Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1857-06-18
Fugitive Slave Case.


The Cincinnati papers of last Monday
morning give the particulars of an at
tempt to arrest two fugitive slaves in
that city on Saturday last, in which at
tempt the Deputy U. s. Marshal, Jno.
G.. Elliott, was dangerously and perhaps
mortally stabbed by the negro man, who
was afterward shot, and probably woun-
ded fatally. The particulars are about
these, which we CLEAN from the Gin
%cinnati EaQuHer's report of the case
About seven years ago Colonel G. A
Withers, of Covington, Kentucky, (Su-
pcrintcndent of the Covington and Lex
ington Railroad) purchased from his
nephew a slave woman, whose husband
was owned by a gentleman in the i'm
mediate neighborhood. The purchase
was made solely with the view of pre-
venting the separation of the slaves, as
the Colonel's nephew was about to To-
cate in Missouri. Two years afterward
the owner of the slave man died, and
his son, becoming heir to the estate,
desired to dispose of the man by send
ing him to the South and offering him
for sale. Colonel Withers again came
forward and prevented tho separation
of man and wife by purchasing the
husband.
He located the pair in a good house,
well and conveniently furnished, and
treated them in the most kind manner,
as every one acquainted with the Col
onel will testify hat nothing but the
"milk of human kindness flows through
his veins" Recently the managers and
agents of the Underground Railroad
have been %tampering with the slaves,
and on Saturday evening, June 10,
they made their escape.
From information obtained, it was
ascertained that the slaves of Col.
Withers were secreted in a room on
Vine street, occupied by MIR. A. Con-
molly, one of the editors of the Cincin-
natl Commercial. This room was closely
watched on Friday night, and on Satur-
day morning the Deputy U. S. Marshals,
having the proper official documents,
proceeded to make the arrest.
The officers went up stairs to the
room, and one of them knocked at the
door; no response being given, Mr..
Elliot clambered up to the transom win
dow over the door, and, looking in,
remarked that "thcy were there, for he
saw their dinner" Forcing his body
partially through the transom, he saw
the parties in a small room adjoining,
and exclaimed, "herc they are" He
then endeavored to get into the room,
but instantly fell back upon the floor,
his feet, and said he was stabbed.
Marshal Anderson then ~endcavored to
kick the door in, but not succeeding,
graspcd an old bcd-Pest near-by-and
burst it open. At this moment a shot
was fired at the negro, who was stand
ing fronting the door, knife in hand.
He fell to the floor, and after a short
in which he fought desperately,
the knife was wrenched from his hands
and he was pinioned.
In the mean time Mr.. Elliot had gone
down stairs, and was assisted to the
Office of the United States Marshal, on
the opposite corner, when it was dis
covered that he had received two wounds;
one of a most serious nature in the left
breast, near the shoulder, and a flesh
cut upon the inside of the arm, at the
elbow.
The wound of the negro was in the
cavity of the stomach, but the locality
and direction of the ball could not be
discovered. In all probability it will
prove fatal.
The ownership of the slaves being
proved, they were remanded back
to their owner, and a warrant issued for
the arrest of Connolly, under the act
Furnishing the offence of ~harboring flu
gitive slaves.