, 1874-07-11
Lives Of tho Two Principal Actors,
Pr0f. Il. II. Peck and j.
NJ, Fitch.
In. Jail at Cleveland, O.
Trial, Triumphant Release, and
Return Home.
Death Of. tile " 1fcscuers."

s1n J. III. Fitch waH born IN tho State Of Nov
York, and Was the son Of harnoHa-maker.
Whtio ho was still a hoy his father movod to
Oborlin, O., and settled In that placo. becoming
ono Of tho coyonnntorB and supporters Of tho
0borfin College, thon inst rising iuto notice.
James was rious, good boy, and, wbilo yot q
lad, was put to school, his father intending to
educate him for tho ministry. Ills hoalth was
not good. and aftor he loft school, he went at
hard work, hoping to improve h'a phyaIcal con-
dttion. Soon aftorwaru he booann book.agent,
md commenced tho publication OF tho Euanqel-
tsk tho first newspaper ever published at 0bor-
lin. Ho continued tho book-busnoss and news-
paper publishing for q uumbor Of yoars, ani
Gpnlly gnyo up all idea Of thu mintatry.
11r. Fitch was ono Of tho famous
'twEILlN0roN HEsouEns,'
but his connection with tho affair does not Hoom
10 hayo boon worry dofinite. The fsctB Of tue
case, as nonr as / can uow recall thom, were as
follows: John, valunblo slavo belonging to
A1r. Bacon. citizen Of Kentucky, tan away,
and cnmo to Oherliu to live. Two years tator, T.
Mr. Jennings. Of Kentucky, whilo on a trip
North, aaw john, ana recognized him as the
siayo Of hia frion3 Bacon. h1r. Jennings nt
once wrote to Dacon to send him power Of at
tornoy. md he would arrest John aud return
him to Kentucky Mr.. Bacon sent tho aosirel
paper, md With 1t hIr. Ricllard Mitchell, WHO
know john we'll. and who waa to mako the noces-
sary oath Of Identification. 1t appears TINT b.
con was to sell lho boy, aud give tho persons
making tho arrcHt and return Of him oue-half
Of what ho would bring In tho Hlaye-msrkct.
jennings, fearing tho wrath Of tho Oborljnors,
WHO had declared that no moro alavea should bo
carried back from their town iuto Havory, went
S,.i~ ~,,S4n 4~ {t,n fnrT rp
Louis Doynton. M iron-lleadod Democrat, and,
hiring Mr. Boynton's son for $40, sont him into
town to decoy John out under protonso TIN t he
wanted him to dig POTATOES on his fathers farm.
John oame, not RuBpectng anything wrong !;
and. WHEN 2 milea ont. WIS
pouSoEp uPos BY THE EshAyE-oHvoHERB,
and carried OF to the Town Of Wellington. some
10 miles distant. Tho nowa OF Johns abduction
soon reached Oborlin, and Il violent scono of ex-
clternent eusuod. A. meeting was at ouce called
At Mr. Fitch'a store, where it was
fully determined that John should
10 rescued at all hazards. The
negroes assembled under Charles Langston,
tho students under Prof Peck, aud tho cltlzens
unlor tito Hon. Ralph Plumb aud Simeon BUSH
nell. Some on nhorsaback, so1ne III wagons. and
Honla Oh foot, the litta army SGT out, lod on hy
their respective ollets, 4na armed only with
Dlb1ea. They came up with tho s1ave-catchors at
MellnRtoh. anu, IorCibly 4elFeIlnB Jonu from
Ills enemies. carried him back in triumph to
0herlin. Alr. Fitch counse!el tue dcliyernnce,
but did not himself 70 to tho - RcHcue." For
ahettlng, as it was called, the violation Of tho
Fugitiyo-Slayo law. he was arrested and thrown
into prison at Cleveland, ,where I shall leave
him until Inform tho RAIDER concerning Prof.
Pock.
mas poor boy. and cano early to oberliu, where
ho wns oaurated, and alter long, and sc'oro
struggle with tho ha, dships ol life. he became =
Professor III the oborlin College. aud ao'tlod
| permanontly in that plAce. His health waa
| quite Delicate, and bis friends were frequently
alarmed by his severe bleeding ut tho lungs His
physicians told lin llo must hayo change Of
own oxpense, President Ltncoln WAS cnnsulted,
a,d lle ut onco rendered tic Professor tho Con-
sr]ship ut liayti, which wns accepted gladly, aud
Peck laft his own country, never to retnrn.
i Vas rrof reek who led tho .1; stadsnts At tho
rested, and. with twonty-nine othcrs,
prison, tho citizens Of oborliu gave
him Il pnb'io dinner, at which some Of
present and sustained his action. This dinner,
| Mh,rh wns cna}ea by tho rro-Slarery paporB Of
tic tlthe ''The FoloD'H Feast. vas attended by
tho bost citizens Of tue country, mud toaats were
elao than that Prof. Peck WAS regarded as 4
| In i,iu aroarb +o hiu frfon}a Park was hold
~ nis speena ~ n 'tia', tiat }rua NV aa, "9S
na',nnt n,,J vii ~ eebov tt,o T,.y;t;vs.S,av
, ~ aa haoa',na ' ~ ~ io,a i.,r M oy,a
nt LUX latnnua s ~ no1 ~ oyo nv co.rv m In.
ansa y w uoe 1 iuso tis+ M ' omIa ro
t,aat H., - on,sast ';sor ."@T ,,no,' NV para M,
disgrace upon myself. I will oppose 40 infa-
11so''s u 'A"' pease@ps sao'
4 -., >, =, foAolAhY " MUST. ;. J..
Will ae, II necessary. opposing H. aHa' W
lne, ueaHeasn NY 1atte1 " !. 10 ny sa'!Nsen. s
AA1es the al''uol, nnoiGan u e'1aas n' 'olhns ~
l;toeess.on a'u gscntsou toa' luSn " w.
nsaton whefe me tooh tae ea!s aos .he eiosunn
}alf. LAtlo euttueh tniG" 1!u"oss u, nh Wy
laosea waved the!9 n"nahetca'ets, N.Y. oeAsas' =!
moh snoutna, nlIl. ~ oi,e "no Mtnenssa @ ~ "
aesho aao its aaicn " lal1 Mns 'aoao a no W
tf4utnpn y coasl"et'ub ncto tu"n 'ao 4"@AoA1
Gu'plt' 7,u.. Dali to,,,,a,1 ,r 1,ito., -,
~ P'a.oa. as1 een a. ~ ~ ~ s., 49, T. 81 81
thoS "ete eoun"eu loHothe,' tue3 "H3n9u s.to'.'
serves " oaitlas anu pll1nHnhls Httle phpe
called the Rescner. ana III which tboY gave q ~
account Of tt1clr pilho;i-l1lo. Ine ealtor OF th
Gle'elana d4eaaeF Alhasy lulnleaeu tl.9!n WI
tue type aad lheanb OF lno1sDinF thosr paper
ano " "na sosa on she styeetS !os eehts a eops
u.eat uactonons Ptosliea ai ~ s;1n uus
ing tilo confinement OF tne polltlea! pt!sonefs
ana, 1fon eaf'y MoFhihg ah'it 'atn ~ n'bhs, hai
otesH oi ladlos ana Rentielle1a. WIN ANY "oiu
. . aHa esohe"fe comforts. thseheea tae 1Asi. nnt
: II seemed motto lRo q place Whefe 6olno uIstn
= Enlahea petaonaso "aa Aolulhs leVee. Inan