The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-09-08

fact they knew 1t had come to
the knowledge of their owner
that they had sold wheat stolen
from him to free negro. A war
rant was gotten out for the ar
rest of the free negro, which,
coming to the ears of his accom-
plices. they resolved to escape.
During the winter it was reported
that these men were suffering
for food. A colored man was
sent to assure them that If they
would come home and behave
themselves nothing would be said
about their theft. They were
found but did not return. Mr..
Gorsuch then set out to find
them.
The following description of
the locality of this massacre will
be interesting: This house stands
near the head of the Great Val
ley IN Lancaster County, about
two miles from the village of
Christiana. The valley here is
about three quarters of mile
broad, quite troughlike in shape,
and bordered with wood. Across
this valley runs a narrow, rough
lane. About $50 yards from the
southern border of the valley and
one hundred yards from the lane
which crosses it stands the house
of the fugitive. connected with
the large lane by short lane
twelve feet wide.
TRIAL OF THE Constructors
THEIR ACQUITTAL.
This unfortunate affair, occur
ing at a time when the anti
slavery feeling was growing to-
ward its tragic elimination, ere.
a,ed intense excitement. Cashier,
Hanway, Elijah Lewis and some
fifty or sixty negroes were arrest
ed and lodged in Lancaster jail.
The United States authorities
claimed sole jurisdiction in the
case and the prisoners were hand
ed over to them, but they were in
Lancaster County. Hanway and
Lewis were charged in the United
States Court with high treason.
and Hanway's trial was called
November 10Th. 1851. The court
was an extraordinary session, and
its proceedings are a part of the
country'S history. 1t was presided
over by Judges Grier and KaDe.
But one other court in this coun.
try ever mad case of the kind,
and that was the one before which
| Aaron Burr was tried. The
counsel engaged in the case was
chosen from the most brilliant
and eminent lawyers of the day,
nearly all of them with national
regulations. Hanway's counsel
was Thaddeus Stevens. John NJ.
Read, subsequently Judge of the
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania:
Theodore Cuyler and Joseph j.
Lewis. The prosecution was rep
resented by United States Senator
James Cooper, John Nelson, At
torney-General of Mary | a Il d;
James r. Ludlow, United States
District Attorney; George L..
Ashmead, and others of less note.
When the jury to try the case
was being selected among those
called was "Simon Cameron, OF
Dauphin County," Simon Cam
ercn responded to his name, but
begged to be excused on account
of i'll health. Another call was
for the famous Philadelphia
Caleb Cope. He asked to be ex-
cused "because of his infirmi
ties" and was excused. The
trial lasted until the second week
in December. Among those who
crowded into the court room daily
and gave encouragement to be
prisoners was Lucretia Mott.
The trial resulted in the ac.
quittal of Hanway, the defense
being that he had gone to the
scene of the riot because he had
been summoned by a ueighbor.
who told him that Bill Bars
gang of kidnappers were at
Parker's trying to carry off some
negroes. He alarmed Elijah
Lewis, and they rode to Parker'S
to prevent the kidnapping if pos
sible. The persons they found
there were all strangers, and
Hanway declined on conscientious
grounds, to help capture the
alleged runaway slaves. He was
unable to prevent the death OF
Colonel Gorsuch.
The acquittal of Hanway cauS-
ed all other proceedings to cease.
as it was impossible to identify
any of the negroes who had been
concerned in the riot and murder.
His trial was complete farce,
as are generally all trials in the
United States Courts; they are
nearly always swayed by preiu-
dice and false swearing, and it is
an extreme matter to obtain JUS