Year: 1859




CrOss examination Of Anderson Jennings con-
tinusd-Have had no conversation with Bacon
last evening subsequent TO my examination.
Bucon did tell me last night that he had offered
me $500, or half of the v6lue Of the negro ia
case Of his being returned. ! never saw the
negro after he ran off until / saw him at Wei
lington. ION the question as to what arms he
had on his way from OUerlin to Wellington,
Attorney BELDEN objected. Witness was pur
suing lawful object and had O right to carry
arms. Judge WILSON overruled the objection |
/ had two reyolvers (ono produced in Court
end two pair of hand cuffs, con motion Of
Judge Bliss, the testimony as to shackes was
ruled Out) Did not tell any one in Oberlin
that was in pursuit cf a slave Had been in
Oberlin two or three days previous TO getting
the slave Was there about day and a half
before ] went TO Kentucky previous to my
second visit to Oberin Was after a slave of
my own on my first visit to the place COB.
lection was taken by Mr.. BELDEN to an inquiry
into the wtness's object in going to Oberliu
at first. Nc BACKUs claimed that he had
been there pre- iOuS TO the capture OF John, for
the purpose Of illegally taking away a negro,
and this being known to tho people OF the place,
they had a perfect right to conclude that on the
second visit he was engaged in another illegal
pursuit, and the rescue by the citizens was
spontaneous uprising to prevent such an illegal
I
Court) On going from ObeIlin to Wellington
| was accompanied only by tue boy sent with
me by Mr.. Wack who was to take the horse and
buggy back Went to Wadsworth's tavern and
there found the negro with Mr. Lowe, Mr.. Davis
aud Nc Mitchell. A large number of men had
gathered about and obstructed the way up stairs
TO the room where the negro was The crowd
were enquirlng for "those men that had John"
here were about ffty men in the house
| of ida had a., ,pHu
bers we're constantly arriving in buggies, DC -
When l went into the room where John was
the crowd did not attempt TO enter with me.
inquired for better room where the door could
bc fastened The door to this one could NOT
be fastened. The landlord came through
the door. Do not remember but that the
door could be opened by ATTY one Asked
the landlord for a better and a higher room
to which we went up another flight Of
stairs Mr. Wadsworth went first and ! next
with the others after US. We probably went up
two abreast. This room up two flights OF
stairs from the street. Am not now positive
as to whether the room first entered was on
the first or second floor took my stand at
the door Of the room. Mr.. Lowe, Mr. Nit.
ohel, Mr.. Davis John and mygelf were in the
room Stayed there from about three o'clock
until near dusk. This was q front room with
I think) one window. Some men asked to be
let in, aud let in everybody who wanted to
come in. This was about FIVE minutes after
went into the room The men raped at the door
and asked to be letin asked how ma y want
ed to come in, and let three in first / did not
see the defendant (BushnelD in the room. Nor
do l remember of seeing him during the day.
The sheriff of Lorain county came with a
posse Of men and we let them in lie raped
aud asked to be let in and we let them in. He
wanted to see our papers which he read. This
was toward night, perhaps an hour after got
there. He stay cd a short time, going out and
in. / saw him the last time about two hours
before the boy was taken by the crowd. lie
was not there when the boy was taken. There
was some force used by the company crowding
and passing out and in. For some time we
let in all who wanted. After the Sheriff lcit
we did not let the crowd in the room. There
were no blacks in the room. The FIRST force used
was the blow through the stove pipe hole.-
Witness showed his hat with hole punched
through it by the weapon thrust through the
\. hole This blow nearly knocked me down.
The crowd were now trying to get in and Twas
holding the door, by means of a rope tied into
the latch. The door opened out o! the room
There were now four or five of the Sheriff 4
men in the room beside our own man, one o
whom was calling those ontaide towards for moi
coming in. l said nothing to the outside crowd
hi. but probably talked loud enough TO be heard
in the hall Those in the Hall were then
quiet This blow through the stovc pipe holt
was about half an hour before the capture. Hal
an hour after this blow, the crowd began Ia
break in at the window. There was balcony
Is in front of the window. A ladder was used Il
10 get upon the platform. There were ten or it
teen upon the platform. They broke the win
dow in and climbed in There were a gOuC
r many of them No means were taken by oui
- men 10 prevent them from coming in. There
were ten or fileen who thus came iu A part
of them came in at the door. i was perfectly
cool at the time and can distinctly remember
. what took place They took John but did moi
u seize any Of the rest OF Ne. The crowd (no col
ored men in it) bore John toward the door, he
being surrounded by it. l soon left the room
perhaps fifteen minutes after. l saw John pu'
into wagon and driven of, | was looking ou
of tho window Don't think the niger touched
the ground at all but was boTus to the wagor
by the crowd. There was good big oroWC
following him from the house; | saw them car
nv John 70 the wagon. first saw him five O
six feet from the wagon. The wagon was abou
10 the centre Of the square which is in front @
the house Could not see whether he was walk
ing or being carried. The crowd put him int
the wagon, He was lifted into the whgOn,-
Am positive Of this. had seen John in Dover
Mason county, which is upon the Ohio river
Saw him next at Wellington.


Direct examination resumed John was ful
, bInoded negro No white blood in him. WheI
- met John at Wellington he (JOhn) came up ant
Ia discussion here arose between judge
Spauldiug aud BeldeR as TO admitting what wa
SAID 10 the room, Question passed over aD'
witness not required 10 testify az to that matter.
spoke TO John aud called him by nrme Their
was no arrangement made between myself an'
Bacon as 10 compensation had been in Hi
nois before my first visit TO Oberlin, but went Il
Obeilin direct from home TO search for negr
belonging to my uncle's estate. Then foun'
that John was there, and wrote for power o
Attorney Did not know Of any reward beini
Offered Have never before been engaged II
slave catching At Wellington the wagon wa
ten or fifteen yards from the house.


Cross Examination, resumed-We have dii
ferent classes Of negroes in Kentucky. Som
are light, some yellow, some copper colored
some black. never have seen negroet with 81
much white blood in them as some at Oberlin
But few negroes are more than half white. W
do sometimes call pure black negroes coppe
eolored Some would call John COPPER color
but call him black. know he has no whit
blood in him Witness dismissed after abou
II Ave hours examination.


Seth W. Bartholomew, stoorn.-Reside q
Oberlin, was there in September 1868. SaV
the rescue party start from Oberlin for yelling
ton about 4 oelock P. NJ There were w,
went first and others followed along. / saw
Bushnell come from Mr. Fitch's bookstore