Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1860-06-15
A Freeman scId into slavery. while his
Kfdnappera go Free.

Kidnappers 80 free.
One Of those disgraccful deeds that
characterize the "barbarism Of slavery" has
just been perpetrated beneath the Egis Of
Kentucky justice. A free man has been
sold into slavery.
James Waggoner, a negro, was kidnapped
at Cincinnati and taken over to Kentucky,
where he and his two kidnappers were ar
rested and all put in Jail. No one appeared
against the kidnappers, for the facts had
not become known to Waggoner's friends
and so the kidnappers were released and
Waggoner was advertised to be sold as a
slave, for the Jail fees. Meanwhile, Wag-
goner's friends on the Ohio side ascertained
how matters were, and stirred themselves.
Monday last was the day appointed for the
sale. Waggoner, on writ of habeas cor
pus, was that morning brought before tho
Mayor of Newport. The Cincinnati Com
mercial says:
at was proved that Waggoner was born
in Ohio, of free parents, and that hc had
never been in Virginia. John and Eliza S.
Whiteman and Mary Miller testified that
they all knew Peter Waggoner, the father
of James, since 1852, and that both resid-
ed in Ohio since that time. The affidavit
of Joseph Thomas, lumber dealer, of Gin
Icinnati, stated that James had worked for
that person last summer; that during the
time, Peter came to visit James, and that
they recognized each other as father and
son.
The affidavit Of Peter was introduced,
but could not be admitted as evidence, ac-
cording to the laws of Kentucky; but it
showed that he had been set free by the
will of his MASTER for whom he was named,
in 1928; that he then, or soon after, left
Wythe county, Va, and settled in Ohio in
1881, and soon after that time, James was
born, in Brown county, in that State.
The evidence on the other side did not
disprove these facts; it consisted of the
statements of two persons recently arrived
from Virginia in pursuit of fugitive from
slavery, that they knew Peter Waggoner,
tho former owner of James father and
that be had been set free by that persons
will in 1928; that the will had been an
nulled in 1853, twenty-five years afterwards.
No record, however of this was produced
in Court. One of the parties also stated
that he thought James resembled a negro
he knew to have fed from Jacob Wagon
er, of Virginia, about five years ago. but
could not identify him.
A letter was read from the alleged own
er aforesaid, which contained this very
graphic description of his lost chattel:-
ale is tai slim man and has crate kwan
tity of wife in his ize, and dounkast look" !"
On this proof the Mayor decided that
Waggoner was slave, and instantly he
was hurried into buggy by the sheriff,
and driven towards Alexandria for the auc-
ton block. An Injunction was got out,
and while the sheriff's party was nearir.
Alexandria, Col. Smalley, with one of his
swiftest horses overlook them, and acquain-
ted them of the fact that an Injunction was
in pursuit, and that the party holding il
were not far behind. He then took the ne.
gro into his buggy and pushed ahead, but
when the injunction party reached Alexan-
dria, the negro could not be either seen or
heard of. No one in the place had either
seen or heard of the sale; but the sherif's
party tod the injunction party that DR.. J..
@. A. Foster Of Newport, had purchased
the negro for $500, giving his note for that
amount endorsed by man named Wilson.
The Cincinnati Gazette, in treating Of
this diabolical outrage, says:
Here is free man, man born of par
ents legally freed and residing as free in
Ohio, kidnapped, kept in Jail six months,
and finally sold for Jail fees, while his kid
nappers were allowed TO escape. OF the
disgraceful alaerity which certain individu-
ais in Newport have manifested, we cannot
trust ourselves tospeak.
Not only has grievous and irreparable
wrong been done to Waggoner, but the
honor of the great State of Kentucky,
in whose namo the wrong was committed,
has been sullied, and the dignity of the
State of Ohio insuted. For an Ohoan
has been made slave by tricks that would
digrace a shyster before that lowest of hu.
man tribunals, the Toombs Police Court in
New York.
We trust our readers whose blood will be
stirred by the recital of this wrong, will
not forget that the Democratic party is the
champion aud defender of that system
of which this whole business is but the leg
itimate outgrowtb. Their Indignation should
not vent itself in frothy defamation and
violent invective, but should chrystallize in
10 efficient action.