The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-27

Horace Bells Experience in Freeing Ken
lucky Slaves-A SkillfuI Operator.

| lucky Slaves-A Skillful Operator.
| Louisville Commercial.
| An interesting bit of Kentucky ante -bellum
history was resurrected few days ago in this
| city oy Thomas Stephens. California journal
ist who was sent to Louisville for the purpose of
| learning the record of Horace Bell who is now
a candidate for an important city Office in Los
| Angeles, Cal Bell was formerly a native of New
| Albany, but made himself notorious in Ken
| tucky as most bitter Abolitionist. 1t is Mr..
Steppens's intention to publish the record Of Bell
for political reasons. and that is his only bust
| ness IN coming to Kentucky
Horace Bell, the subject of Stephens's in
| quiries is a native of Indiana. and as early
| 1888 he made himself conspicuous by his hatred
| OF all Southern institutions, and his efforts to
| aid In the freedom of the negroes. Party feeling
| between the advocates of slavery and the anti
| slavery party was at fever heat when Bell first
took an active part in advancing the ideas OF the
| Abolitionists He made speeches to free negroes
and the supporters of his sentiments. and made
himself generally obnoxious to slave
owners. His first action was TO aid a
| fugitive slave from southern Kentucky to escape
to Indiana. He was detected in this and an
| attempt was made to capture him, but he fled to
| his home in New Albany and remained in re-
| tiremenI for about year Then he again began
| his speeches, and had the audacity to penetrate
| into the interior of Kentucky and preach his
| doctrines to the slaves themselves He made
secret visits to the cabins of the human chattels
and urged them to throw off their chains and
i
! in his work and fed before an armed vigilance
| committee, which was organized to capture hira.
| After he was safely in Indiana, Bell joined a
| party OF Abolitionists who were secretly work
| ing to free Kentucky slaves. He went down the
Ohio river to point near Brandenburg, and
| lived there for some time. During his stay
| there he was in the habit of crossing the river
| every night and mingling with the slaves on the
| farms and plantations near Brandenburg The
| river is very narrow at that point, and when
W IN wa RI Pnn
| Bell would furnish him with the means of es
cape and assist in laying plans to prevent his re
CAPTURE.
/ He was not suspected for long time so cum
ningly did he operate, but runaway slave who
was captured while waiting the river bank
for Bell to come after him with boat, confessed
that Bell pursuaded him to attempt an escape,
and aided him in it, All the planters in the
neighborhood Joined in an effort to capture Bell.
but he was warned of his danger by sym pathzer
who lived in Brandenburg, and evaded the men
who were awaiting to seize him. In spite Of the
watch that was kept along the river bank after
that time, Bell continued to operate in the vicin
| ity, and planned many shrewd schemes for es-
Gaping the guards and landing fugitive
slaves on free soil. He surreptitouslv visited
| Brandenburg. and carried negroes from the town
until meeting Of citizens was held and price
| was set on his head. A large sum was raised as
a reward for his capture, and $500 was added by
| the authorities TO the reward offered for Bells
| arrest. The large sum tempted the cupidity of
his own followers, and after several attempts to
betray him we're made by his friends, he de-
| cided to leave the place, which was rapidly
| growing too warm for him.
He left the vicinity of Brandenburg and went
| to his New Albany home, where he still engaged
| in his favorite occupation as much as possible
| Attempts to decoy him into Kentucky and cap
ture him were made. but he proved as keen
| and tricky as his pursuers, and evaded the
| many traps set for him. AS long as he remained
| in Indiana. free State, he could not lawfully
L = - =
| to harrass and annoy the slave-owners In every
possible way.
| daring plan was arranged by three Louis
| vile policemen. ard put into execution in the
| fall of 1858. Lon Rogers, jerry Antle and Tom
Slater were the conSpjrators, and, one morning
when they knew that Bell was at home the trio
crossed to New Albany in boat. They quietly
walked through the town, and found
! Horace Bell Main street One of the
men was unknown to Bell and he walked
| to the Abolitionist and engaged him in a
conversation. While Bell answering
| question put to him the other two approached
| him from behind and sized him. They hastily
bound his arms, and before the astonished clti-
] zens of New Albany knew what was going on
| Bell was hurried to the river, thrown into
| boat. and the three policeman were bending to
| the oars and pulling their craft away from In
| diana to the slave State.
| AS soon as the Indianians comprehended the
-! fact that citizen had been kidnapped before
| their eyes by the audacious Kentuckians an at.
| tempt at rescue was made Armed men fol-
| lowed the boat containing Bell and the three
| daring policemen were surrounded by a hail of
rifle and pistol bullets. Under a heavy fire they
manfllly stuck to their oars and triumphantly
| landed the Aboitionist on Kentucky soil. There
was talk of lynching Bell, but he was hurried to
| the county Jail and securely locked up.
| In New Albany the citizens were furious Ar
| rangements were made for an armed mob to
come to Louisville and take Bell from Jail. This
| plan was given up when the better citizens en-
| gagged Nathan Wolf the celebrated criminal law
1 yer, who defended George Armstrong for the
murder of school teacher Webster. to secure the
| liberty of Bell. He came TO Louisville. armed
with writ of habeaS corpus. but the author-
| ties heard of his intentions, and Bell was taken
| from jail and carried into the woods south of
| Louisville, where he was concealed until night
/ A search was made for him through the city, but
| he was not found, and the bafied lawyer re-
| turned to Indiana
| In the night Bell was taken from his place of
| concealment, and carried by Detective Blgh and
| William Ray, then chief of police, to Braden
| burg. He was placed in Jail there and held for
| trial A number of Northern men applied for
| Bells release on bail, and raised the amount
necessary for his bond. He was liberated, and
at once jumped his bond and returned to the
| North. When the war broke out he joined an
| Indiana regiment as a quartermasters assistant
and in place of security behind the federas, he
! managed to revenge himself on the Kentuckians
| whom he formerly annoyed.
| Several attempts to kill him were made, but
he continued to follow the United States soldiers
at safe distance from the fighting until the sur
render Of the Confederacy. He then disappeared
and nothing was heard of him by those who
formerly knew him in this city and New Albany
until Mr.. Stephens came to Louisville
| He has acquired fortune and has strong
| following of the rabble in Los Angeles, but he
/ had made himself so obnoxious to the respect
able citizens that they engaged Stephens to learn
| his history for the purpose of driving him away
| from that city.
| The Mugwumps and the Prohibitionists.
| Boston Journal
| The mugwump press rivals the Democratic In
/ the ardor with which it coddes the third party