The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1860-11-30
A Negro kidnapped In New York.


We take the following from th,
New York Tribune's report o
Wednesdays proceedings of th'
= Supreme Court in that city:
l John Thomas is colored man
0 twenty-five years of age, and wa
formerly a slave of John M. Winter
! resident of Louisville, kentuck y
| About six mon,hs ago Mr.. Winte
sent John to Evansville, Indiana. I,
a friend OF his, Lawyer, for tn,
purpose OF having a contract mad,
(the Lawyer acting as Winters agent
: to employ John Thomas on a steam
boat, running from Evansville t,
,; some point below on the Ohio River
The result was the employment o
ohm Thomas as Steward on the boat
and hL remained in that situation
several weeks. Finally he fled
through Indiana and Ohio, to Cleve
land, and thence by the lake to De
troit; and in a short time he reached
, Canada. He remained there but q
short period, and came to this city
, where he obtained tenn 2orary en-
ploy mcut at one OF the hotels. Sub
! sequently, having nothing to do Il
gain q living. he turned his steps tC
the store OF Mr.. o. S. Vail, No. AT
Broadway.
1t appears that Mr.. Vail, who was
at one time doing business in Ken
tucky. had hired John Thomas iron
Mr.. Winter, his master. He knew
him Immediately, and gave hin
!, employment as Porter in his store
This was in the latter part of Sep
tember last. He said he had beer
in town several weeks, and that b,
was out of work. He rema nee
with Mr.. Vail until last Monday
evening when he disappeared Ou
Tuesday morning Mr.. Vail received
a letter from the man requesting him
to send by the bearer five pair o.
parlor skates" 1t is supposed that
he made this strange demand to sci
aside suspicion in case oil his dis
covcry by his prosecutors, "a well as
to cause his employer to take meas.
ures for release. Mr.. Vail went tc
the place designated by John, and
found him confined in the Grand
Jury room of the United States
Court in Chambers street. 1t ap
peared that John contrived in some
manner to write this note to his EN-.
ployer, and dropped it from thC
window which fronts on ReadC
street, telling boy where to take it
Upon Mr.. Wallis arrival he found
John in charge OF person, bul
whether he was Marshal's assistant
or not is not known. Another per-
son was in the room, and he showed
Mr.. Vail a power OF attorney duly
executed in louisville, and author
izing him to act in behalf OF Mr..
Winter, the master. John begged
his employer to endeavor to purchase
him, and, with tho hope of gaining
time, Mr.. Vail consented. A writ
of habeas corpus was obtained from
Judg. lngraham, sitting at the
Supreme Court Chamber. and it was
served upon Marshal Rynders.
This morning that officer appeared
before Judge Mullin, and said that
he was ready to make a return to a
writ OF Aabeas corpus, issued to him
and in accordance with its directions,
he hal brought with him the person
named in the writ (pointing to a
colored man in the rear of the Court
room.)
A young gentleman from Capron
e Lakes Office, appeared as repre-
senting the interest OF John Thomas
IL stated that the return was I'M
satisfactory, inasnuch as the person
produced here was not the one men
toned in the petition-it was ,
different person altogether.
Marshal Rynders His name il
John Thomas, and he is in my Gus
tody.
The counsel replied that the coin
cidcnce was extraordinary as well a
convenient, but the person s0ugh
had not been produced.
Marshal Itynders Il have no othe
! man by that name in my custody
Judge Mullin-Then, sir. yol
viii have to make q return to tina
effect.
: Marshal Ryud, RS Il have q
stated.
Judge Mullin-It is a right tina
the return should be made il
: writing.
> Deputy Marshal Thompson the
made the required addition to tn
! return.
: The return being satisfactory, tn
, counsel could not press the matte
! further, and the parties left the Cou
1, room.
Our reporter vent to the Unite
= = Safes District Attorneys office, an
= learned that man named job
. Thomas (colorsd was imprisoned ;
:. witness against a man name
y Harris, who had been arrested f
y murder, committed on the high sea
70 70 on board the bark Anna. This ms
!, = has been in custody since the 90
~ of M arch last and he WAS committI
u under the name above mentioned
s. Mr.. Vail Is 80 positive in his stat
q ment regarding his conversati'
y with the other John Thomas, th
u there is little room to doubt that tn
70 person was confined there-wheth
~ by the Marshal or some other pc
10 son, is not known-and that he W
~ taken away between the time Of ii