The penny press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1859-1860, 1859-10-29
Arrest of a Fugitive slave at Columbus
Excitement on the Railroad-He is
Examined and Remanded into the Gus
EOdy 0f his Masfer

tOdy of his Master.
Sometime during the year 1854 a slave
named John Tyler escaped from the heirs of
the Thornberg estate, in Cabell County, Vir-
ginio, and, coming to this State, took up his
residence at Mt. Gilead, near Columbus, and,
under the name of John Price, has resided
there ever since, with the exception of short
time which he spent in 0berlin.
About q year since, United States Deputy
Marshall, William L. Manson, received from
the owners of the slave description of his
person, and @ statement of the facts in regard
to his fight from Virginia, accompanied
with request to be on the lookout for him,
as there was some reason TO believe that he
was not far from Cincinnati.
month or two ago the correspondence was
re-opened, and the parties were informed that
negro answering the description had been
arrested at Mt. Gilead for burglary. This
proved to be tho case, but the negro had
shrewd lawyers to defend him; for il is said
that they really persuaded the woman he had
robbed to marry him, thus destroying all the
evidence there was against him. He was,
therefore, dismissed by the Court, and although
he was believed to be guilty, 1t could not be
proved.
While this trial was progressing, the Mar
shall became convinced that the negro Price
was the John Tyler who escaped Eve years be-
fore from Virginia, and made the necessary
arrangements for his arrest. He was not long
in completing them, nor was ii long before
they were crowned with success for yesterday
morning the negro was in Columbus, by ap-
pointment, and just as the $50 A. M. train
was leaving that city, he was arrested.
To get him on board the cars, however,
caused somo trouble, for the fugitive is large,
raw-boned, very heavy, and evidently quite
strong, and seeing tho predicament into which
he had fallen, concluded he would not tamely
submit to his fate. He therefore prepared for
q row, and although four persons had hold of
him, he gave them hard fight. He hit the
officers and ragged like tormented lion, SO
great was his Chagrin and vexation.
Of course this caused an immense excite
ment, particularly when it became known that
the prisoner was fugitive slave. The negroes
about the depot raised the alarm, and in few
minutes the cry of "rescue" ran like watch
word from the train to the center of the city,
and the entire black population and part of
the white, rushed to, and almost filled, the
depot.
The officer and his po"e, however, had Sc
cured their man, and the cars started for the
city. Chagrined at the result of the affair
quite as much as the prisoner himself was, they
had resource to the telegraph, and when the
train reached Xenia an immense crowd had
gathered at the depot, and among them was
the Sheriff of Greene County, with writ Of
habeas corpus, which was served upon the
United States Marshal. He refused to take
any notice of it, and told the officer he would
only show cause why he detained the body of
Price after he had reached Cincinnati.
This resistance to the law, as may be sup
posed, created an immense confusion, and an
other rescue was attempted; but before the
storm burst upon them in it's fury, and ere the
train had time to take wood and water, the
conductor relieved the Greene County authori-
ties by starting for this city. At every point
along the line the story was circulated that a
negro had been kidnapped, and at each the
people were intensely agitated. The news
reached this city, but strange to say but few
persons became aware Of what was going on,
and they seemed unconcerned; for the in
habitants of a metropolis are generally quite
blase.
Having arrived, the fugitive was placed in
q carriage, driven to the Custom house, and
Immediately arraigned before United States
Commissioner Newhall, who carefully ex-
amined the case and remanded the prisoner
into the custody of his owners, some Of whom
were present. He was put again into hack
and driven to Covington, where he is still
confined.
The prisoner is dark mulatto, about thirty
years of age, quite six feet high when standing
erect, with well-shaped face and body, and
u pair of sharp, cunning aud almost demoniac
eyes, which have the tendency to make one
uneasy when in his presence. He is, to judge
from his appearance, q bad man, and looks
as if he would prove the worst investment a
planter could make. He will probably be
taken to the South and sold; for certainly, in
State where there has lately been an insur-
rection, it would not be well to have such a
man at large.