Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-02-20
KIDNAPPERs IN PITTSBURGH.

IN PITTSBURGH.
On Saturday Of last week q man, named Shaw,
was arrested in Pittsburgh on a charge of conspir.
acy with one Ruggles, an Alabama stakeholder, to
kidnap the little daughter of Mrs. Mary Ann Fer.
rs Of that city. Shaw it is believed has been al
ready successful in kidnapping and consigning to
slavery the father of this little girl, and has been
for some time past plotting this last villiany. We
find the following particulars of the case in the
Pittsburgh Gazette of the 18th inst. The child is
said to be white, beautiful and only three years of
age.
This Ruggles, or Raglan, as SOME of the news.
papers call him, is the half-brotber of Ferris whom
he kidnapped. His father ,ustains to Ferris the
double relation of father and master. and in his
name his other hopeful son now attempts to kidnap
his grand daughter, the innocent little Harriet,
born of a Pennsylvania mother, q white woman
and we may add of a white father also, for though
George w. Fe-ris's mother was a mulatto slave, he
had 30 little of the African in his appearance that
his wife is said never to have suspected him of any
faint of negro blood. 1t is to be hoped than this
unnatural brother now seeking the enslavement of
his little niece, may yet have a safe Judgement in a
certain substantial edifce in Allegheny city, and
thus his ~piratical deprodstions upon his relations
and society at large, be Tor a time suspended. The
Gazette says:
"The history of this case exhibits considerable
villiany on the part Of. Shaw. Ferris the father of
the child mentioned. who has a very small portion
of African blood in his veins, was several years
ago, as is stated, a slave in Alabama, but by some
means escaped to the North, where he followed the
occupation of a bricklayer, and passed for a white
man. In course of time he married a white wo.
man, by whom he had one or two children, Some
time last summer, Ferris was working on some
new buildings on Fifth street, in this city, in com,
pany with Shaw. who is also q bricklayer. Shaw
by ONE means learned the former history of his
fellow workman. and, after communicating with
parties in Alabama, formed a plan of returning
him TO bondage. BY some inducements he per
scheme was finally carried into effect, and Ferri,
is now toiling on one of the plant
atoms OF Alabama, and his wife and children lef
f to the mercy of fortune. An acc cunt of this cos,
has recently been published in the papers through
out tho country"
The Gazette of tho 10th gives further particulars
ii THE FUGITivE SLAVE CAsE.-Sono of the hide
r Gus features of the sum of all villainies occasion
ally protrude themselves upon US in al
their native ugliness. We noticed in brie
! yesterday morning the case of a man named FeI
e ris, who used to work in this city, having been or
n trapped by a wretch named Shaw into Alabama
and returned to the hands Of q slave-driver Their
1 named Raglan, or Ruggles. George W. Ferris wa
Il Il white man, to all appearance. He married
e white woman and being a skilliul mechanic wa
able to earn q good living. lie is one of the me
you may meet every day at the South, bought an
sold like old shoes, who perhaps have a right
u claim some Colonel or General or Senator for
b father. These great men have u natural horror f
all abolltionists, because the colOnels, etc., etc., {
70 say that the "abOlitioners" are in favor of anna
CATION! Humph! His wife's maiden name WI
u Mary Ann Wickham, and her mother now lives
y this city, on Fifth street. In March, last year, Fe
10 ris and his wife separated, he going to st. Lou
II with a troupe of singers. His wife had one chill
. a daughter, by him which is said to be very ia
and even beautiful, now three years of age. I'll
.e man Shaw, who is now arrested in this city char
n ed with attempting to kidnap this child, as it
alleged he has the father and returned him to tn
Raglan, or whatever his name may be, in Alabam
is said to be the same who made some excitemel
" !" here over two years agoSin July, 1861. lie W,
. at that time arrested on the premises OF Mrs. Ga
diner, in the 9th ward, with matches, augur
n cn.croform. and q. the necessary arrrangemen
n for burglary and plumber. lie only escaped b
cause we did not have somebody like, Mayor Wea
er to bring him up to the ~ring-bolt. He appear
from boasts he has made and from facts that ha
n transpired in reference to his actual thefts and til
ATTEMPTED one, to belong to the class of pimI
burglars and slave-catchers, one equally US hone
10 able as the other.
1t is intimated that Raglan is in the city no
waiting the operations Of Shaw. We advise hi
to keep shady.