Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1856-10-04
From the y. Y Herald
THE AFFAIR AT CHERAW, s. C.
STATEMENT OF MR. CoLwELL, WHO WAS EXPELLED by
THE VIGILANCE COMMITTEE.

TO The Editor Of tie Heoid
Having seen in your paper Of the 14th inst, q
notice of the arrest uf James Culwell and John
Malon, at Chcrlw s. c.. charged with being ABB
ulition agents aud their expulsion from the State
by the Vigilance Committee. and bein., myself one
of the parties referred to, request the use u your
columns for the purpose of making statement pi
the facts relating to the occurrence. | have been
n resident Of the Southern States for the last three
years, aud for the last six months II resident of
Uheraw, 5. G.. / have been engaged in the bus
ness Of selling window shades, and AT the time OF
my arrest had four men employed with II in said
business. On the evening of Sunday, the 9TH of
September. while stopping with one of my men,
John Malone, Mt the hotel e John Moore, Cheraw
5. c., the people assembled in the barroom
mcRced talking about Kansas and slavery. The
conversation became general, and in the course Of
it Malone. who is mere boy, stated to John Mon
holland that he would vote for Kansas being free
State. and assigned az u reason that he cid not
think that poor white men stood as good chan ;e
to ret living in the slave States they did in the
free States Monholland replied that the Irish
(Maone is Irish) in New York off
than the niggers in the South Several other re-
marks were made insulting to Malone when in
terfered. and told them if ;hey wanted to talk to
talk to me. y man by the name Of McClenahan,
a sturekeeper in the place, then drew his revolver
and threatened to shoot me. ! also drew reYOl-
YER and Il bowie knife, and told them if they wish
ed to night ready-that i was ready to die, II
necessary, in defence of thy right and that of my
friend, to freedom of speech. Seeing deter
mined, they cooled down, and after some further
braggadocia and abuse of the North, dispersed
The next day Malone and myself were arrested,
and brought before what they termed Vigilance
Committee, charged with being abolition agents
The committee held three meetings that day, and
the evidence adduced against was Of the mos
himsy kind. Our having inquired the way to diff
erent places of negroes whom met on the roaC
was brought up as proof of our being abolition
ists also the fact that Malone stopped the hous
Of Doctor Poe to get drink of water. mnuri
ty of the committee were in favor Of tarring anC
featheriug us, but the ma ority finally decided Il
sen / us to the free States We were escorted t
4 Wilmington, n. c., by Sheriff and four deputies
On arriving there we were placed in the hands o
the Mayor of that place While at Wilmington
one OF our escort named Zach Ellarbee, slave
holder, went out through the town and reported
that were aboliti0nists, which caused a mob to
gather around the house where in immi-
nent Danger of being lynched. We could hear
! the mob cry out hang them, hang the id sons
of b-s." &c, Sc. From Wilmington we were
escorted by two conStables to Norfolk, Va, where
we were confined two days and nights in foul
apartment of the Jail, waiting for the steamer to
sail. We were finally placed on board the steam
err and our passage paid to New York. where we
arrived on Monday | have merely to state in
conclusion that 10y this outrage | have been de-
prived Of all my property, and left in your city
an entire stranger.
JAMES COLWELL.