Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-11-04
THE LATE KIDNAPPING CASE
I'M INDIANA
ABDUCTION OF CAPT. BELL.
oUTRAGE0US PR0cEEDINGStI

some nve or SIX runans from LOUISVILLE,
protesting to belong to the police of that
city, made descent upon our place, and
kidnapped Capt, Horace Bell, of Hsrrison
county. Indians. and by fores Of arms car
ried him into Kentucky, without any au-
thority of law xhatexsr@That our readers
mas better upderst aud the nature Of this
outrages and what led 70 it, we will briefly
recapiiuiate some circumstances that pre-
cededjit-1 ZH.a1.ls 5s3 sil a-rlf g ,-as. be-
About year since an old man by the
name Of Bell, together with one of his sons,
residing in Harrison county. nearly oppo-
site Brandenb burg, Kentucky. were kidnap-
ped and carried into kentucky, on suspi-
cion of secreting runaway slaves. There
was no positive evidence going to implcate
the Bellslin anything of the sort, the intor-
mationsbsing given by niscreant who has
several indictments of perjury hanging over
him. However, the Here suspicion was
was sefisisat to put the chivalry
of Kentucky in motion. Accordingly a
gang of rufhans from sBrandenburg came
aevef: 10 the night time, armed with pistols.
bowie knives aBd other. Sespons, but NJ
~ arrant Of law and seized the Tells, a the
oder enc being ssVeBty. PEARS of age.--
fWhalea portion OF the sci,ivalrons Ken,
stuckians were engaged in securing the old
man and bis seaa snother portion of them,
stood guard over the old W oman anda little
girl, Who were the only inmates of the
house, besides the two kidnapped els. o.
% These gallant gentlemen stood over. our
iiadyiwitn drawn weapons, bthreatening To-
blow out her brains if she, made any resist :
ance. aDd yet she was too sick at the time
to get out of bed. The Bells were hurried
over the river and lodged in the Branden-
burg jail, and there confined and guarded,
as criminals Of the darkest dyes for more
than nine months 1.-The friends of Bell,
from this side of the river,, ehdeayored TO
have his trial bropghtso Oh, bot this did not
suit the. convenience Of those who were
prosecuting; they were netsready. An stS
tempt was made to have them. admitted to
bail, but the Judge, in his wisdom, saw
proper 10 fix the amount at $4,000 for the
two-an amount SO excessive! that they
could not give it, Col. Marsh, of Harrison
county, who had Interested bimself actively,
to procure :he Necessary bail, vas, shot
down in the streets of Brsedenburg, in
broad daylight, and his murderer was all
lowed to make his escape, no doubt with
the aid aad connivanee OF the citizens sc
Brandep burg. This had the effect to in,
timidate others frem making similar at
tempts to serve the prisoners and they had
a cheerless prospect before them, although
guilty of no ofense against the laws of.
Kentucky, or of the United States- =,
e In the meantiue, Capt. Horace Bell and
his brother Iohn, who were residing in Cal
ifornia,, bearing Of the condition of affairs,
determined 10 return home to Indiana and,
release their fsther, osb perish in the, At.
aempt. II was nehle and, hlial duty they
undertsakt to perform, and most gallantly
did. they perform. it. All honor to them for
the deed. They could have gatheredaround
them aFegiment Of gallant Indianians, who,
if need be. would not have left one stone.
nppE anoiherfo of the Brsndenburg Jail. But,
they chose rather to under take the work.
OF deliyeraRce themselves and no. impli-
cate others IN the matter, Accordingly
they went over to Brandenburg in a .skiff !,
in btoad dsy--went quietly and unostenta-
tiously TO the prison-were admitted TO see
their father and brother, and in very few
minutes the whole four were on their way
to the river. without any particular violence
being offered to any one, except the little
wholesome restraint imposed upon the lady
who had the Jail in charge.
! They were soon in their skiff and row.
ing for the Indiana shore. Before reaching
midway of the Ohio. the whole population
of BrandeDburg seemed to be in motion >
and rushing down towards the beach -
Capt. Bell arose to his feet and gracefully
saluted them with q Eaye of his, bat ri
Those on shore soon opened npon him a.
furious FIRE Of pistols, shot guns, muekeis,
&c. This was q compliment which, the
Captain we'll knew how to return, with in.
terest, and be opened upon them, with his
Derringer pistol-a- six shooter, q that, viii
kill man at half mile distance ss easy
as at ten PAGES. This had the effect TO dis
perse the crowd, most, OF. " whomAook shelter
in a blacksmith shop, the doors of which
were pretty thoroughly riddled by the dis
charges frcm the skiff., And, thus ended
the second; scene in the Grama. 5,;-.. 80
Whether The Bells bweie ever indicted
for this summary. Jail delivery at -Brandep-
burg, we are not advised; but whether. tn ~ ]
were or, not this kidnapping Of Capt.
Bell was none the less unlswful., outrage
Gus and lcowardly. n We understand, how
ever, that bonye purse was raised by. the
hgh-spirited chiyalry of Brandenburg, and
a reward was offered for the delivery of
Capt. Bell to the public authorities of that
county. What they propose to do with
him after they get him we are at loss 10
conjecture. He violated no law, either hu-
man or divine. He simply observed the
scriptural injunction, to !"open the prison
doors and let the prisoners go free" He
broke open no doors, he forced no locks
What he had to do be did quietly and in
order. and then with commendable brevity |
toak his leave. And. now when they get
him within their clutches we are much
if they don't find themselves some
what in the condition of the man who won
the elephant in the raffle-they won't know
what to do with him. unless they gluttheir
vengeance by hanging him upon some, tree
in the neghborhood- and this it has been
limited they propose to do. - Il
But this was no concern OF the blood
hounds who kidnapped him on Saturday,
1t was the rewar1-the money--that excl