, 1860-01-14

falselood, a fiction from beginning to end;
TINT no Lad never held unl lad never
tleseupon informed him that lis triul
would tuke place the next dav, and advised
him to send for and engage as his counsel Col.
Cumming, wel-known lawyer, and one Of tho
most Respectable and Influential citizeas Of Au-
gnsta. ine advice was taken, ard Col Cum
after listening 10 Mr. Cracgale's statement, 10 his
honor be it said, consented to defend the case.
All this time, it should be remembered. the
prisoner "as held under no legal process. but,
though confined in tile city prison, and visited
by Tue olticsrn e. q Ct she lay. was simply in The
morning he Was ordered into court, aud Gu liz
way thither was arrested atthc- suit OF the State
on charge Of enaeAyoring to incise an insur-
rection among the slaves, and was arraigued
before JUSTICES 0lin and Piquet. Th. statute
Of the State which provides the penalty of
was charged was read, when Col: Cumming
moved that the cause be cariliei to tie Superior
Court. which would sit The latter part or Janu-
ary. and that the prisoner be reminded to take
his trial ut tint time. He gaze Us his reasons
Tor uis motion that the present trial was held,
constituted the audience, ard who would hang
the accused then and there, If tile slightest
shadow Of suspicion could attach to him. Mr,
Crangale himself, however, arose and opposed
this motion. Strong in lis own innocence, he
wished The trial to proceed. and did not fear the
result. The witnesses wer. then chilled and ex-
anained. They were Charles ai'Calla, john
Nelly, Allen Davy, Thomas T. Fogarsy, and
James Hughes, the bar-keepcr Mt tie United
.States Hotel. Their evidence, however, was
only leaEsny... Not one Of them knew any thing,
ofhis own knowledge, Of the prisoner; not on9
Of them had ever heard blu, utter !. single
Abolition opinion, or any opinion whatever, up:
on the subject Of Slavery, and none Of them
knew ything about him, good. bad, or iudif:
ferent- The only evidence of any moment was
that Of Hughes, who testified, on a cross-exam,
ination, that Andrew Gray had pointed out tho
prisoner to him rs an Abolitioniss; and that Of
Nelly, who acknowledged that he had agreed
hanged without the forn,ality of trial, at the
time Of his afres', upon tie ian,p.post opposite
the United States Hotel. This admission passed
even without rebuke from tue Court hut the
Court was more viyilart when Hughes admitted
that Gray had pointed ont the prisoner tu hia as
an Abol;tion'st,a dru?ed out Tie evidence on the
ground that the trade OF Augusta with the North
would be injured should it become known that
such was their method Of dealing y ith creditors.
After the witnesses had been examined. Colonel
Cumming addressed the Court in speech
evidently so fearless us 10 hare exercised a
strong influence orer the minds Of the Court and
audience, aud marked By degree Of sound
circumstances. lie denounced these Vigilance
Committees Us self-nade tribunals, constituting
themselves ut once witnesses aud Judges, and
as actuated by no higher motive than deter
nlination to demouucr all Northern men Of pro-
periy us Abollt:onists, for the purpose Of ruin
1niP5 them and dividing the spoils among thcul-
setres. The statute OF Georgia providing the
penalty ct death for incitin; The slaves to nsur.
tect'on, he said, on the other hand, though Sc
ycre, was noue too much SO. II behonyrl the
South to keep both its eyes and ears open 10
protect their property against incendiarics. But
the Innocent, he declared, should nut 10 nc
cuscd and subjected to persecution. Under the
effect Of this speech, and MS no title Of evil
dence could be produced against Alr. Cranga,c,
tic Court had but one course to pursue, aud
the prisoner WAS acquitted. lie was ucyerthe.
less condemned to pay tl1c ccs:s OF prosecution
the fees Of the Vigilance Committee, who had
arrested lin without legal process, aud the
cost OF the imprisonment Which lie had beer
compelled to suffer, and was renl1ndea to Jail
till payment was made. On arriving ut 1hs
hotel. his coat and ya!ise, which thr Con.ulittes
| had takcn from him, were produced, but thu
| pocket book contaiuing nearly hundred
| dollars, and which he had left III tue coat
pocket. was not to te found. Again he wa.
| taken to the Court, whcrc Lc stated the ciecum
stances to Justice DIN. But that gentleman
refused to believe him. hayc,'' hesaid, to tllt
prisoner, ''ac.latted you simply for want Of eyi
dcner; hut still believe you are III Aboli,iouist
| ! God ID ibolitionis,. and You had Let.e,
"conless it. You are,' he continued, "a fool
~ God d-d fool. Have not your friend
"to!d you so: Do you not know it yourse!t:'
| lie then ordered lin to open lls yalse, slcc!as
ing that II anything was found in it to con
vict him, there were enough Of the ."bo.s
present. to string him up. The prisoner at frs
refused to obey this or.lcr. The vn1ise, AID tt,
keys, he sail, bad been out Of his possession t.,
two days; he did not know What might Lar,
been put in the valise, and o did no, CHOOSE Il
contingency. On the threats being repeated
however, lie consented to open ihe ya!ise
which fortunately had not been tam
pered with, and where nothing WAS found Lu
f.is clothing and some papers ret1tlrc to til,
debt which he had conc to Augusta to collect
Word WIS then sent 10 Col. Snee', the t'rssi
dent OF the Vigilance Committee. of thu iuabil
ity Of the prisoner to discharge the hill vf costs
and to demand its payment tf him, as the re-
| preventative ot the part- making The arrest
Col. Suee.i rc(n*e.i. The Mayor Was tue,
sought fur to n,ake the sau,. demand of hin, q
prosecutor. but he could not be toaa.l. [
aceEcl perfectly clear to the Justice tia. IL,
, u hat to lc rald By SOME bony, uud as thos
from wLo !. it was ,ightiutlv due could rot b.
compelled tn, he chose to act on the principle tia
possession is nina points the law and hold l,.,
responsible whom Ee had iu his power. 4 ,tcr
co,n,nittai was made out, and Mr. Craa.ale rc
turned tn Jail till h. could pay the costs of hi
own false Imprisonment. Alter suiiesn.. IL fur
tier confinement Of ihirty-ttrec hus:rs, uud !
beng evident that there :7as no relen,;oy o.
the part nf his prosecutors, he wruto 10 Calous
Cu.n1nin. to thank him fur liz generous seryi
ccs, ami 10 ask for aua,her Interview on his b.
talf: Soon after, Mr.. Alfred Cumming. sol
Of Colonel Cumming, appeared ut the jail. pai
the ices demanded, anil the prisouer was RI
leased. Dir. film L;a :,jsl,sd lin to he off til
u.olalent hu WAS out Of jul, rs there were ''boy
"enough about, he said, ITO string him ul'.
ness Of this 20: :;n.e1, ne left Immediately, an
arrived. as We hare already stated, in this cit
nm SATURDAY. -'