of twelve
was appointed to decide Immediately what
punishment the boy should receive That
Committee retired, but soon returned with
Col Reed at their head, who read the follow
ing announcement -
g Your Commttep have decided that the bon
shall recet0e ONE THOUSAND flashes on his bare
back, ttoo hundred to be administered his
erening Gf he can bear it), and the yeDa,nino
eight hundred from time TO time. as an the
judgment Of the Committee his physical nature
can bear up @nder 1t. Also, aoe adpise that a
committee Of three physicians be appointed to
stperintead the operation, and three citizens be
chosen to aohip him. also, that the person
aobose arm 'caS cut by the StaUe hare the pyipi.
Lege Of gjUirg him the last taco hundred lqshes."
The report was almost unanimously adopt-
ed those voting nay being in favor of hang
ing him. The slave was ordered to remove
his clothing, and one article after another was
| taken off until he stood with nothing to cover
his nakedness He was then order ed to kneel
down in front of Col. Reed, while his hands.
extending Oeer the top of bench, were tied
to the floor.
Let the reader now imagine Col. Reed unon
the bench, cigar in mouth, three honored
| physicians on the right, and three bully slave
holders, (whips in hand) on the left, Of moor
slave who was kneeling before them, with his
whole person barred to the chilling atmos-
phere, the thermometer marking zero Out
side the Bar are two or three hundred Border
Rnfhans, all eager for blood. Such was the
scene presented in the Court House of Lex
ngton, in the State Of Missouri, on the last
Friday of 1856.
The whipping commenced, Col. Reed
sprang to his feet with curiosity more than
hundred heads were peering in to get a
sight of their miserable victim. But before
dozen lnshes had been administered tho eloyo