Worcester daily spy., 1860-07-11

THREE FREE MEN CARRIED INTO SLAVERY
Correspondence,of the Chcagn Trihnne


Correspondenceof the Chicago Tribune.
CLIFTON, ILL.,, July A, 1S60--About eight
o'clock last Sunday evening, our usually quiet
village was visited by band of the most bar
barous men that l ever witnessed. 1t seems
by what was developed at the trial of some of
the parties yesterday, that several men from
Missouri have had their headquarters at Ash
kun the past three weeks or more where,
with the assistance Of one George d. Smith, a
trader in Ashkum, and a Mr.. Cornelius, for
merly Kentuckian, who lives in the imme-
diate neighborhood of Ashkum, have been
working up a plan for several weeks, to kid
nap some colored men who have been living
in this town. About eight O'Clock they had
managed to get five of the boys into the "Sell-
us House." where Smith made himself very
free in entertaining them, when eight other
men, armed to the teeth, rushed in and pre-.
senting their pistols told the boys they were
prisoners. Two of the most powerful of the
boys made a rush. and knocking down several
Of the ruffians, made their escape, the other
three were pounded severely on the head with
the butt of their pistols, overpowered, hand
cutfed, thrown into wagon and driven off be
fore any alarm cond be given, all done in the
space Of ten minutes. What makes the affair
the more diabolical, is the fact that one of the
men carried off never was slave and one
had been freed by his master, the third one
might or might not have been a slave, but lit
| tie was known OF him.
1t appears from what we learn since the af-
fair occurred that one of the boys that escap-
ed probably had beef slave, and that his
master was one of the band who figured here.
1t appears that this slave owner made a bar
gain with Smith and Cornelius, of Ashkum,
that if they would assist him TO take "Ned,"
one of the boys thas escaped, that they would
| nS pOul1 tul lSQ
south, sell them and divide the spoils. After
the three were taken they were driven to
Ashkum, about four miles, whence they were
put on board the cars of the Illinois Central
railroad company. There seemed to be per-
feet understanding between the kdnappers
and the conductor of the train-as the cars had
hardly come to stop before the negroes were
thrust on board, and the train set moving. A
sufficient number of citizens went on board
the train from here to prevent the negroes
from being pnt on board, and were fully pre-.
pared to have done so, had the train made the
usual stop-but before half of the citizens who
went on the train could get off to render the
required assistance the train was in motion,
and as | learn, the kidnapped negroes were
taken to st. Louis. In addition to the nine
kidnappers, who were doubly armed with re.
volvers and bowie knives, the section men
who work on the track of the railroad COM
| paHy, lOr ABOUT HlIeeH nlieS distant, NUMBER
ing abo1t twenty five, were in attendance, APP
parently to render assistance if needed, all
about able bodied Irishmen. hope and pray
that it may never be my lot to witness another
such scene. In haste, yours truly,
j, r. KINGMAN.
In addition to the above we have the follow
ing from an eyewitness -
July 3.-We have to-day five persons on
trial tor assisting the kidnappers-three Irish
men Of Clifton, and two Yankees Tor some
thing else) from Ashkum. We have employed
an able lawyer from Kankakee City, and shall
I give them thorough examination. Conduc-
tor Muchmore, on one of the Illinois Central
trains, came up this morning and informed us
"that the slaves (?) had been taken to ST.
Louis" and he cursed Mr.. White for daring
to show his Indignation at such proceedings,
and thus injure the interests of the railroad
company. The conductor also stated that
chad any Of us interfered we certainly would
have been shot, and that the damned niggers
were no better than so many beasts, and he
did not consider the republicans much bet.
ter"
Three Of the men on trial have been held
to bail in $500 each to appear at the next term
| of court.