Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-10-19
Proceedings of the Meeting ar Frank
fort i'm the Case of Geo. w. shaw.


fort in the Case of Geo. w. shaw.
AZ meeting of the citizens of Franklin
county, Alabama, held on Tuesday, 2Sth
Sept, 1853, it being the second day of the fall
term of the Circuit Court for said county,
the Hon. VIM. B. Wood, of Florence, was
called to the Chair and L. B. Thornton APP
pointed Secretary.
The object of the meeting was then ex-
planned to be to adopt measures in relation
to G. w. Shaw, who is now confined in the
jail in Pittsburg, Pa, under Indictment for
the part he took in retaining fugitive slave,
belonging to Geo o. Ragland.
On motion, the following Committee was
appointed TO report to the meeting: l.. b.
Thornton, of Franklin county; Hon. S. d.
Halle, of Madison county; Hon. George 5.
Houston of Limestone county; Hon. K. W.
Walker, of Lauderdale; Hon. E. A. O'Neal,
of LauderdaIe; Hon. R. B. Lindsay, of Frank
lin; Hon. r. o. Pickett, of Lawrence, and
Hon. Lem. Cook, of Franklin.
The Committee made the following report ::
"Tbe Committee understand the following
to be the facts in reference to the arrest ana
Imprisonment, in the city Of Pittsburg, OF u.
W. Shaw. formerly a citizen Of Tuscnmbia,
Franklin county, Ala. A negro boy. named
Wash. the property of Geo. q. Ragand, es-
CAPPED from his master about the year 1882,
and went to Pittshurg. Pa, where, under the
name of George Washington Farrls. he re-
manned some five or six years. Geo. w. Shaw,
having also removed to Pittsburg, met this
bow Wash. and recognized him as the slave
whom he had formerly seen and known IN
Tuscumbia as belonging to the said Ragland.
informed Ragland of the fact of his living IN
Pittsburg.
In the year 1857 the said slave, Wash, re-
moved from Pittsburg TO the State of Missouri,
and Mr. Ragaud having been advised of that
fact employed VIM. r. Julian, a citizen of
Tuscumbia, and said G.. w. Shaw, who still
resided in Pittsburg, TO 90 to Missouri and
capture him. They found the said slave Wash,
in Brunswick in the State of Missouri, where
they arrested him and brought him back to
his master in Tuscumbia. The said negro ac
knowledged when arrested, that he was the
slave of the said Ragland, and on his return
was recognized by many of the citizens of
Tuscumba to whom he had been well known,
before he made his escape to Pittsburg, as the
boy Wash, who had previously escaped from
said Ragland The said G. W. Shaw. after
the arrest of the said negro. returned to Pitts
burg. where he was Immediately arrested upon
charge of kidnapping a free person. He
has been indicted in Pittsburg for that offence,
and is now and has been since March last, in
Jail on that charge.
OF the fact that the boy captured by Julian
and Shaw having been born slave, aud of
his being slave always, there can be no
dOubt.
In view of the foregoing facts there has
been committed no offence against the laws OF
Pennsylvania by Shaw, and therefore the
| Committee believe that the prosecution Of
the said Shaw is the prompting of tanaticism,
and not for the vindication of violated law.
And they believe furthermore, that the facts
of this case should be brought before the
people of the South and North.
L. B. THoRNTON,
s. d. HALE,
G.. S. HOUsTON,
r. w. WALKER, c,,.,;,,,.
r. B. LINDSAY, O0''''''''''''
+. A. O'NEAL,
r. 0. PICKETT,
LEM Cook,
On motion, all papers were requested to
publish the proceedings of this meeting.
The meeting then adjourned.
WIN. B. WOOD, Chm'n.
L. B. THORNTON, Secretary.