New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-12-14
SLAVE-HUNTING IN INDLdyx.
cou,spondsnes Of The n Y. Tribune f

IsDIAsAPoLr, Dee 1855, |
Allow me 10 lay b. fore your readers briefly Tie ts
Of very remarkable fugitive case which lee X
clo.ed at the capital of our Safe. The name ds
all, ped fuaitiye il West" or "Wsstoa," ssdh
c,.imsnt is one Austin W. vallsndinshsu, Of rt~i
fsrt, Kentucky. The negro left Kentucky four tn
wears ago, having escaped from the service OH
master while hired out by him as fireman 90 ssA
Doe. which repeatedly landed On the lndaus end D
pois side of the river, and By which he rsstsd Ash
came free He finally took up his ssode u Nsplss
Illinois ard was caught there by one Els - N w.
of the ella msrt, sssisted BY George VsIsaa isgAs
bic con. They put him in irons and brought \
through Indianapolis on their way south, Went
coIored people procured counsel and TOOK theaa
habes as corpus before Judge Wallace OF The Nos
Con- mon Pleas, who discharged the negro oe'asms
csptos had no certhoate for his remove', 49,
from competent officer. on proof brst msas mss
owed service and tad escaped, as required oy nsr
OF CopeIe,s of 1850 He Was immediately srsx
by the Marshal on q warrant issued by Coun1ex
Res upcH Ii esaidavit Of said Ellis, ana 'ssen eem
tie Commissioner for the hearing OF the csss. ID
counsel for the negro l@essis;; Ensso.% 49,
warrant because the affidavit did not show thahs
fugitive, at the date Of the alleged escape, w The
slave Of his clains ant and becsuse the power Of sO
ney under which The agent acted gas not susbeetaes
according 10 the fugitive slsve Law. These objec.
tiors clearly entitled the negro to discharge from
custody, but the Commissioner overuled the ncios'
and declared that he wopld feel bouad 70 hsS The
case as the fugitive and bis claimant we're both pres
cit, if there were NO legal pspers on he.
The eel for the negro then Med u
stiidayit made by him that he ws IN,
ns MT that he bad never returned u his ser ZIG III
tina. be could prove these faots II reasonaos m
were given him to procure his testimony on ne Oas
liver, giving the names Of his witnesses. Inc Cee
missioner refused the continuance, deciSrog AsW
fugitive had no right under the law Oh 1917 70 ssy
oence in his behalf, and that bis duty was 70 neg
tsse in an err rte ard summary way on Ine G3n
the master. Tie poor fellpw was then forced ~
irisl. The claimant had been sent Tor ana vs ~
sent He swore that the negro was bis save ~ :
bought him In 1870 of the Graham estate, ana na
bill Of ssle Of him, which he bad LEFT a. home ~ y
had OWED him ever sirce bis purchase, "a ~ ~.
coupsel for the regro objected to his testmeg W
hill of sale OF bsiIR produced and being tho b>Au
idence but the Commissioner overruled The oo)susa
ard permitted him. bis son, Mr.. Elus, ana tso W
Witnesses to retail any amount Of hearfay ana ~
aiy evidence, much Of it being mere rumor sso
borbco cd tradition, tfus trsmpIng down ne w.
tied rules by which conrts ATE guided in the invee
ton Of coLtroverted facts. The evidence, hoYsM
dhclosed the fact that The nei 70 had landed on ns
tory " tn bis masters consent; and excluding ~
palpably inadmisssbe there was not sufficient 800
have wsIr anted any Justice Of the Peace 10 lndAl
in rel derrg Judgment for the recovery OF Q mas
repevin, or bis value in action Of trovey.
But the Commissioner made out his certiGcab
the removal Of HE victim, sad srned the c,Sns
with posse 20 guard Tim, upon which hsbee, "a
pus was served upoa the Marshal, requiring ~ :
have the fugitive before Judge Wallace TO shss
what authority he restrained him Of hs liberty. ~
substance Of the Marshals return was that y ~
hin by virtue Of the certificate OF the Com mission
for his removal az fugitive from the seryics sed
Dor Of the claimant. The negro answered radsr ost
denying al the material facts set forth ia the csynts
Of the Commissioner, and thus, a. his coun:eln
posed, putting the claimant npon the prof Of ~
b, fore the Stste Judge; but no Ju 'ge Waia,sl =
ciced that whatever the conduct OF the Comrusnes
might have been he could rot 90 behind hs =
tiics'e, and that the State had no power TO P,xs
shy GRE thus villainously victimzed. Such e ~
ektchiDg in Indiana, and 70 ended case whiea ~
about ten days, Producing intense excitement 80
its continuance, and threatening at times 70 ~
open revolt sgainst the constituted sathorites.
How much longer will the people Of Indisss -
the Free States tsmely submit to law uhich toks;
srd encourages such oahsges as / have deecns :.
How much lorger will our Republican editors e.
iiicicIs deal all their cenupcisticns agsnst N
vilaiDies, when the sane or greater yilsln!es sr
rg enacted in our own borders OB'fK"~