Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1858-07-07
LYNCH LAW IN HMARYLAND-SLAVEP PROP
ERTY-TAR AND FEATHERS.

The slave owners of Kent county, Nd, have,
within year Ur two, suffered heavy losses by
the running off of slaves, not less than sixty
having escaped in 1856, and large number
since. These mysterious escapes created no
little excitement. Some five years ngo Il slave
belonging to DR.. Davidson, Of Queen Annes
county, ran away, but was apprehended in Del.,'
ware and returned to his master. \ forged
pass or certificate uf freedom, it is stated, WAS
found upon him, evidently Disguised, which he
stated was furnished him by a lnsn named JAS.
L. Bowers, OF Kent county, and who wls we'll
known to entertsin strong anti-slavcry sentl-
ments. Bowers was subsequently arrested, and
tried, but for want of sufficient evidence WAS
acquitted. Since then suspicion has been iii:
rected against him, from the fact that his immc>
diute neighborhood Suffered to o considerable
extent from the loss Of this kind Of property,
and Oh Wednesday night Of last week number
Of citizens, setting all forms of law at defiance,
proceeded to his residence and turred and teath-
cred him. The particulars are given i'll the
Kent News as follows:
-" From ten to thirty persons were engaged in
it, one of whom succeeded i'll dccoying Mr..
Bowers from his house between The hours Of 10
and II clock by pretending to have broken
his carriage whicll required assistance to mend
it. Upon Mr.. BIS arrival ut the road, (which is
distant about one hundred yards from his house.
he was seized and secured by the party who
quickly proceeded to place him in Il carriage to
be conveyed to place previously selected for
the purpose. His screams were soon heard by
his wife, who Immediately started to the place
whence they proceeded; and came up with The party
before they had carried off her husband. Her
fears for his safety were partially relieved by
being told that he would receive no personal
violence, but that they intended to take him to
jail for some offence he had committed. Mrs.
Bowers returned home whilst the posse carried
him to o woods some half mile distant, where
be was stripped, tarred and feathered, and after
promising tO leave the State within twcnty.four
hours he was permitted to depart
"They then went to the house of free negro
named Butler, and inquired il Il certain negro
woman named Tiison WAS there To this ques.
ton he promptly responded no-the house was
then entered and the individual soon foani,
whereupon they administered to him a severe
forginy. The woman who has strong infu.
sion of the Anglo saxon, wus taken some dis
tauce from the house, and the upper portion of
her person subjected to Il similar application of
lar and feathers. This woman, it is alleged,
lives in Cecil and for several years has fre.
quently visited almost every section OF the coun.
~ without any ostensible business, exerting
wherever she goes her wonderful powers of con.
juration and fostune-tclling. She is represented
10 be about fifty years of age, dwariish in mp.
pearance, scarcely weighing fifty pounds, and is
calculated to excite a great influence upon the
,n9re superstitious portions of blacks. She leads
II migratory life, and is usually found in the
houses of free negroes. Her advent in this
county has been followed by the escape of
slaves, on more than one occasion.
"TLc common report and statement in jnsti.
iicasion, are, that nothing but sense of wrong
q ri If langer; to the security of this property,
c. I'D have induced many of the most substan
tial and respectable yeoinen of our country to
alopt the course pursued. That the frequent
loss Of slave property for series Of years,
and the apprehensious in the minds OF owners,