Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-11-27
THE CANADA RESCUE CASE.

THE CANADA RESCUE CASE.
Our readers have not forgotten the circumstan
ces attending aud following the late of col
nred boy from the hands of Mr.. w. R. Merwin
while passing through Chatham. C. W. on the
ralroad. The colored feople who effected the
rescue had good reason to believe that the boy was
claimed as a slave; but Merwin in order to facil.
ate the boys recovery and serene himself from the
charge 0fkidnapping, dfte,wdrds declared that he
was free. His representations appear to save won
tho confidence Of the magistrates and people of
Chatham, insomuch that the rescuers were heavi.
ly fined and ordered to stand cummit,oduntl their
fines should be paid. As We have already stated.
tn" mother Of the rescued boy was found at Pat
erson. n. j., and we suppose she has gone To
Canada tn give her testimony and claim her son.
There il little room for doubt that Merwin intend
ed TO kidnap the boy and sell him as a slave The
following saf6davit of his employer DR.. Wood Of
this city. has been forwarded to Canada; and we
hope it may induce the magistrate to release the
rescuers from imprisonment and remit their tines:
"A. S. Stamdard
New YoRK, Oct. 18th 1858
TO all WhOm ii may concern.
| would .ay that w r Merwin is distant rel
ative of nine. his mother being my own cousin
| am and have been familiar with his history fn
many years. lie was horn, as he has "ften trlc
me. in P,rkman, Geauga County. Ohio. Iii,
mother resides with her second husband in Ne
Henry County illinois, From an early date Mer
win followed ped1ling various goods and wares
for liyins. and in the capacity of peddler |
first became acquainted with him in Lenawee
Cnuaty, Michigan, some eight or ten years ago
Some five or six years ago he slapped a. my house
in ST. Louis. Missouri on his way to California
where he then went, as know. he having kept
~ n correspondence with me all ,he time. lie
returned to the City ui New York in Dccem
her 1856. and remained there shme three or -four
weeks, all the time in the employ Of o. J Wood
It Co., TO which firm the writer belongs: and con
tinued to do 10 until the present time. and it,
winter.
But early in the spring he returned North, and
has since travelled with team for o j Wood &
Co.. and job Moses. Of Rochester. n. Y
And a. il is within the writer's knnwledge that
he has bad no .means or money except what he hn>
drawn as salary fnr travelling and M he hm-el
drew hut litle of that salary until he got to this
city, except such amoun a. he has ordered 10 be
sent to his mother from time to time, it ia quite
certain he had no means while travelling in tn"
South with which to purchase negro.
But some live or six weeks before he was NJ
Chatham (at the time the boy was fortunately ta.
ken from him), the writer. at Auburn, n, Y.
learned that Merwn had this negro hoy with him
L. occurred TO me at once-and could not force
the conviction frnm ny mind. knowing rs l did
his (Merwin) priuciples-tha' it was some boy he
had picked up probably at Buffalo and that he it
tended to take him South and sell him a slave
And % knew he must come tn New York t.
settle with hcfnre he went South. whittier we
designed tn send him soon again, thought !
would not let him know " hat learned in Auburn
until he arrived in New York.
When he did c,me, asked him what he meant
by carrying the negro hoy with him. in'imating
thnt he meant to do SD at our expense. and that I
feared he intended to force the boy away and
show foul play 10 him in She end. This he denied.
stating that the boy sent with him by
job Muses.. of Rochester, he (Moses) paying
all his expenses. for the purpose of distrib.
uting circulars in the different towns through
which he might pass, and made M claim to the boy
whatever. His explanation to me seemed reason
able, and was accepted But when, through an
article copied from the Detroit Free Press. saw
he claimed the boy his slave, and claimed to be
the owner Of father and mother, brothers and
sisters. had every reason to believe that Mer~in
never ha l the least shadow of claim to the negro
child whatever; and papers produced showing bill
of sale or his appointment as guardian should be
proved 80 10y the testimony of parties known to
have been formerly legal nwners of the boy. lti
proper to say, IN conclusion. that writing to Mr..
Moses TO know if he the boy 10 distribute cir
eulars. as alleged by Merwin Mr. Moses informed
me he did not, and never heard of him until he saw
him with Merwir after he left New York and had
told the writer the story already related make
this statement from sense of duty and as an act
# justice. U. D, "ooh
Scon JeJ6re me. this 1871 day Of October, 1885,
JAEss W. FARR, Commissioner OF deeds.