The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1876-09-16

THE ABoLlsIIaENr OF SLAVERY.


Washington, Aug. 2S.-The fol-
lowing decisions have been rem
defed:
Nos. l75 and 1s2-Warrcn Hall,
appellant, VS.. The United States
The United States appellants, VS..
Margaret Roach, Execntrix Of Ben
jamin Roach.-Appeals from the
Court Of Claims. Hall filed his pc
titi0n in the Court of Claims. By
leave of the court Benjamin Roach
filed a petition Of interpleader.
Subsequently Roach died. and his
Executrix was made party. Both
parties are pursuing the proceeds
Of the same cotton. The cotton
was raised, ginned and baled on
Roach's plantation, known as
Bachelors Bend, in the Slate of
Mississippi. About the 18th Of
April, 1868, 1t was seized by Lieut..
Barlow, ofthc United States Army,
and subsequently converted into
money, and the proceeds paid into
the Treasury Of the United States
About these facts there is no con.
troversy. II is admitted the cot
ton belonged originally to Roach.
1t is clear; therefore, that the claim
on behalf Of his state must prevail,
unless Hall, the adverse claimant,
has shown u better title. Hence II
Is unnecessary to remark further
in regard 10 the title asserted by
the exccntrix. The United States
hive no interest in the controvcr-
sy. The Government il merely q
fund-holder for the benefit Of the
two other parties who shall
succeed in this litigation. The
controversy turns upon the claim
Of Hull, aud our remarks will be
confined TO that subject. In con-
sidering the case in this aspect, we
must look TO the findings Of the
/ court, and we caunot look beyond
them. The court says "the eyi-
lence is not only vo!uminous but
exceedingly conflicting, and much
is wholly irrcconcilable." The
findings as 10 this part Of the case
are as follows: Hall is a man Of
color, of Indian and African Dc.
scent, aud claims to have been free.
born. Ills mother was Of Indian
extraction, residing at the time Of
his birth in the City Of Alexander,
rs free woman. 's8. Hull, with
other slaves, was taken from a
slave market in Washington, ID.
c., by one Thomas Williams, and
sold by trader to the claimant
Roach's father, who sent him up
to Bachelors Bend plantation, in
Mississippi. Hall was sent TO the
plantation III 1874, and remained
there us the slave of Roach's father
until until his death III 18l7, and
after that as the slave Of the elaim-
ant Boach, who succeeded TO the
estate of his father, and remained
there until aftcr the cotton IN qucs-
ton was seized in 1868. He was
treated all the time as q slave, fed
and clothed by his master, and
worked with the other slaves,
sometimes as field hand and at
others as a stock mindcr. On the
contrary, Hall now claims to have
been a free man while living with
claimant Roach, and that as such
Roach was justly indebted to him
on account Of stock, hogs, pork,
&C.. which he had raised on
Roach's plantation, and sold and
delivered to him, and that the cot
ton now in suit was given him BY
Roach in discharge ofhis indebted
ness. Hall, under this claim Of
title, followed the cotton after Its
seizure to the river, and made af.
fidavit that he was the lawful own
er thereof. Roach's ovcrsccr, Me-
Dowell, hearing of Halls claim to
the cotton, Immediately contested
his right to 1t before the officers Of
the United States having It III
charge, and Hall afterward admit
ted to Mcdowell, the ,erseer, that
the cotton was not his, and that
his oath, in which he asserted a
claim thereto, was false. After
ward, however, Hall continued to
,,.oaacs,tn hia offnrta IN ohfain the