The prairie news. [volume] (Okolona, Miss.) 1851-1875, 1858-11-11

IWtFNuH vi DuHudy last :
"A singular trial has just been conclu
ded at Pittsburg, in which white mai
and very white negro, formerly Of thi
State, figured, the latter the original, /
is said, of Mrs. Stoves George Har
ris," in Uncle Toms Cabin 1t ap
pears that several years ago, while work
Ing at his trade as a bricklayer, in Mem
phis, George Shaw made the acquaintance
OF slave named Wash, then in the
employ of George O. Ragland, of Ala.
bama, to whom he had been hired by his
master, gentleman named Miles Owens,
and now Il citizen of Tennessee. Rag-
land subsequently purchased Wash, of
Owens, and the boy being quite an excel
lent bricklaycr and an active, intelligent
young fellow, he soon became one of the
most priced and valuable oil Ragland's
hands. He could both read and write,
was an excellent workman, genius in his
way, and was, withal, possessed of IA skin
as white as the purest bloodcd Caucasian
that ever lived. But it appears that
WASH was little too smart, for he ram
away from his master, and after many
" halr-brcadth escapes" found his way to
Pittsbnrg. A reward of $500 was Offer
ed Tor his apprehension, and circulars dc.
serlblng the fugitive We're scattered over
;the country. Pursuit, for the time being,
however, was vain, and Wash, or, as we
must now call him, George w. Ferris,
Tor that was the name he assumed, set
tied in Pittsburg, and was soon known as
one OF the most Industrious and reSpecta.
bic mechanics within its limits. He pass.
ea there as a white man, and, some twelve
months after his arrival in the city. /
married a handsome and respectable girl,
by whom he has had two children.
Shaw, too, came to pitisburg, and.
though he had not seen Ferris for wears.
ne came in very strange way to recog-
MISE hlm. Mrs. Stowe, in her "kev to
uncle Toms Cabin published an adj
Verlsement from Southern paper. in
which stakeholder of A., -il,dy 4,dtFers
$500 reward for the return~-r.a.a....il.n....e
negroes, who had absconde sIIs fi!n r. /
was Ragland, and Ferris the negro whose ,,
capture he desired. The description of
he fugitive was minute, and Shaw hav-
ne read it, identified Ferris, the moment ,
le saw him, as the runaway. He i'm ,
nedlately communicated the discovery
kagland, but it was deemed imprudrnt ;.
attempt to arrest the fugitive in that
ot-bed OF Abolitionism. Shaw. however. !.
ept his eye upon Wash, alias George w. !;
efflS, until IN the latter part of 1857. =
men Ferris went to Missouri in search :
work. Shaw followed him, and while I
Brunswick, in that State, had him or. !,
'sted' and taken back to his master in +
.labanla, who paid Shaw the $500 he =
al offered for Wash's apprehension "
nav returned to Pittsburg, and Mrs.
errls, the wife of Wash, had him arres. Fl
d upon charge of abducting, or kid S
'pplng her husband. On the 18th inst Vi
case came up for trial in the Criminal i,
curt: Mrs. Ferris and beautiful white dl
'lred child, the slaves daughter, were NJ
court during the trial, which continued to
rec days, and of course excited not
ly the sympathies of the Abolitionists
her, but their feelings of revenge Il
alnst Shaw. On the 10Th the jury re- cd
fned a verdict of guilty as charged in
Indictment. BY the laws of Penn. ga
lvanla, kidnapping is a Penitentiary, til
ehse' ana we suppose Shaw has been al
nslgned to that institution for simply =
urning to Mr.. Ragland his property
Since preparing the foregoing, we find
the published proceeding Of meeting CO. G,
citizens OF Franklin county, Ala, the NJ
lowing facts in relation to this case. =
" The Committee understand the fol- ~
wing to be the facts in reference to the
'est and Imprisonment in the citv If
!tsburg, of G. W. Shaw, formerly ~ ~
lzen of Tuscumbia, Franklin county "
Il. A negro boy, named Wash. the BA
'perty of G. o. Raglaad, escaped from
master about the year 1852, and went bA
Pittsburg, Pa, where, under the name
George Washington Ferris, he remain
some i've or six years. Geo. w. Shaw. ~,
'lng also removed to Pittsburg, metlhis d.
Wash, and recognized him as the CA
We whom he had formerly seen and
'wn In Tuscumbia as belonging to the -.
| Ragland, and informed RaeIapd If cH
fact of his living in Pittsburg. co
In the year 1857, the said slave
sh, removed from Pittsburg to the FL
te OF Missouri, and Mr.. Ragiand hay.
been advised of that fact, employed GU,
J. IL. Julian, a citizen of Tuscum6ia LAI
sad u. w. Shaw, who still resided ~.
1ttsburg, to go to Missouri and can. Mo
him. They found the said slave POI
3d. IN Brunswick, in the State of Mis-.
!, where they arrested him and brought RiC
Dack to his master in Tuscumbia.- SIC Snt:
sad negro acknowledged. when ar.
,d' that he was the slave of the said
land and on his return was recogniz.
y many of the citizens of Tuscumbia c,,o
nom he had been well known before :
iade his escape to Pittsburg, as the VIII
Wash who had previously escaped
said Ragland." r."