Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1874-04-30

A SLAVERY BARE RIrY.-Col. FOrney,
in the last number Of his Anecdotes OF
iublic Men, gives the following az narra-
ted to him few days since, by Hon. Carl
ton b. Curtis, now Member of Congress
"Iu the month OF June, 1855, | was at
court held in Louisville, KY, and l found
on trial four negroes charged with murder
ing an elderly lady and child for the sake Of
plunder, under circumstances Of great afro
city The attendance was large and intense.
ly excited The negroes were ably defended
by the late General Lowell Rousseau. The
only evidence against them was the testimo-
ny of pretended accomplish, whose eyi-
dence was met by proving an abb and other
circumstances showing the story OF this pre-.
tended accomplish false. Judge Bullitt,
relative | think, of the distinguished law
yer John G. Bulitt, Of Philadelphia, then
presiding, an able jurist, set the matter at
rest by charging the jury that there could be
no conviction on the unsupported evidence
of an accomplish. A verdict Of not guilty
was rendered The crowd at once set
up a demand for the acquitted negroes for
Immediate execution. Inc sheriff, with his
posse, took the negroes to the county jail for
safe keeping; and the police force Of the city
was called on to aid the sheriff i'll protecting
them. The mob, constantly gaining in num-
bers, many of them armed with deadly wea.
pons, surrounded the jail, and demanded,
with terrific oaths the negroes Tor immedi-
ate execution, At length, finding the sher'
i'll and his posse unylelding to their de-
mands, the mob went to the arsenal, where
they found a cannon, which they loaded
with slugs and other missiles, and brought
to the door OF the prison where the negroes
were confined, and demanded an uncondi-
tioual surrender of the prisoners III the
sheriff's charge, The sheriff yielding to IN
overwhelming force, the demand was com,
piled with, and the four negroes, just found
not guilty by jury Of slave holders, were
committed to the tender mercies OF mob.
One of the negroes, as he came out OF the
jail, seeing al Infatuated mob before him,
and knowing that Judgment had fled to
british beasts, cut both sides OF his throat,
and fell dead before his executioners The
other three were soon manacled, and, with
ropes adjusted around their necks, were led
to the COURTHOUSE square amid on immense
throng making night hideous with their aw-
ful profanity and yelling. Forthwith ropes
were attached to the trees in the yard and
the negroes suspended. Before life was ex.
tinct, the negroes, each in his turn, W ere let
down and asked to confess their crime. The
only response was denial Of their guilt and
fervent supplication to the Throne Of Grace
for mercy, at length finding every effort
unavailng to compel confession, they were
once more drawn up, and, the ropes being
adjusted by men in the top of the tree, each
man jumped down upon the shoulders of the
hanging negroes and thence upon the ground
below, whereby their necks were broken,
which was the last Of poor old mig.
"The Vengeance Of the mob was not YET
SATISFIED and straightway the dead victims
were gathered together and burned in hor'
rlbe manner in the same yard whore they
were hanged. From this horrible scene thu
mob went to tho residence of Judge Built
whose crime consisted in charging the jury
that the unsupported testimony of part
ceps crinlinis was not sufficient to convic
the negroes. Arriving at his house, with
hideous yells, the mob demanded that HI
should go through the same ordeal as thu
negroes. The Judge met the crowd at thu
door, and very calmly informed them tina
he was then in his own castle, with few
friends, and that he should defeud it to tn
uttermost, and that bis person could not b
obtained while he lived and that he and hi
friends were well armed
The mob knowing that Judge Bullitt wa
brave chivalrous man and meant business
hesitated and wavered, and, as they slowl
retired from the house, gave notice tina
they would carry out their threat on tn
next morning as he went to the court. house
The next morning the crowd again Assem-
bled in the court house yard, somewhs
thinned and less boisterous At the appoin
ted time for the opening Of the court, Judg
Burlitt arrived in hack. The crowd il
voluntarily gave way saying in Whispers
There goes Judge Bullitt Coming to Il
steps Of the court house, the Judge align
ed. turned and took look at the crowd b
fore HIM and from thence went into Il
court room and took his seat upon Il
bench. The court then being opened wi
the usual tormalities, the Judge commenc,
his chsrge to the grand jury, in which
denounced the action of tho mob as guilty
unheard Of atrocity and murder, and that
was the duty ofthe grand jury then in Sc
sion to return forthwith bills of indictme
against all participating therein for the criI
OF murder, for such it was, and nothing lie
Suffice it TO say, the mob gradually dispe
ed, and the grand jury found no bill.
reason could be assigned for the action
the grand jury, save only that it was
rights Of the black man which had been
all Al 4.