The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-01-02

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Gang at Work.-Citizens' take Warn
Ing.
During the last six months, rumors nave
| prevailed In Charleston that men could not Walk
the streets safely at night without fear OF being
! Impressed on shiphoard and abducted TO fore!gn
norris. Several Instances have already been pub
lshed In TIE NEWS, but perhaps the most aggra
ya,ed OF all these cases. and one which illustrates
| the sbominstion Of the practice, and the daboll'
cal character OF the parties engaged In the trans
actions occurred on Friday morning last. we
are indebted TO officer F. Nipson for the particu-
lars.
It appears that young man named James
Stewart had arrived in Charleston from Savan'
nah In quest OF work, and while looking about
him for shis purpose was suddenly arrested oy
one Ben Hernandez white man, who acts as
sort Of promiscuous constable. In company with
Hernandez was Q man named Harry May, the
keeper of a sailors boarding house In Queen
street who, in addition to his hotel arrangements,
fu.nishes ships with sailors.
By these two men, James Stewart was arrest
ed and told that he wss to be carried before
trial Justice, on the charge OF being deserter
from ship. he answered that he knew nothing
Of aoy ship, having but recently arrived from
Savannah. The parties however, produced So
called warrant from Trial Justice Bunch, on tae
streapth of which Stewart was. by them, carried
to isil. That night, Triday) about O'Clock, he
was taken from the jail In Irons; but finding that
he WAS being conveyed towards the water side.
stewart managed to escape, and for q time ran
lnstTy fo- life, CRYING Murder" Impeded by his
irons, he was quickly overtaken by Hernandez,
knocked down, and second time secured. Inc
cries OF the unfortunate maa alarmed the entire
neIchborhood of Beaufan street, In which the &C.
currence took place, and NUMBER OF cltlzens
oame from their houses 10 ascertain the cause OF
the sumult. Hernandez, representing that he was
an oficer OF the police, endeavortng TO carry
Stewart to the Guardhouse, nothing more was
thonuht Of the matter untl the next morning,
Saturday, when Mr.. Geo. A. Howard, one OF the
neIsbbors. went to the Guardhouse to ascertain
what had become Of the poor. fellow, and what
was his crime To his astontsament, 1t appeared
thst no snch persons as Hernandez or Stewart had
been there The circumstances were quickly re-
lated to Capt Hendricks, the chief Of police, who
at once surmised that the man mad been forcibly
abducted. with the connIYance Of Trial Justice
Bunch. and sent on board OF some ship IN the
harbor. he Immediately ordered Officer Slpson
to take the case In hand, and at every naHaru
rescue the unfortunate prisoner. Accompanied
by Mr.. Howard, and Constable Haley, and armed
with a warrant from Trial Justice J. @. Mackey,
he accordingly proceeded on board the bark
Aurelia lying in the stream, bound for Liverpool,
and ready 20 sail Here he found Stewart In the
rorec.ste. and all the other hands on deck except
himself. On questioning Stewart In the pres
ence Of the mate OF the SHIP r ap-
peared that he had persistenV raused
to sign the ships papers, and was to oil intents
and purposes o prisoner. 1t Is due to the mate 10
say that when the facts were stated BY the otlcer,
he conceded that there had been some rascaltty
In the matter, and, in consequence OF his suspt-
cions, had refused to pay May his usual fee for
the new man. Stewart was brought away by
OHicer Nipson and his associates, crying WITH Joy
at his providentlal release. OMcers Nipson anu
Haley then promptly arrested Hernandez anu
carried hi 4 before Trial Justice j. q. AacKey,
who, after reading the warrant under which he'
Hernandez, had.seized Stewart, pronounced IL 10
be document under which no American catlzen
could be Justly arrested, and In defauls OIL tn9
bail fixed namely, five hundred dollars, sent him
to iat, May was subsequently arrested, carried
before Trial Justice Mackey, aud held to ball.
The next man who ought to be severely pun
ished In connection with this nefarious trinsac'
tiou is the Trial Justice Bunch II so ignorant OF
the duties OF his Office that on the represf ntaton
of n sailors, boarding house keeper an. an irre
sponslble person like Hernandez, he cf.f commit
a citizen to jail without hearing, o. even WIN
out seeing him, as was the ease In tie present ln
stance, he ought to be removed from office; anu II
it is proved as the evidence indicates, that there
has been colusion on his part, as public oheiai,
with persons engaged In soducting citizens OF
Charleston from their homes then no punishment
meted out to arst.class villain, Will De more
lust than that which should be visited upon tnis
man Bunch. It Is not tho first time his misdeeds
have been brought to the attention OF the State au
tnoritles; and we hope his Excelency Will now oe
satisfied that there are sufficient grounds, nos
merely for removal, but to justify more rigorous
urocsedlngs. Fer precisely the same crime
or which he IS said 30 have been guilty
England and the United States went to war
in 1919 and it is surely but right that under
our own noses sImpleson, dressed In the orler
authority OF the nOus, Suouiu hoo w loiJ F"
ted to imperll the liberties Of our people. sls::
We learn from Onlcer Nlpson that on board OF
the bark Aurelia he also found number OF men
who had shipped for various places, and receiVei
no pay-the money promised them being Swallow
ed up by the boarding leeches. They
stated also that they had shipped for various
ports other than Liverpool, and seemed distress
ed at the predicament in which they were ST.
usted.
Things have arrived at pretty pass In Charles
ton, VIXEN a local magistrate combines with
wharf dodgers to kidnap her citizens, and 1t IS TO
be hoped that an example that will not DC Tor
gotten will be made Of the guilty parties sunch
Is said to be trying to hash the matter up. NO
wonderl
Low FREIaHr.-The Columbia Union says
that the South Oarolias Railroad Company VIII
carry cotton between yay.stat!ons at IS cents
per hundred pounds, on and after January l, 1871.
EMANCIPATION DAY.-The preparations which
have been going on for some time back Tor the
celebration OF the emancipation. anniversary, Will