Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-04-14
M0rtester @ailp SPY.


On Saturday the camps of the seventh New
York and fourth Pennsylvania ca salry, on the
seventh street road, beyond the Park hotel,
were scenes of the widest excitement caused
by an attempt on the part of two country con-
stables named John II. Wise Qate j4lor and
Charles Kembell, to arrest free negro man
on suspicion of being a runaway slave. The
colored man, whose arrest was attempted, is
named Edward Sam. He is a native of the
island Of Trinidad, and has free papers which
are certified to by the United States Consul at
that port, and also by the British Consul in
this city. Wepaid visit to both of the camps
yesterday, and CLEANED the following particu.
lars of the affair:
Early on Saturday afternoon hack con-
tanning three persons was seen to stop on the
Seventh street road, about half mile beyond
the Park hotel. AT that point one of the men
Ia former sergeant in the 7th New York cav
alryl got out and stood in the road. The hack
passed on short distance and stopped again
In front of the camp of the 18th New York
The Two men there got out and at a given
signal from the soldier standing in the road
pounced upon and seized a negro man who
was within the lines. The man arrested in
CURED the reason of such proceedings, when
he was Informed by one of the kidnappers that
they were going to take him to his mas
ter, as he was runaway slave. The color.
GU tOlu llleUl lie lldu no Muster, mat he
was as free as they were, and that he had his
free papers, which he offered to produce if
they would release him and give him time TO
go after them. This the kidnappers refused
to do, and began to drag him to the hack, the
c0lOred man all the while protesting that lie
was free, and crying Justify for help. His
cries attracted the attention OF a sentinel
named Michael Hickey, member OF company
NJ, 4th Pennsylvania cavalry, IA squad Of
whom were engaged in guarding some gov.
eminent property near by) who rushed to his
rescue and demanded of the kidnappers the
cause OF the coIored mans arrest.
lie was told by Kemble that the man was
his slave, aud that he had come to take him
into custody. The sentinel who knew the
coored man to be free, told him that if they
did not release him Immediately, he would
run them through with his saber, al the same
time drawing his weapon. The kidnappers
did not mind the threat, and again attempted
to drag their victim to the carriage, but were
soon stopped by the soldier, who made
thrust at one Of them with his saber. Wise
asked the soldier if he knew what he was
about, and if he intended to place himself be-
tween them and the law; to which he replied
that he would place himself between them
and HI sooner than that they should
carry off free man into slavery. The kid
nappers protested to have an order from Pre-
vost Marshal Porter, giving them permission
to search any OF the camps around the city for
runaways, which, upon being asked to exhibit,
they could not do.
By this time large crowd of soldiers from
the surrounding camps had collected around
the kidnappers, who got into the carriage and
ordered the driver TO take them into town,
vowing vengeance against the sentinel, who
had intertered with them "whie in discharge
of their duty" The sentinel, who was not
to be bamboozled in thGt way, however, or
dered the driver to halt and the "kids' to get
out of the carriage and accompany him 10
his cOlonei's tent. The two men refusing to
acce1e to the modest request OF the sentinel,
he drew his pistol with one hand, and, with
the other, jeIked them out of the vehicle,
threatening, if they made the least resistance,
to blow their brains out This proceeding
had the effect of persuading the gallant "kids"
that it was best Tor them to obey the sentinels
command, and to follow him to the colonels
tent.
The crowd by this time had further increas.
ed, and as the men were taken from the car
rage a scene of the widest excitement en-,
sued. From the threats of between three and
four hundred enraged men came loud de-
mauds OF Hang the id kidnappers %
run them through !" "Shoot the niger
catchers !" Get Fope!" and like cries very
unpleasant to men in the position of the
"kids." 1t was with great difficulty that the
officers Of the 7th New York could prevent
their men from executing summary vengeance
upon the constables, who were being convey
ed to the camp of the 4th Pennsylvania reg.
iment, about a hundred rods beyond that OF
the 7th New York. Arriving at the camp of
the 4th, the "kids" were taken before Col.
Childs, who, after hearing the evidence, order.
ed them to be sent into town to the provost
marshal's Office. They were each Immediate
ly placed upon charger, and, under the escort
of about Il dozen men, proceeded on their
i)urney townwards The escort was accom-.
panied by quartermaster Light and Capt c..
d. Rosseau of the 7th New York cavalry.
The cortege passed down Seventh street, toll
lowed until below the Park Hotel by an i'm
mense crowd, who kept up continual boot
ing and jeering, interspersed with threats of
lynching, which so scared the poor kids"
that they were pale with fear, each of them
every now and then turning his head around
to see if there was airy immediate prospect OF
the threats being put into execution. AS the
party proceeded still further along Seventh
street the boys, seeing that something was
loose, began to follow, and by the time the
procession reached the provost marshal's Of
ice, on the corner OF Nineteenth and l streets,
two or three hundred boys had collected
around some shouting, with all their might,
"Secesson niger thieves % "Kidnappers %
"Nigger stealers !" "Got you this time, old
fellowsp GLOW do you like niger stealing
now 2" and similar cries.
At the provost marshal's office the "kids"
were ordered to dismount, and were then Ia
ken before Gen. Wadsworth, who asked them
to show him the warrant upon which they at.
tempted to arrest the eolored man. They in
formed him that they had no warrant, and did
not need any to arrest slave, or even a sup.
posed runaway. Their explanation, however,
did not suit the general, who ordered them to
the central guard house, there to be confined
until further examination can be had.
They were then paraded down to the guard
house, where thew still are, and where we hope
and trust they may remain until they are en-
trely cured of their mania for arresting me-
groes ON suspicion of being runaways.
The man who gave the constables intorma-
ton that runaway slave was in the camp of
the seventh New York cavalry is named AL
bert X. McMurray, of Lanslnburg, N. Y. lie
was formerly a sergeant in that corps, but was
degraded from his rank and dismissed from
the regiment, on account OF gross misconduct
We were informed by number of officers Of
the regiment, that, through Information de
rived from him, three other colored men have
been arrested and carried off from the camp
on suspicion of being slaves, and since ther
no tidings have been received of them. We
are requested to state by the officers and mer
OF the regiment that he is universally hated
and despised by the whole corps.
The negro man whose arrest was ATTEMPTED
is engaged as cook to the adjutant of the reQi
ment, and was previously employed as officers
servant in the fourth Pennsv lyania cavalrv