Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-04-09
HE Fugitive Slave II endition In Chicago
Exciting Chase.
From the Chicago Times, April

The colored elements were discordant yester.
day. The excitement attendant upon the ex.
plosion Of few feline banks or the premature
discharge of an Internal machine was n zephyr
IN comparison with the tempest that ragged
among the wool yesterday.
About . clock In tho morning the denizens
In and about the corner of Clark and jackson
streets were startled by a series of wild and
unearthly screams, in which ''kidnapper" was
the only Ineligible sound. An omnibus stood
quietly on Clark street, drawn up in front OF
No. 25l. In moment a posse Of men came
Scrambling down stairs with stout negro and
negress and three piccaninnies, aged respect
lVeiy four, SIX, and eight years. The negro
and negress fought like tigers and notwith-
standing the fact that they were heavily ironed
gave the aforesaid posse lively time. At last
they got into the omnibus, the Jehu cracked
ms whip, and away went the captured and
their capturers at sweeping gallop towards
the St. Louis, Alton, and Chicago railroad
depot BY the time the screams of the pris-
oners had aroused the black element. The
word " kldnapper" acted like magic upon
them, and with wild, demoniacaI yelIs they
started in hot pursuit of the omnibus. On
they swept, several hundred exasperated ne
groes, hatless, shOeloss and coatiess, like q
veDgeful cloud Of animated anthracite
Too late. The omnibus reached the depot,
where special train, consisting of a locomo-
tive and ii single car, was in waiting. The
prisoners were put on board, and as the dar-
kies came upon the bridge their maddened
yells were answered by a mocking shrek from
the locomotive rs it dashed off southwark.
Forty five minutes after it passed Joliet, a dis
tance OF 45 miles-making nearly a mile a
minutei
Let us 60 back. Two weeks ago a slave
named Harris, together with his wife and three
children, escaped from their master in St
Louis, and came by the Underground" to this
city, where they have been kept in close con.
eealment ever since, in the house of a colored
drayman, No. PSI Clark street Information
having been gained of their whereabouts, L. S.
Commissioner COrneau fthe Southern District
OF Illinois, issued warrant for their arrest,
which was served yesterday morning, as afore-
said, by Deputy Marshal Webb and posse of
officers special train was chartered to con-
veJ the prisoners to Springfield, where al ex-
animation would be had before Commissioner
Corneau. The rage of the negroes after the
departure Of the train, knew no bounds. Some
malicious wag took advantage Of their excita-
bility, and made them believe that the train
would have to switch off for wood and water,
and that they could easily intercept il at
bridgeport The hint was instantly acted upon
Hacks, drays, express wagons etc, were i'm
mediately brought into active requisition, and
away dashed the motley cavalcade tor Bridge.
port. About an hour after the train had passed
guns, axes, crowbars, picks, knives, clubs, and
every conceivable variety of weapons Find
Ing themselves completely banked again, they
got up smart little fight amsng themselves,
''for the fun Of the thing
Returning, they accused a colored man of
conniving at the capture of slaves. He denied
it. fight ensued, in which he got terribly
pounded. He managed to escape, and-sought
refuge In his house, whittier he was pursued
by an armed body of savages, who declared
they would kill him. They surrounded his
house, and were scaling the upper windows
with ladder, when Deputy Rehm, with the
entire police force of the city, suddenly ap-
peared upon the ground. A sharp fight en-
sued, in which the dsrkies got worsted for their
wool. The police took possession of the hunted
negro, and forming a hollow square around
him, moved of towards the armory. Several
Intellectual efforts were made to get him out of
their possession, which resulted only in dozen
broken scalps and the arrest of seven of the
ringleaders, each of whom has given special
bail for trial. And thus ended another dark
page.