Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-07-17
Gbe Auti- 5Iauerp Buele.
the Charleston (II) Nows Of the Goth.
LYNCH LAW IN MARYLAND-A MAN
AND WOMAN TARRED AND
FEATHERED.

1t is we'll known that this county for some years
has suffered severely from the loss OF slaves, and
that This number has been SO great that In some
sections there is now an insufhciency of this kind
of labor for agricultural purposes. Few are will
ing to invest their capital in supplying this de-
hciency, on account of its admitted insecurity In
the year 1857, no less than sixty slaves ran away
from their owners, in this county, aggregate
value exceeded sixty thousand dollars. Since
then though escapes have been less frequent, still
they have occurred occasionally, and, save in one
or two instances, no tdngs Of their whereabouts
have been obtained after their departure.
The fact that the negroes who had never been
within many miles of the northern limits OF the
county, making good their escape without leaving
behind them any evidence Of their direction, has
forced the conviction the public mind that they
have derived assistance from some one. So sue
cessful have been past attempts TO run away, that
q few hours start have been ample to prevent APP
prchcnsion. Tfese circumstances have naturally
excited ALARM suspicion and conjecture ON the
part of Shareholders. What led to the infiction Of
the punishment upon Mr.. JAS. L. Bowers, on We'd
nesday night, as far as we can ascertain, resulted
from the following circumstances and facts
Mr.. B. has, for a long time, publicly proclaimed
his antisavery opinions yet avering that he would
not persuade slave to abscond, or assist him if
solicited. In the utterance of these sentiments,
as far as we know, Mr.. B. bad never received any
marked rebuke or persona! injury. Some five
years ago, however, a slave belonging to DIR. Dav-
idson, of Queen AIMS county, ran away, who was
less fortunate than his predecessors, as be was ap
pretended in Delaware and returCe ed to his master
A forged pass or certificate of freedom was found
upon him, evidently disguised, which he uniformly
stated was furnished him by Mr.. Bowers. This
led to his arrest and at the ensuing court q bill
wa7 found The charge was not sustained, from
the impossibilty Of identifying the hand writing
Of the witnesses testifying that he believed it
to be his whilst others testified their belief to the
the witness also teStlfVinp
versation with Mr.. Bowers, three years anterior,
duplicating Mr.. Bowers by his admission, in q
similar transaction, but which evidence was ruled
out by the court the ground of irreeyancy to
the case under trial the result of the trial, be
fore stated, was an acquittal. Since then, suspi'
con has been directed against him, and possibly it
may have been confirmed from the fact that his i'm
mediate neghborhood has suffered to considerable
extent from the loss of this kind Of property. Re-
ports say that the proceeding of Wednesday night
had its origin in recent preparatory consultations
and arrangements of sundry slaves to absrond,
their arrest, and the developments made by them,
connected with various antecedents Of similar
character.
The following are the particulars and attending
circumstances which are currently reported and
believed in connection with the tar and featherng
of Mr. B. From ten to tiirty persons were engaged
in it, one of whom succeeded in decOying Mr..
Bowers from his house, between the hours of 10 and
12o'clock, by pretending to have broken his car
rage, which required assistance to mend it,
Upon Mr.. BIS arrival at the road (which is dis
tant about 100 yards from his house, he was seized
and secured by the party, who quickly proceeded
to place previously selected for the purpose.
His screams were soon heard by his wife, who
Immediately started to the place whence they pro-
ceeded and came up with the party before they had
carried off her husband lie rfears for his safety
partially relieved by being told that he would
receive no personal violence, but that they intend
to take him to Jail for some offence he had com
miued. Mrs. Bowers returned home whilst the
posse carried him to a woods some half mile dis
fant, where he was stripped, tarred and featbered
and, after promising to leave the State within
twenty four hours he was permitted to depart.
They then went into the house of free negro
NAMED Butler, and inquired if certain negro wO
man named Thson was there. To this question
he promptly responded no the house was enter
ed and the Individual soon found, whereupor
they administered to him severe fiogging. The
woman who has strong infusion of the Anglo
Saxoa. was taken some distance from the house
and the upper portion of her person subjected to q
similar application of tar and feathers. This wo
man. it IL alleged, lives in Cecil, and for seyera
wears has frequeally visited almost every section
of the country without any ostensible business
exertng wherever she goes, her wonderful powers
of conf aration and fortune-telling.
At this time she pretended to be collecting
money, but failing to satisfy the party who owed
her, and for what the debts were contracted, sh'
received an application which will take her som'
time to remove. She is represented to be abou
fifty years of age, dwa fish in appearance. searcel,
weighing hfty pounds, and is calculated to exer
great influence upon the more supersttious por
tion of blacks. She leads migratory life, and i
usually found in the houses OF free negroes. He
advent in this county has been followed by the es
cape Of slaves on more than one occasion.