Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-04-08
CLEVELAND, FRIDAY MORNING. APRIL 8, 1859

I ~
mr. Bacon, came TO Oberlin to identifv John
and TO assist Mr. Jennings, acting under his di.
rechons. l made no stipulation with Mr.. Ba-
con as to price for my services Have seen
John frequently, aud have worked upon Mr.. Ba
cons farm with him lie was a black negro
There are various grades Of negroes at the South.
some are unusually light, and are called mixed,
like those Of Oberlin. When arrived at Ober.
I'm, on Monday, the 9th of September, / spent
tue night at Wack's tavern. The next day |
saw Mr.. Dayton, the Deputy United States
Marshal. wrote to Mr.. DAYTON that / wished
to see him. | told him my business. Jennings
came to Oberlin on q think Wednesday even
ing. Told no one of my business, as lido not
make practice Of telling my business until |
Know whom am talking to- When John rode
OIL with Shakespeare, | followed with the inten.
tion of taking him. When overlook him |
got out Of my buggy and told John 10 get out
OF Shakspeare's buggy into mine which he did
we Davis, Lowe and MYSELF were armed. l
had revolver and an Arkansas tooth pick. ,
CThe "tooth-pick," dirk with blade of about
SIX inches In length, was shown to the Court by
the witness When we overlook Shakspeare. we
drove alongside and DAVIS jumped out and took
John Think Lowe showed the power ofattornev
to John. John had a small knife in his hand. Told
him to give it to but he said he had rather put
It IN his pocket. Iput my hand into the pocket
where my revolver was and told him to give
the knife to me He dropped it and picked
tup. After we had got John into our buggy.
Shakespeare turned around and started for Ober.
lin. This was about noon We STONED nj
Wadsworth's tavern. All ate dinner together
which was the first time ever ate at the same
table with niger. After dinner the landiady
told US there were good many men in the
house and it might not be safe to 90 up the
same flight of stairs which we descended, and
we went up another flight John asked If his
master would sell him TO go South if he re.
turned. Told him did not know. One man
who said he was a lawyer by tho name of Dick
inson, read the power Of attorney John went
out upon the platform and talked to the crowd
DID not see or hear any one in the crowd beck
ON or call John to go down. Saw John takep
away by the crowd, and have never seen him
since, and don't want to. This Mitchell is n
son Of the Mitchell who wounded the noted
Tom Marshal in Kentucky few years since
Chduneey Irish, StrOrR.--Lived in wellington
last September Was there at the time of this
rescue Do not know Bushnell. Witness
withdrawn.)
Betd Fdrr, StCorn.-Live at 1berlin. Went
from OberIn to Ashland the day of the rescue.
Was at Wellington about one o'clock DEPUTY
Marshal Dayton rode with me from Oberlin. -
Went from Oberlin to Ashland and returned
the next day. Heard Bushnell and another
man talking one evening in relation to some
ono that suppose was this boy John, (obiection
by MI BAcKUs to this conversation Bush
nell remarked that he supposed that if havino
brought him up from Wellington was a crime
he supposed he was guilty Who he meant by
"him' witness could not say That is all l
heard.
BGrnabas MeaehGm stoorn-Resided at We'll
lington last September. Am constable of the
township. Was present at the time of this res
cue Saw the negro taken out and put into the
buggy. The carriage was then driven Of There
were from 500 to 1000 in the crowd. had a
warrant for the arrest of the men who had the
negro, and the crowd asked me why l did not
do my duty and enforce it, Saw Mr. Mande-
VILE, Mr Soules, MIR. Sciples, Esq. Bennett and
MIR. Dixon examine the warrant. l asked Mr..
Lowe if he would go to the town hall and have
this matter examined and he rather refused |
asked him to go out and read his warrant and
! b0 sgtplH.NVent nut with me. under my promise
| from the tavern a few rods south to some steps
and commenced reading. Some one took hold
and read for him. Read the power of an AT
tOrney. There were then good many about
him. These steps were in the square This
was Just at dusk. The warrant having been
read we went back. Some were then satisfied
and others gave up that had no power TO act
farther. told the people that they had war,
rant and that l should not take them, theil
power being ahead of mine Did not hear VIC
len3e offered | called the attention Of th,
crowd to this reading When l was in th'
room with the negro and the men in charge o
him, they did not claim to be taking him bacl
on the power Of attorney, but on another war
rant.
| u. S. WddSiUOrth, FicOrn.--live at yelling
ton, was there on the 18th Of September last
Saw the negro put into the buggy. Shoul,
think there were from 400 to 1000 in the crowd
The general topic of conversation was tina
they would "bring him out" "brcak in tn
house," DC. Among those particularly actiy
were Messrs Wadsworth, Watson, Loveland
Sciples, BUSHNELL Watson, two or three Wheel
ers IOyejoy, Warner, Hudson, Houk, Phelps
Bassett, Hines, Perkins, and Wolfe. The dc
fendant, Bushnell, came up and spoke to me-
Saw Bushnell drive of with the buggy wit
negro,
Cross eramined,-At the time when Low
read his papers | could not hear him read, an
two, thirds Of the crowd were farther of than
was
Isaac Bennett, sloorn Am Justice of tn
, Peace at Wellington Was present at the tim
of this rescue. There were 1000 or MOI
: persons in the crowd that gathered. The great
or part of the gathering was in consequence
tho fire of the night before, being mostly froI
4 the township. Saw perhaps fifty with guns i
a the crowd. Heard tue remark made that the
a would have the boy at any rate, Lowe an
= those with him sent down for me TO 60 II
+, stairs Having done so they directed mo to 6
4 down aud tell the crowd that if they would ia
back, he would 90 down and show his paper
| went out on the balcony and asked to be hear
4 A colored man below said, pointing his gu
: towards me, "bring down the man" Not b
A ing able 10 speak to the crowd, took hold oftl
4 ladder, aud told the men not to come up. n
4 one came Several guns were pointed at n
= while on the balcony. Saw the warrant fro
y the Commissioner at Columbus and the pow
!. Of Attorney. So far as know they were !
!. gal
} At this point Court adjourned until o'elo'
n this morning