Morning journal and courier., 1885-12-29
THE AMHSTAD CASE.
An Account of a Celebrated Affair in Which New Haven Was Interested.

An Account of Celebrated Affair fin
 Which New Haven Was Interested.
 The following review of s'the Amistad case" has been prepared by the Hon. Lynde Harrison for the forthcoming history ct New Haven, which is to be published by Munsell & Co.,, of New York:
 It would be impossible to enamerate with in the limits of this article the important cases that have been tried in New Haven during this century. Many of them involv- ing important principles of law or large sums of money naturally attracted public attention at the time. But several, by the peeuliarity of the circumstances surrounding them, had wide newspaper celebrity at the time of their trials The most important of all, and the one attracting attention throughout the world, was the Amistad case, which was tried in 1S4O in the United States District court. The first acts of this drama were in the wilds of Africa, in the island of Cuba and upon the Atlantic Ocean. The last act was per formed in the quiet town of New Haven. The republic of the United States and the monarchy of Spain were interested in the re- sult The friends of humanity and liberty all over the world and the advocates of sla- very in this country and the Spanish colo nies were deeply interested spectators.
 The slave trade was prohibited by the laws of Spain. Africans introduced into Spanish territories in violation of those laws were de c1ared to be free. A slayer sailing under Portu- guese colors, in June, 1889, landed cargo ot kidnapped Africans upon the coast of Cuba near Havana, and they were soon afterward sold as slaves. All this was done upon Span ish soil in violation of the laws that made them free, but these laws were seldom en- forced. Fifty-two of these slaves were pur- chased by two Spaniards named Ruiz and Montes, who obtained license to transport them on a vessel, the Amistad, from Havana to Principe. They had no opportunity to pre- sent their case to the captain general of Cuba to vindicate their claims to freedom. Failing to secure their liberty by legal rights, after they had been out at sea for five days the Africans arose upon the ca tsin and crew under the lead of Cinque, 8 stalwart and intelligent negro. They all belonged to warlike tribe in Africa, and after succeed ing in killing the captain and cook of the vessel they spared the lives of the other whites ,on the vessel, including those of their so-called masters, Ruiz and Montes. They then ordered the vessel to be sseered for Africa, and during the daytime compelled the crew to sail easterly by the sun. In the night season, however, Ruiz and Monies sailed the vessel toward the north. After pursuing this zigzag course for about two months they reached the easterly end of Long Island Sound, and on the 26th of August, 1899, the vessel was boarded by Lieutenant Gedney of the United States brig Washington and taken into New London, Connecticut. Here the Africans were seized and committed to the jail in New Haven by the United States marshal, on a war1 ant issued from the dis trict court of the United States for Connecti- cut, to answer the charge of murder upon the high seas. A libel was brought as in ad- | miralty proceedings by Lieutenant Gedney and some Long Islanders who assisted him | in arresting some of the negroes who had gone ashore for water, against the vessel, ,and | also against the negroes themselves as if they were so many bales of goods claiming them as sa1vors. Ruiz and Montes also brought | a libel in the district court against the l negroes as their owners. The Spanish min l ister at Washington, seemingly oblivious oi