The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-02-07


THE FUGITIVE SLAVE TRAGEDY.
Arrest of Fugitive slaves-A Slave Mother Kills
Der Child rather than see it Returned to Slavery.
From the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette, Jan -
Great excitement existed throughout the city
the whole of yesterday, in consequence of the
arrest of party of slaves, and the murder of
her child by slave mother, while the officers
were in the act of making the arrest. A party
of seventeen slaves escaped from Boone and
Kenton counties, in Kentucky, (about sixteen
miles from the Obio,) on Sunday night last,
and, taking with them two horses and Sleigh
drove that night to the Ohio river, opposite to
Western Row, in this city. Leaving the horses
and sled standing there, they crossed the river
on foot on the ice
Five OF them were the slaves of Archibald
K. Gaines, three of John Marshall, both living
in Boone county, short distance beyond Flor
ence, and six of Levi f. Daugherty, of Kenton
county. We have not learned who claims the
other three.
About seven o'clock this morning, the mas
tiers and their agents arrived in pursuit of their
property. They swore out warrant before
j. l.. Pendery, Esq, United States Commission
er, which was put into the hands of Deputy
United States Marshal George S. Bennett, who
belonging to son of Joseph Kite, the third
house beyond Mllcreek. The son was former
ly owned in the neighbOrhOOd from which they
had escaped, and was bought from Slavery by
his father
About ten o'clock, the Deputy United States
Marshal proceeded there with his posse, inclu
ding the slave-owners and their agent, and Ma
jor Murphy, Kentuckian, and large slave
holder. Kite was called out, and agreed to
open the door, but afterward refused, when two
Kentucky officers, assisted by some of the Dep
uty Marshals, forced it, whereupon the young
negro man Simon, the father of the children,
fired arevolver three times before he was over
powered. By one of these shots, Special Mar
shall John Patterson, who raised his arm to
reach the pistol, had two of the fingers of his
| right hand shot of, the ball afterward striking
his lip In the house were found four adults,
VIZ; old Simon aud his wife, and young Simon
and his wife, and four children of the latter, the
Oldest near six years, and the youngest a babe
OF about nine months. One of these, however,
was lying on the floor dying, its head cut almost
entirely of. There was also cash about four
inches long in the throat of the eldest, and a
wound Oh the head Of the other boy.
The officers state that when they questioned
the boys about their wounds, they said the folks
threw them down and tried to kill them.
The young woman, Peggy, and her four
children, belonged to Marshall, and her hus.
band and the old map Simon. and thu old woman
Mary, to Gaines. Old Simon and Mary are the
parents of young Simon.
Inc other nine OF the party, we were inform.
Gu, were put upon the cars yesterday by di-
rector OF the underground railway, and furnish.
ed with through tickets.
Those arrested in Kites house were talxep
to the United States Court rooms about twelve
| o'clock, and guarded there until three o'clock.
when Commissioner Pendery came and opeued
his Court
Gaines appeared to claim his negroes. Mar
snail was represented by his son, but, as he had
no power of attorney from his father. the case
was postponed until nine o'clock this morning,
IN order to give him time to supply this omis
sion.
The iugitives were then taken to the Ham
mond street Station House, to be kept over
night The Marshal attempted to get a hack
TO carry them there, but the crowd frightened
all the hackmen that were called, so that they
declined. They were afraid their carriages
would be broken by the mob
About an hour after they were taken there,
Mr. Gaines came along with the dead body of
the murdered child. He was taking it to Coving-
ton for interment, that it might rest in ground
consecrated to Slavery.
az aooul a Cioch, u LaUeaS corpus was lSSu-
ed by Judge Burgoyne, and put into the hands
of Deputy Sheriff Jefferson Buckingham. He
went down to the Hammond street Station
House, accompanied by posse, and took DOS
session of the fugitives. Deputy Marshal Ben
nett refused at first to give them up, but at
length, after consulting with Mayor Faran.
came and agreed to compromise by permitting
them to be lodged for safe keeping in the coun,
ty Jail. During this debate, Lieut.. Hazen, who
has charge of the Hammond street Station
House, refused to admit the gentleman who
swore out the habeas corpus. When Gaines,
the master, came along, he was freely admitted,
and this gentleman walked in behind him, but
was seized by Lieut.. Hazen, and put but
Deputy Sheriff Buckingham having put the
tugitives in a bus, got in himself, and directed
1t to be driven TO the Jail, but Mr. Bennett iump
ed on the box, and ordered the driver to drive
to the United States Court rooms. Here an.
other fuss ensued, and Bennett, by the assistance
OF special Marshals, run the fugitives up into
his office. But Buckingham sent for Sheriff
brashear and large force, and by these they
were retaken and finally lodged 10 the county
jail about o'clock last evening.
They are now in the custody Of the Sheriff.
and 1t is said will not be forthcoming to attend
Commissioner Penderys Court this morning.
Judge Burgoyne, after issuing the writ, start.
ed to Columbus. 1t is presumed he will be
back at ii o'clock this morning, the hour at
which the writ is returnable
INQUEST ON THE DEAD CHILD
Coroner Menzies held an inquest Yesterday
afternoon, on the body of the murdered slave
child. Its throat appeared TO have been cut
by single stroke of knife, and it died few
minutes after the arrest Mr.. Sutton, who lives
next door to Kites, testified that after the other
slaves were arrested by the officers, Mr.. Gaines
the master, took this child, and was in the act
of carrying it of, when objections were made
to 1T being removed before an inquest was held
de at length surrendered it to Mr. Sutton, in
whose arms it died.
The inquest was not concluded but will he
resumed at o'clock this morning, at the Coro
ner's office.
THE OBJECT OF THE HABEAs CORPUS
1t is said that it can be proved that these
slaves have frequently been in Ohio in company
with their masters; and the question will be
raised before Judge Burgoyne, on the trial ofI
the habeas corpus, whether such bringing them
into free State has not rendered them free
THE RECENT SLAVE SLAUGHTER
Cincinnati, Jam 30.-In the Upper House of
the Ohio Legislature, to-day, Mr.. Brown intro
duced preamble and resolution reoitinp the
circumstances OF the recent slave case in Cincip
nat, denouncing the participators in the arrest,
aud requiring the Judiciary Committee TO in,
qulre into 1t, and report law TO prevent the
recurrence of such cases in Ohio. After debate,
the resolution was adopted, but afterward recon
sidered and referred to a committee.