Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-01-15
Horse Stsaline and Slave Stealing.


The Richmond Enquirer says that some
thing more than II month ago, IA reIulsi'l"l
was made on the Governor OF Virginia, ny
the Governor of Ohio. for the extradition OF Il
certain Jesse VI. Chichester, charged with hay-
inc stolen Il horse in Champaign County,
Ohio. The ease had been fully made out be-
fore the Grand Jury of Champaign County.
and the same evidence upon which the Grand
jury had acted being laid before the Cover
nor of Virginia, the warrant for cXtrtdltlon
was. If course, ISSUED.
Shortly after the issue of the warrant. the
Governor received a curious letter from Chl-
dester. which is published in the Enquirer
Mr.. Chichester desires the Governor, if the
authorities of Ohio demand him, mot To re-
cognise their request, until Ohio first gives
up her f~ugitivcs to the South He gives Il
graphic sketch of the proceedings of tn" abo-
l~itionists in Ohio, and says: Being opposed
to abolitionism. ! resolved 10 leave that pOllt-
ical pool Of stagnated waters. from whose
surface arises the poisonous atttuvla which Is
injecting the Government with the doleiul
disease. consumption. | took ii horse OF an
abolitionist and rode him into kentucky,
and turned him loose i'll the road, resolving IN
my mind. now, sirs, come and get hlm-.you
run off our negroes, We run of your horses.
Now this took place two years ago; and a
am a Southern man, they desire to have me
that they might sift me rs wheat. know l
was violating law. and | knew they violated
it. and | placed myself on the same platform
with them and | desire to fight 1t out with
them. Now, sir, if there is a spot within
vour kind, charitable breast, i'll which can
cast anchor, To stay my cause, make 1t acces-
siblc."
Chichester then proposes that if the North
will make good TO the South all damages
which the South has sustained. in consc-
qucncc of the escape of fugitive slaves 10 the
North, he will give bond and security 10 do
the same to the North: or, if the North will
bring to justice all of her citizens who have
violated the fugitive slave law. he will 20
and give himself up TO the North.
The Barbour Jetfersonian, of the lth inst,
publishes Il statement, III some particulars
differing from that of Chichester. 1t notices
the fact Of his arrest, by virtue of Il warrant
issued by Gov. Wise, and says that Chidc>-
tcr's version Of the affair, substantially con-
coded by the Ohio sheriff who arrested him,
was. that when residing in one of the coun-
ties of Kentucky. bordering on the Ohio riv-
cr. a negro man slave escaped into Ohio, and
Chichester having reason to believe that ne
was lurking in the vicinity Of his (ChldeS-
ter's) mothers, who formerly lived i'll llarri-
son Cuuntv-and for ii number of years has
resided near urbanna. Ohio,-purchased the
negro from the owner. captured him IN
Champaign County, and was i'll the act Of car
rving him back to Kentucky, when a host of
.lbolitioniStS rose in arms, rescued the negro,
and Chichester, seeing his life in danger,
mounted a horse, furnished by Il friend, who
caught it up under the excitement of the mo-
ment. upon which he fled into Kentucky,
turning the horse loose upon the banks OF the
Ohio river. lie was afterwards indicted by
the grand jury Of Champaign County. upon
which a rcquisition was made and granted.
The Enquirer. commenting upon the ease,
while it cannot advocate horse stealing in
Ohio. aS a retaliation for slave stealing in Nir-
ginia, appeals to the North to bear it out in
the position, that the prompt eytradition by
the Governor of Virginia of Il fugitive from
Ohio. charged with horse stealing. requires
equally prompt extradition by the Governor
of Ohio. not only of fugitive slaves from \lr-
sinia, but f~ugitives from Justice charged with
stealing slaveS.-Rich. Djspatch.