The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-10-18
Interference with a civil oaicer.
From the Murfreesborog Monitor

from me hurfreesboroF Monitor
W. a. Johnson. Deputy Sheriff Of Ruth
erierd county, in the discharge Of his Off
az auty, carried three negros, charged
WITH theit, on warrants duly issuei, to
NasnVille, there being NJ jail in Murfrees-
bOro. On arriving al IA bville the al -
iound 70 Be full. The Sheriff Of Davidson
orde.ed hr. johnson to bring item back 70
Murireesboro. He rived st the depot
with has prisoners tied, 70 prevent es.spe.
me negro soldiers or suEros ct the detot
demanded to know what those negroes were
tied f.r- Mr. J. replied that he was sheriff
OF Rutherford, and had them in charge a.
prisoners 70 bring them back to Rutherford
The negroes replied that no dDnned aohite
man should bring away a colored mau tied
and Immediately commenced untvine
ITEM Mr.. johnson drew his pistol and
prevented them 1t that time from untying
them- watohmsn coming up al this
time directed the negro guards t. take the
Nhole party, sherih ana prisoners, before
the ireedman's bureau. On arriving there
The guards told the ageut, Mr. Chaplain
Lawrencs, {" that here were come men whom
this man, THE deputy Sheriff Of Rutherford
eounty,) had tied" and whom they had re-
leased. The agent Of the bureau then en-
CURED Of said officer, by what suthority he
had those men tied. he showed his suthor-
commissioned officer, and remarked that he
had no assistance in guarding his prisoners,
aud therefore considered il has duty TO tie
them. The agent OF the bureau, this is his
title We believed, acknowledged the author
ity Of the mitimus, but said that the Sheriff
had no right to lie them.
The Sheriff thus oyerruled, and surround
ed with bayoneis, undertook 10 bring his
prisoners back TO Murfreesboro united. As
might have been anticipated, two Of them
escaped, and the Sheriff SAYS that the olher
one might have done so if he had tried.
The events shove narrated occurred in
the city Of Nashville, on Wednesday the
llth Of October, 1855, between the hours Of
and O'Clock, a. m. We are thus par
rieular IN stating the time, so that the guilty
parties, should there chance to be such,
may De held TO a proper ace .untability. We
derive the facts from Mr.. johnson, the
deputy Sheriff who had charge Of lhe pris-
oneFs, and have taken great pains to state
the facts correctly as given By him, with
out reference 10 gremmsr or phraseology.
The only comment We have TO make Is,
that one or more eolored prisoners sent TO
the penitentiary from Clarksville, in this
State, were relieved at BOEling Green under
precisely EiIni ar Ct. cumsiauces, If the pa
pers are to be believed-and we say farther
that our eolOred feiloW-citizens seem to have
the advantage Of their pale-iaced brethren
in this matter Of being secured from escape
Il was only a week or ave ago, that a white
charged with stealing horse and buggy,
was sent from this place 20 Columbia, for
trial, hand-cutied, although there was no
other prisoner hand-cufied. He inside
desperate attempt 70 escape by leaping from
the cars, aud succeeded very nearly IN do
ing 30. should u become the rule that
negro prisoners shall not be secured by rope
or hand-cufied, white prisoners will claim
the same privilege, aud we think public
money viii be saved by their not being ar
rested, unless il is in some place where
there is sample room and large enough" to
confne them az once.
In conclusion we beg leave to say that
Andrew johnson is loyal man, we claim
70 be 50 for We endorse his policy so far as it
has been developed "tof0 c9l0." But we
claim the privilege Of saying that in the
| administration Of affairs O screw must be
| loo someHhere.
We hope that the auth 9rities will inVesti-
/ gaze the matter and ret It right. We would
not Intentionally say word in our little
pc per calculated 10 retsrd the restoration Of
| harmony between the North and the South
On the contrary We are anxious 10 contribute
70 that "consummatiOn so devoutly to be
wished" 10 every way that We can.
As public journalist, however, we can
not consistently with our sense Of duty per-
nit such an occurrence, as the one narrated,
10 pass without calling the attention Of the
| athorities 70 il.