The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-06-27
INC ..Good GA EDemoernIIe TImes.,'

The aGO0u Ola tDeEuOeEut1e TAKne5s.s
The death of one Peter NJ. Gardner,
which occurred In Columbus a few days
ago, reviyes chapter in the history OF
slavery in this part of Virginia, which
serves well Ito illustrate the Sremsrks
made by the Hon. Charlie Lewis to q
Democratic crowd at Clarksburg last
Monday week. AS sample of the
tgood old Democratic times, !" which he
SO feelingly lamented, we copy The fol-
lowing notice of Gardner's death from
the last Marietta Register.
Mr.. Gardiner was one of the three
citizens of Decatur-C rayton j. Lorraine
| and Mordecai Thomas being the others
t-who were seized on the soil of Ohio,
1by VirginianS, and fOrcibly carried
over the river, on the night of July 8,
1916, and lodged in jail at Parkersburg,
8 here they remained six months.
Briefly, the facts were: Six slaves of
John n. HARDWOOD, of Washington's
Bottom, Va, just below Blannerbas-
sett Island, escaped into Ohio. At the
river bank, a party OF Ohioans, un-
armed, met them to assist; but the Vir-
ginians, having obtained some knowl-
edge OF the purposes of the negroes,
were there in advance. concealed in the
bushes, and fully armed. As the bag
gage was being taken from the boat,
the Virginians rushed upon them and
secured five of the negIoes, and cap
tured Garner, Lorraine and Thomas:
The Yirginians claimed that these
citizens of Ohio, who had never set foot
on Virginia soil. were "felons," and
amenable to the laws of that State, for
an alleged otfense, not known TO the
laws of Ohio, and done within its own.
Jurisdiction. Bail was refused the
prisoners; intercourse with their
friends from Ohio was denied them;
and Marietta lawyers employed to de-
fend them were rejected. Subsequent
~ the wives of the prisoners were per-
mitted to visit them, under guard.
August 10th, public meeting was
held at the Court House in Marietta,
ITO take into consideration further
measures for The liberation OF Ohio citt-
zens now in Jail at Parkersburg, and the
vindication ofthe rights of Ohio" Sept.
I'd, the prisoners, each c0llared by two
men, were taken from the jail to the
Court House In Parkersburg, and there
plead not guilty to the charge of entics
ing and assisting, in the county OF
Wood, Va, the six negroes to escape
from slavery. Bail was again refused,
except by5a Virginia freeholder,s and
their trial came on. the jury found a
special verdict of guilty, turning on
Jurisdiction" in the case, to be tried
by higher court. The question of
Jurisdiction, or boundary between the
two States. was argued before the
Court OF Appeals at Richmond, Dec.
1Oth-13th (; and the Conrt divided equal
ly on the question whether the state
line was at low water mark on the
Ohio side of the river or above that.
The men had been captured just above
low water mark. Yirginiaithus eoozed
out" AT a special term In Parkers.
burg, Garner, Lorraine and Thomas
were ndmittedto bail of 500 each, on
their OicR recognizance,s and were set
at liberty Jan. 10, 1846-having lain in
Jail six months. - ai
This ended the case. 1t produced
much excitement at the time. J'sr
They were quiet citizens, and were,
we believe, Of Quaker stock. Thomas
went 10 Belmont county, and became
blind. Lorain is living In Illinois.