The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1860-04-13
Great Excitement at Concord, Mass.
Frank Il. Sanborn Arrested by the L. s.
Officers, Rescued by the People, Taken
before the Supreme Court OH the Habe.
as COrDuS Act. and then Set at Liberty.

OhcerS. Rescued by the People, Taken
before the Supreme Court Oh the Habe-
as Corpus Act, and then Set at Liberty.
The ancient and quiet town of Concord
was the scene Of an intense excitement on
Tuesday evening. Some half dozen U. S.
officials, armed with capias from the SER
geant at arms Of the U. S. Senate went from
Boston to Concord on Tuesday afternoon, to
arrest Mr.. Frank B. Sanborn, a schoolteach-
er of that town, in order to take him before
the L. S. Senate at Washington, to answer
for contempt in refusing to appear before the
Harper's Ferry committee. From motives
Of strategy they did not attempt the arrest in
the daytime. Early in the evening one of
the men visited Mr.. Sanborn's house and not
finding him in, told the servant that he wish
ed to see him about situation. At about
nine O'Clock in the evening the whole force
appeared at Mr.. Sanborn's door, and when
Mr.. Sanborn answered the bell, one of the
men handed to him the following decoy let
ter:
ITO F. B. Sanborn, Esq, present.
SIR:-The bearer, a worthy young man,
solicits your assistance in procuring employ
ment.
Help him if you can.
BUFrUM.
Saugus, April l. 1860"
Having ascertained the identity of Mr..
Sanborn, the officers then pushed their way
into tie house and made the arrest in the
manner stated by Mr.. Sanborn's letter as fol-
lows:
CONCORD, Mass, April 3. 1860.
ID O'Clock at night.
To tAe citizens Of MASSACHUSETTS,.
l have to inform YOU that cowardly as
sault was committed on me this evening at
about 81 o'clock. in my own house. by four
or five persons claiming to have authority to
arrest me. The facts arc these:
| cane in from call about o'clock, and
was sitting in my slippers at my desk. when
knocking called me to the door. | went
down stairs. opened the door, when small
man entered and said. Does Mr. Sanborn
live here That is my name sir said l.
putting out nv hand to welcome him. Here
is paper for you. said he, handing me a
folded one which | took
At that moment a gray haired, tall and
stout man entered the open door and said, i
arrest you, Mr.. Sanborn.' BY what author
ity, said |. 'and wha; is your name?' He
gave no name, but said, i am from the L. s.
marshal's office, or something of that sort
What is your authority-your warrants' re-
peated |. we have a warrant said some
one, for by this time two more appeared
Show tread it, said |. A small man call
ing himself Freeman (atterwards) for none
would give their ma mes, began to read pa
per, but had only got through few lines
when the gray haired ruffian took pair of
handouts from his pocket and proceeded to
put them on my wrists. standing in my own
house, without hat or boots, only in slip
pers Of cloth.
4 whistle was given--some men rushed in
none of them known TO ne, and carried me
by force to the street. where stood a carriage
with two horses They lifted me from the
ground and tried to put me in the carriage
/ | resisted with my feet, for my hands were
fast in the manacles. They tried two or
three times without success, breaking the
carriage. but the horses started and they
could not get me in. In the meantime nv
cries and those of my sister bad called my
neishbors from their tomes who surrounded
the rufians and prevented them from carry.
ing me oft.
stood in the street in my slippers half ar
hour. wearing the handouts until deputy
sheriff Moore took me by force from the ruff
fans hards under writ Of AuJeas corpus
issued by Judge Hoar. Their names, givel
after a long time, and reluctantly, were Silas
Carlton, - Coolidge. -- Tareton
and - Freeman. There were two OF
three others whose names have not learn
ed.
Fifteen minutes after | was handcuffci
standing in the street. Freeman read me
warrant signed by Vice President Breckin
| ridge, for my arrest, with an endorsement
from McNair, sergeant at arms of the I. S
Senate, authorizing Silas Carlton to seize me
How he did it have said. People of Mas
5 sachusetts, act as it seems to YOU best.
+. B. SANBoRN.
The sister of Mr. Sanborn made a gallan
defense of her brother, seizing the whip an
whipping up the horses attached to the cal
riage while the officers were attempting I
i force him in, and after one of the officer
), had taken the whip from her, jumping int
j. the carriage herself and pushing against hir
- to keep him out while the officers were el
Il deavoring to force him in. She was pulle
violently GU, of the carriage and her clotht
e torn. The noise Of the conflict soon attra
T. {, ted the people from the neighborhood, Il
church bells were rung and the general
iarm soon called out the whole town. II
IS crowd detained the officers and prevente
their carrying Mr.. Sanborn off while a WI
S. of haJeas corpus was procured from Jud!
rt Hoar Of the state Supreme Court, who W