The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-08-31
STEAMER EXPRESS OUTRAGE.

night, one week ago.
James F. Gardner, testified that he was one of
the three persons who chartered the boat Just be-
low North Point the rioting commenced recognize
Deford, CosgrOve and Howard as among the rioters;
saw Cosgrove take confectionery from basket;
saw the negroes driven into the forward cabin;
one of the rioters, named Skinner, drew a knife
negro and threatened to kill him; witness told
him who witness and he then dropped the knife;
when the boat arrived at Cambridge witness went
ashore for the officers and assisted in the arrests:
a deputy Sheriff arrested Deford, but the latter
drew knife and threatened to kill the officer, who
released him. witness thought at one time that
Deford was endeavoriug to make peace, but he was
with the crowd who drove the negroes into the
cabin.
Thomas II. A. Hardesty, William II. Bokee and
George Smith, were examined, but knew nothing
of the iot. The latter testified to hearing the fight
but did not see it.
Capt. Colmyer testified that he was captain of
the steamer Express, which had been chartered to
90 to Lloyd Springs Camp Meeting; he was mostly
at the pilot-house, after the boat started, looking
out; was told there was spree; went down and
saw man chasing NEGRO with club; the hatch
was open, and the man, in attempting to hit the
gro, fell into the hatch and was hurt; the negro
escaped; next told by Lewis Frush, who at
tends to the lights, that the party had put the
grove ransacking the baskets belonging to the ne
grOes; Detord among the party, and he said be
would keep things quiet; witness asked Detord to
keep his party quiet; next heard that man had
gone through crowd of negroes, cutting right
and left, and that five had been stabbed; witness
saw three negroes who had been stabbed, and one
who had been knocked in the head and wounded
badly; this cutting appeared to be the last of the
riot; heard nothing about woman being ravished
at that time; heard of it afterwards; a cOlored
said he had been robbed of his watch, which was
afterwards found by some on board and return
ed to him. the boat proceeded slowly to Cambridge,
where she stopped, and some of the parties were
arrested; Deford not arrested; he said he
would not be arrested; the boat then proceeded to
the Camp Meeting; witness don't know if Deford
was trying to keep peace or not he told witness he
would do so; they had white handkerchiets around
| their necks.
Nathan j. Elliott, testified.-Don't know any
thing about the matter. (Witness however told
long storv-said he went into the saloon to sleep,
was awakened, and friend told him there was
| spree; the colored people came rushing into the
| saloon much terrified; then men come in and
say, that was no place for them, and cursing and
swearing, drive them out heard Deiord say to one
in the crowd put up your knife, this is place for
! knives sometime after this, rather large
gro into the saloon, and say to the passengers
there for Gods sake to let him stay there, he had
! done nothing he seemed to be imploring for his
| life; three men drove him out, and witness then
| heard him cry murder; then Mr.. Lloyd, one of the
! passengers said, there enough OF this and the
|
| stop to it; nothing occurred after this when the
| boat reached Cambridge, some were arrested; De-
| ford was aroused and called on deck when he saw
he was to be arrested he resisted and said he would
not be arrested, and put his hand about his person
as II to draw weapon, and called the others to
resist an arrest Deford went to the camp-meeting:
heard nothing about rape till / saw it in papers;
thought it an improbable story some passengers
| were rather timid about going back in the boat
but witness had no fear of coming; the parties
had white handkerchiefs around their necks they
were not put on, as gentlemen usually put on white
| cravats.
Capt COmyer, recaed.-Said he had given no
| authority to DefOrd to act in any capacity the
boat, he had only asked him to keep his crowd
quiet.
Capt John North, testifed.-Saw very little.
heard great deal; passenger on the boat; the
| whole proceedings during the night very dis
orderly, very outrageous saw pistols and knives
iourished in the ladies cabin; saw the terrified ne
gro rush into the cabin crying for mercy; can't
positively recognize all the prisoners thinks Deford
was the leader of the gang; heard Deords
called out by the parties suppose there twelve
or fifteen of the riOters did not think Deford was
| peace maker; heard him say to the negroes they
must not stay there; witness kept in the cabin most
of the time; when at Cambridge, and he was going
to be arrested, Deford said he would blow any s-n
OF b-l's brains out who tried to arrest him, and
called on others to stand up and not be arrested;
witness thinks the last spree was on the ChOptank
| river, but most of the riot while the boat was
on the waters of the Chesapeake BAY; don't know
anything about the ransacking of baskets the
| rape.
Elisha Chalinch testified that he was in the after
cabin, and to hearing the negroes rush down, and
also to parties following them in a menacng man
ner; he awakened first by a man running
against him, and jumped up, wheE the person told
him to lie stil-that they did not want to hurt any
white people; can't recognize any of the prisoners
the lamps were out; witness assisted in taking a
man to Jail at Cambridge, and was struck by his
prisoner; don't know anything about punder of
the baskets; heard Ford's called out eften
did not see the rioting.
Noah Abbott testified that he saw Deiord and
Cosgrove on the boat before starting; that Deford
said he had bought two tickets, and that both were
taken and his friend was not allowed to come; wit
ness told him the committee would make it all right
then went into a saloon where the ladies were;
(witness then corrobOrated the testimony of others
about the negroes rushing into the cabin, &C.. saw
Ford in and out beating the negroes: saw colored
man rush in and implore pteOusly for mercy;
1t made witness heart aache; then heard him
cry murder; heard that he had been stabbed; then
heard gentleman say that there were enough on
board to preserve order and that the passengers
must do it; recognized some of the party at Cam
bridge; they were Jerry Donnelly and Skinner and
two named Robinson and Dorsey.
VIM. IL. Taylor testified that he a passen-
ger the bOat his friends had chartered the boat
and witness sold good many tickets, and volun-
teered to receive tickets at the boat knows Deford
he was abOard after the boat had got near North
Point, heard spree, and Ford said "what in the
h-ll are the boys doing;" witness told Ford to
keep them quiet; said he would do so; after this
there was a spree deck; heard that Skinner had
cut live darSles and run down stairs; Reese then
came and asked who had cut them, and chased
Skinner; he caught him by the collar and Knocked
him down, and stamped on him, and told him if he
cut anybody again he would pitch him overheard;
thought Detord was trying to keep order; witness
and Mr. Wright went into lower cabin to sleep; al
ter awhile witness aroused by trying
to put rope around his neck, and felt hands upon
him. he jumped quickly and heard something drop;
don't know what it was, may be pistol; could not
w thn
an attempt to rob; witness had a good deal OF
money, from sale of tickets, early in the evening;
heard Of rape on the camp ground, but could find
witness to it.
James Lloyd testified, that he was a passenger
on the boat; that he staid in the ladies' saloon all
night; saw the negroes rush in terrified and Delord
and others driving them back; saw the colored
man come in and then driven out, and heard him
cry murder; saw Capt. Colmyer in the cabin, there
were over dozen ladies in the cabin.
Robert Spiman testified. that he was a passen-
ger, and went into the ladies' cabin to sleep; was
aroused; heard great noise; did not anything;
went out of cabin and came back and sat on chair
about half hour, heard murder cried and rushed
out; near the cabin saw man about to run knife
In negro, it was Skinner; witness noticed hin
and followed him; Chatlnch said, he had marked
! him and would have him arrested in Baltimore
} heard Deford swear he would throw Skinner over
board if he showed a knife: saw the darkies rusf
into the cabin, &c; did not see DefOrd more than
once or twice; he was very violent against th(
darkies; afterwards thought he was trying to be
peace maker; did not hear the Captain give DelOrC
} any authority to act on the boat
VIM. H. Sparklin testified, that he saw the ne
: grOes rush in the cabin, &C., and the crowt
chase them out; saw Skinner come up to an ole
negro man, who had run into the cabin and was
driven out, and stab him two or three times; saw
Reese come up and ask who did it, saw Reese chase
Skinner catch him, knock him down and kick him
he told Skinner he should not stab anybody that
: black man had much feeling as he had recog
nzed two of the party at Cambridge; can't say
these three prisoners were in the spree; they were
on the boat Ford said, at Cambridge, he would
shoot the s-n of b-h who would arrest him.
James B. Wright testified that his friend
: chartered the boat, and that he sold good man
tickets for them; stood on the wharfa sold them
thinks he sold tickets to Deord it was dark coul
: not tell exactly what kind of a crowd it was tn
spree commenced first forward, by throwing stool
about among the colored people; saw all of tn
prisoners among the rotous; recognize those VIII
. were arrested at Cambridge; saw Skinner cut fou
T niggers; cut on the head, one on the arIf
;. and one the back, so, Just like locust the
| changed hats and coats and ran about yelling
like so many hyenas; saw pickpocket there toe
d named Snyder, regular thief; witness was wit
Mr. Taylor in the cabin when they tried to CARROT
t him; Taylor went around to Witness and told bin
It that they had rope around his neck, and had
billy pistol at his head, that he kicked somethin
: and did not know whether it lamp or pistol
a they must have come into the cabin over the We
U mems heads saw Reese when he Knocked ski
. ner down; he stamped at him, but always stampe