Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-08-17
m, Rna of the yvassoner case.

~
of the Circuit Court in Campbell County,
it having been established by testimony
which did not admit of a particle OF
doubt, that he was born in Ohio, and had
never been slave; while no testimony was
offered on the othar side, nor any claim made.
waggoncr made his appearance on this side
yesterday. He isa full negro, medium size
what would be called a fair field hand in the
South. His market value may be judged by
the offer Of 81, $50 for him by negro-trader
at Lexington, he taking all the risk. 1t was
the conscientious scruples Of his temporary
owner against selling him for less than 81, 800
that prevented bis starting immediately on a
voyage South, and this delay proved fatal to
the institution" "a far ss il depended on
waggoner. He is of feeble intellect, but
looks like a stubborn customer to manage,
and throughout his protracted imprisonment,
and vicissitudes and excitements, has ex-
ibited much endurance. Iff .tt .I
A brief recapitulation of this case may be
of interest. A little more than year ago
Waggoner, who had been at work in this
city, but was then out Of work, was decoyed
by Stewart and Weaver to Fulton, a suburb
of this city, up the river, under pretence Of
finding employment. There they forcibly
put him in a boat and took him over the
river to jamestown, just above Newport,
KY, and put him into the cellar of weaver's
house, which was ready provided with a bed,
as if it had been prepared in anticipation of
tg
the purpose.
It chanced that man named Stone, an
officer of Newport, had been watching this
house for counterfeiters, and hearing that
three persons had arrived there, he made
descent on it with posse, and finding Wag-
goner there, whom persons in the house rep
resented as fugitive slave, they carried him
to the Newport Jail. Stewart and Weaver
made no claim except to the $75 reward,
which the law allows when an unclaimed
fugitive is sold. Then Waggoner was adver-
tised as a fugitive, and no claimant appear
ing, the forms Of the law were gone through
for selling him as an unclaimed fugitive, and
he was advertised for six months in n paper
in this city, to be sold to the highest bidder.
The case made some excitement at the
time, and Stewart and Weaver were arrested
in this city for kidnapping, and held for ex-
animation; but in the mean time the mobbing
of the Free South newspaper occurred at
Newport, and the slavery feeling became so
excited that the Newport witnesses would
not attend on this side, and the kidnappers
were discharged. "a,
The time of sale was near at hand, and the
case seemed to have passed entirely from
public notice. and the Ohio Republican au-
thorities who regard it as so vital that for
eigner who has merely touched our SOIL
should be protected against his own native
country, by all the power of this nation, had
paid no attention to this native citizen of
Ohio, who was about to be sold into slavery
in sight of his own State; when we gave in
the PREss full statement Of the case, which
attracted public attention TO it, and subse-
quently the anti-slavery papers here got
interested in it, to the extent, as usual Of
making little anti-slavery political capital
out of it; when its chief significance was
against the Republican administration Of
Ohio But Mr.. George P. Webster, of the
firm of G. P. & F. NJ. Webster, Attorneys of
Newport, took hold of the case, having be-
come convinced that Waggoner was dishon-
estly deprived of his liberty, and it is TO his
energy, perseverance and skillful manage
ment that Waggoner is indebted for not
being now on cotton plantation.
When Mr.. Webster took hold of the case,
he could not have expected any encourage
ment from public sentiment in Newport
which has been considerably exercised on the
slavery question, especially as the leading
officers and politicians seemed to have ac-
quired an interest, either directly or collat-
orally, in the sale of Waggoner but as the
case went on, he found himself sustained by
a strong public sentiment which demanded
fair play. m
The case was twice, we think, brought up
on kdbeds corpus, but the man was remanded
on the ground that the law of Kentucky pre-
sumed him TO be slave, and the burden of
proof was on him. At length his father, in
Olermont County, heard of the case, and got
a friend to write to this paper. He went to
Newport, at considerable personal risk
and identified his son, but the evidence
ofcolored men is of no account in that State
On the day of the sale, Mr.. Webster got out
an injunction to stay proceedings, but before
it could be served, Waggoner was taken by
the jailer, Or. Foster the Postmaster, and
one or two others, in a carriage, and started
for Alexandria, the county seat, to be sold.
About FIVE minutes after, Webster started
with the Injunction, but in the mean time
another person had learned of the injunction,
and be started with a fast horse to notify the
party. Sheriff Helm was coming from Alex
andria, and met the party which was speed
ing with the African for golden joys. Then
the patriot with the fast horse took the Sheriff
and sped on in advance TO make preparations
for quick sale. Mr.. Webster was in sight
of the party when they arrived at the Court
house, but when, three minutes after, he ar
rived, the negro had disappeared, and the
Sheriff returned him as sold to DR.. Foster for
$700, for which he took the Postmaster note.
Waggoner was sent to Lexington, but
Webster had lost the scent, and returned to
Newport But the state Of public sentiment
at Newport indicated that the matter would
have thorough Oyerhauling, and perhaps