A History of the Trial of Castner Hanway and Others, for Treason, at Philadelphia in November, 1851: With an Introduction upon the History of the Slave QuestionMember of the Philadelphia bar
History
A History of the Trial of Castner Hanway and Others, for Treason, at Philadelphia in November, 1851: With an Introduction upon the History of the Slave Question
Member of the Philadelphia bar
Fugitive slaves -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- United States; Hanway, Castner, 1821-1893 -- Trials, litigation, etc.; Riots -- Pennsylvania -- Christiana; Trials (Treason) -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia; United States -- Fugitive slave law (1850)
On the 9th of September, A. D. 1851, Mr. Edward Gorsuch, a citizen of
Maryland, residing near Baltimore, appeared before Edward D. Ingraham,
Esq., U. S. Commissioner for Philadelphia, and asked for warrants under
the Act of Congress of the 18th Sept. 1850, for the arrest of four
of his slaves whom he had heard were secreted somewhere in Lancaster
County. Warrants were issued forthwith, directed to H. H. Kline, a
deputy U. S. Marshal, authorizing him to arrest George Hammond, Joshua
Hammond, Nelson Ford, and Noah Buley, persons held to service or labor
in the State of Maryland, and bring them before the said Commissioner.
Mr. Gorsuch then made arrangements with John Agin and Thompson Tully,
residents of Philadelphia, and police officers, to assist Kline in
making the arrests. They were to meet Mr. Gorsuch and some companions
at Penningtonville, a small place on the State railroad, about 50 miles
from Philadelphia. Kline, with the warrants, left Philadelphia, on the
same day about 2 P. M. for West Chester. Here he hired a conveyance and
rode on to Gallagherville. Here he hired another conveyance to take
him to Penningtonville. Before he had driven very far, the carriage
breaking down, he returned to Gallagherville, procured another and
started again. Owing to this detention, he was prevented from meeting
Mr. Gorsuch and his friends at the appointed time. When he reached
Penningtonville, about 2 A. M., on the 10th September, they had gone.
On entering the tavern, the place of rendezvous, he saw a colored man
whom he recognized as Samuel Williams, a resident of Philadelphia. To
put him off his guard, Kline asked the landlord some questions about
horse thieves. Williams replied that he had seen them, and told Kline
he had come too late.
Kline then drove on to the Gap. Seeing a person he believed to be
Williams following him, he stopped at several taverns along the road
to make inquiries about horse thieves. He reached the Gap about 3 A.
M., put up the horses and went to bed. At half past four he got up, ate
breakfast, and rode to Parksburg, about 45 miles from Philadelphia,
on the same railroad. Here he found Agin and Tully asleep in the bar
room. He awoke Agin, called him aside, and inquired for Mr. Gorsuch and
his party. He was told they had gone to Sadsbury, a small place on the
turnpike, four or five miles from Parksburg.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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