The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-08-10
The So.Called Kidnapping Case {
Scheme to ExtOrt Money.

ping OF HENRY SPARKS, the negro servant
of Mrs. PRINCE The first is letter from
Hon. JOHN S. PRINCE, Mayor of st. Paul,
who, for his own personal satisfaction, en-
deavored by a thorough investigation of all
the sources of information at his command,
to arrive at the truth of the whole matter.
The other is letter from Col. E. w.
JACK, of New Orleans, Louisiana, detailing
an interview he had with SPARKS, while the
latter was en- route for the South, and which
gives the kidnapped negros own ac-
count of his adventures. Col. j. we may
add, is well known in different parts of the
State; he has spent the summer months
Col. DAWSON, of Louisiana, was instrument
tai in first bringing Minnesota into notice
in the Southwest, as summer resort.
From the statements of these two gentle~
men, the reader will be able to gather the
following facts:
Fvst--The negro SPARKS was made
drunk, with drugged liquor, and while in
that state was forcbly prevented from re-
turning to his mistress, and was robbed Of a
watch and considerable sum of money
Second--SPARKs endeavored to escape
from his captors, and return to the Interna-
tional Hotel, but was not only prevented
from doing so, but was maltreated in the
attempt.
Third His captors, who prevented his
voluntary return, made an application to
Mrs. PRINCE, by letter, proffering to point
out his whereabouts for certain sum of
money.
FoWth-The negro was never taken by
force from the State, but willingly obeyed
the instructions of his mistress, as to his
movements he was willing to remain in
Minnesota, or 60 south, as she directed.
The following is the statement of Mayor
PRINCE
SAINT PAUL, July 81, 1850.
Editors Of the Pioneer and Democrat:
As near as l have been able to ascertain by
personal inquiries, the following are the facts
in the case of the negro, HENRY SPARKS. He
was first made drunk, and then enticed away
from his mistress, and when he became sober
again, he attempted to return to the lnterna.
tional Hotel, when he was prevented from so
doing, and in the struggle roughly handled.
He then tried repeatedly to send word, to in.
form his friends where he was in order that he
might get away; and he once put his head out
of the window of the room in which he was
imprisoned, and called to stage driver, to 60
and tell his friends to come for him. He was
Immediately seized by his jailors, and club
raised over his head, with threat that it
would be used upon him If he did not keep
still. The sash of the window was then nailed
down, to prevent his repeating his efforts to
| get back to the hotel. His captors, finding
that they could not get him to consent to run
OF with them, concluded to make something
out of him. and after getting what money he
had and his watch, they then went to his
| friends and offered to give him up, upon being
paid reward. They received the money, and
then restored the negro to his mistress. He
was more than lejoiced to get back The only
error committed by the negros friends, in my
| view of the matter. was in sending him home,
for he would willingly and gladly have re-
NAMED with his mistress, and under no circum-
stances could have been prevailed upon to
| leave her. Respectfully. &c.
JOHN S. PRINCE.
We may state, before giving the note Of
| Col. JACK, that a letter had been re-
ceived asking if $500 would be given for the
restoration of the negro; an interview was
had with the authors of the letter, and upon
the payment OF sum of money, they gave
information as to the negro's whereabouts
SPARKS, the negro, in his description of bis
captors, and of the men who held him in
custody, describes infinitely the very scoun
drels who obtained considerable sum Of
money from his mistress, under pretense Of
delivering him up to his friends. The fol
lowing is Col. JACKS statement -
SAINT PAUL, 3lst July, 1860.
To the Editors Of the Pioneer and Democrat:
desire to make the following statement O.
facts personally received directly from HENRY
SPARKS.
On the 2lst of July, got on board the stea
mer Sucker State, for the purpose of proceed
ing to Red Wing. While on the boat, met the
negro, Henry Sparks, with whose escape from
| his mistress, Mrs. Prince, had been made &C
quainted / saw Henry come on board the
boat, of his own free will. He jcame to me,
shook hands, and asked how his mistress ant
| Young master were. Up to the time of my
going off the boat, at 10 o'clock Saturday night
Sparks was under no restraint whatever. He
walked about as freely as other passengers
and conversed with whOmsOever he pleased.
HENRY seemed anxious to speak to me abOu
his leaving his mistress, evidently to induce
me to intervene for his forgiveness, and for
continuance of the confidence heretofore re-
posed in him. In regard to his movements, he
told me he was made drunk, and he believed
drugged, as no liquor he had ever before drank
had the same sleepifying effect upon him, an(
he had often drank more freely The morning
after, he wanted to return to his mistress, bu
was prevented by force from so doing. He
was then confined in room up stairs; and
once he raised the window, and halloed for re
lief, to a stage driver passing, but was no
heard. The men who had charge of him theI
came up stairs, and threatened if he did mo-
keep quiet they would break his head. They
then nailed the window down. The night be
fore he was rescued, the white men aforesaid
came up to him, and said they were going to
take him ito St Anthony or devil of distance
beyond" He appealed to them not to do so
but was forced from the room down stairs
where carriage was waiting. (He (SPARKs
did not tell me whether he was taken away Of
not.) The next morning, while his captor
were away, he was watched bytwO other men
who were very much sun burnt, and wore some
thing like military caps. When he was rescuct
from his place of confinement, he said he neve
before felt as glad in his life.
SPARKS then described to me, the two mel