Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-08-18
Men Stealing In HllnOls-Interesling Finale
Ora late Kidnapping Case.

the hunting ground OF the men-stealer
and it is stated that within the past to
years, scores, perhaps hundreds, Of free me
guilty Of colored skin, have been kidnappe
and sold into a bondage that never ends
The law is powerless to punish the william
who thus deal in stolen flesh and blood, or
bring the captiyes back. There are dozen
Of counties in which no man Of color is saf,
and there are men who live by maxim
negroes their prey. The Chicago Tribun
says "tbere is hope in the future. Tn
corruptions, which atacit assent to the right
fulness Of ehattel slavery has introduced int
the public conscience, are wearing out. Tn
conscience ofthe State stirs and visibly throb
under the shocks which well directed trutl
has given it. and gives the following in
teresting account of the finale Of the recen
kidnapping case at Clifton. Illinois.
On Sunday, June Sd, three colored mer
living in or near Clifton-a village near Ash
KUN, station on the Illinois Central road
about sixty miles from Chicago-were enticeC
by seven or eight whites into a country store
or grocery, and when there, were pounced
upon by their armed decoys, now turned as.
sailants, and under threat Of instant death
from revolvsrs pointed at their breasts were
compelled to submit to the commands of those
who, by force and fraud, had overpowered
them. They were instantly hurried off to
Ashkum, and their captors, having timed
their movements TO correspond with the
motions of the down train, thrust their prey,
still guarded by an array ofpistols and bowie
knives, into the cars and bore the poor men
oil. All this was accomplished without a
process Of any sort-by brute force alone,
illegally and diabolically. The indignation
ofthe quiet community in which this occurred,
was thoroughly aroused by the outrage; but
all parties-the wronged and the wrong
doers-were gone-hid in a slave State,
under the shadow Of the institution that
justifes all such atrocities and everybody
despaired Of being able to bring the captives
back, or the scOundrels to the punishment
that they hadrichly earned.
The kidnapped men were carried to st.
Louis as fast as steam could convey them,
jealOusly guardeda all the way. Arrived there,
they were thrust into a negro pen, which still
disgraces that free-soil city, and the work,
with view to the profits of the great crime, was
In answer to the inquiry directed
to each, "Who is your master2' one averred
that he was then, and always had been, a
free man; another refused to answer, while
the third, the man Jim, said that he had been
the property Of Aime Pernard, a farmer near
Carondelet, seven miles from the city. The
man who claimed to be free and his silent
fellow prisoner were tied up and cruelty
logged, the one to refresh his recollection Of
The servitude that his captors suspected, and
he other to open his mouth TO a confession
which be would not make. Whipping prov
ng of no avail, other forms ofcruelty, hunger
he most potent, were tried, but with no better
Iuccess. At last, both of these men-one
orn ruthlessly from his wife and children,
md the other from neighbOrhood in which
lis industry had made him respected, and
lach from a life of freedom and enjoyment
we're sent South and sold. They were priso-
lers of war, and as such in this time of peace /
we're compelled to submit to their captors
viii. In State which permits the buying
nd selling of men and women and accounts /
t patriotism, what could they do? Poor, |
riendless and black, adjudged to have no |
lights that white men are bound to respect, |
That could they do2 The tide that has over
Yhelmed four millions of their kind has over
,orne them. They sunk into the great vortex |
ever to be heard of more. A "nigger fune- /
aT'-perchance of some unfortunate creature |
Who has died under the lash for his repeated .
temps to regain freedom, or ofOne whom a /
life shot sent into the swamp had killed, or
f a man prematurely worn out by labor, and
be whip, hunger and the branding iron
7ilI close the earthly career of each. There
ahereafter. "Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven; bles-
sed are they that mourn, for they shall be
comfortedI"
While this whipping, shipping and selling
as going on, Anne Pernard, the owner of
i'm was visited by one of the kidnappers.-
-e went with offers, 10 buy Jim, running
ny the chances of a capture after FIVE years
T absence. One hundred dollars was the
I'm named for this fugitive piece of flesh and
Iood. But it was Indignantly refused. The
I'm was doubled, trebled, quadrupled, and
last multiplied by ten; but all temptations
lied to get them a legal title to their prey.
hey served this purpose however. The
Wner' suspicious were aroused by the amount
fered by the scoundrels and their unconceal-
/ eagerness to effect trade. On Saturday
len, a week after the capture, hesent negro
oman into st. Louis-the woman, by the
sy, the mother of Jim-tO make the inqui-
es that the case seemed to demand. Her
Others instincts led her to the right place
Omitted to the pen, she recognised her son,
armed from his lips his sufferings and dan
er; and then with such speed as she could
,mmand, hurried back to the MASTER s house.
er relation sent him into the city and to the
ave pen direct Jim's story was repeated
ith such emphasis and particularly that
7ery drop of that masters blood tingled in
is veins. His haggard appearance, his
ound and marks Of stripes attested to the
aster's sight the truth of the words that fell
pom his ears. He called the keeper of the
ace, commanded the humane treatment of
Is property, and left with the promise that be
ould return and relieve him of his charge
bis was on Sunday morning. Bright and
irly on the day following, Aime Pernard
,peared again at the prison gate. To pay
e sum ($lOO) allowed by the law of the
tate to the captors Of a fugitive, the jail fees
to S35 more, and to rig Jim out in
new suit which his master had brought
ong, was but a half hours work. When
1ne, the two went back to Carondelet, Jim
ct doubtful of his fate. But after a day or
yo, his case was talked over between his
aster and himself; and when we state the
suit, we afford proof of Jim's eloquence and
Ie generosity and nobleness of the masters
art. Jim's tree papers were made out, his
ock of money was considerably increased, a
cket to Clifton was put into his hand, and
alking proudly by the side of the late mas
T, now protector and friend, the tRo crossed
e Mississippi into Illinois. Here seating
m in the northern train, the master, with
ars flowing down his cheeks and warm
,essure Of the hand, bade Jim good bye, and
voked for him Gods blessing to speed him
/ the way
On Wednesday evening" Jim made his ap
aarance suddenly and without warning at
lifton whence he had been carried of. He
as waving his free paper over his head
little crowd collected around him, and he '
'iefV related his al dventurag and the Kind | I