Richmond Enquirer

KIDNAPPING

The abominable crime of man-stealing seems not to be generally held in that scorn and detestation it so richly deserves. With this view, we put upon record the following facts:—

Three black apprentices were living in the state of Delaware; Samuel, 24 years of age; James, 22, and Hannah, 20. They suddenly disappeared, in a mysterious manner—and their masters had uniformly declared, that they had run away. Still as no advertisement appeared in the public papers for their apprehension, suspicions were entertained of some foul play in this business. Information was at length obtained from Fredericksburg, which reached the postmaster in Delaware,...It appeared that they were stopped on the Fredericksburg road, and were claimed by W. P. Goslin, residing on the North-west Fork Bridge, near the dividing line between Delaware and Maryland, Henry M. Goodwin and Tristram M'Cauley, appeared from the state of Delaware—and a habeas corpus was issued, returnable before John W. Green, Judge of the Superior Court of Chancery, for the Fredericksburg district, on the 14th of the present month. The following is a copy of the judgment:

"In this case of James Sipple, brought before me, John W. Green, judge of the Superior Court of Chancery, for the Fredericksburg district, by habeas corpus, this 14th day of November, 1820, John M. Sheppard, sergeant of the corporation of Fredericksburg, having returned the habeas corpus awarded in this case, (which, with the said return, accompanies this) the following evidence was submitted on the part of the prisoner:—an indenture of apprenticeship between Nancy Carnsey, Priscilla Sipple and Garret Sipple, (which accompanies this) The examination of Henry M. Goodwin, who having first duly affirmed, stated, that the last spring he knew the prisoner in the state of Delaware, then in the service of William Willoughby, who claimed the prisoner as an apprentice, and admitted that he was a free man; that after the prisoner disappeared from Delaware, the said Willoughby, in the first instance, declared, that he had run away—but afterwards stated, that he had sold him as an apprentice.

The examination of Evan Scott, a justice for the corporation of Fredericksburg, the same as in the case of Samuel Nutter. On consideration whereof, I being of opinion, that the said James Sipple is a free man, and is unlawfully imprisoned, do order that he be forthwith discharged from imprisonment. Given under my hand and seal this 14th day of November, 1820.

JOHN W. GREEN, (Seal.)

Judge of the Superior Court of Chancery, for the Fredericksburg district.

A true copy—teste,

J. T. FORD.

Clerk of the Superior Court of Chancery, for the Fredericksburg district.

The same judgment was rendered in the case of the other two prisoners.

But, the mystery of iniquity does not end here. The tavern keeper, Eli Austin, who had these captives in his possession, being alarmed at the consequences of the detection, surrendered up the following papers declaring that he had not at the same time, any demands against them, but the sum of one dollar per day for their board. The first paper is a bold and fraudulent bill of sale, couched in the following language:

"Federalsburg, Md—June 20, 1820

Received of W. P. Goslin the sum of eight hundred dollars, in full, for three negroes, to wit:—Sam, aged about 24 years; Jim, aged about twenty years; Hannah, aged about 20 years; all slaves for life—which said slaves, Sam, Jim and Hannah, I hereby warrant and forever defend unto the said W. P. Goslin, his heirs, &c.; as witness, my hand and seal, the day and year above written.

JOHN ANDERSON, (Seal.)

Witness,

J. WRIGHT, RT. MEDFORD"

On this paper is an endorsement, in the following words:

"I hereby relinquish all my right, title and interest to the within mentioned negro slaves, Sam, Jim and Hannah, unto Eli Austin.

WILLIAM P. GOSLIN.

Federalsburg, Md. August 16, 1820."

The other paper is a letter written by this Wm. P. Goslin to Eli Austin, in the following terms:—

Fredericksburg, August 16, 1820.

Mr. Eli Austin,

Dear Sir—This will be handed to you by my brother-in-law, and I am sorry that I could not come as I had expected, but sickness has prevented me....I hope the negroes are all safe and well!—I do not wish to sell them yet, as I think such property is rising in value. I send you the bill of sale for them, which I received from the person (J. Anderson, my brother-in-law) of whom I bought them—this I do, that you may have the right to them in your own hands should you sell them, which I authorize you to do provided you can get $1300 for them. Should you make sale, you can return the money by my friend, and send me, if you can, United States' paper. I expect to be in your town in November.

WM. P. GOSLIN."

Now it appears, that Wm. P. Goslin purchased three slaves, as they are called in this pretended bill of sale, of his own brother-in-law, John Anderson. Thus do these Jobbers play into each other's hands—not only taking their blacks clandestinely from their homes and firesides, and transporting them into foreign lands, but also fabricate papers, for the purpose of giving color to such outrageous enormity. We have mentioned these facts so much in detail, for the purpose of putting our fellow citizens engaged in the detection of such nefarious traffic, on their guard, to look narrowly at the papers produced in justification of such enormity. We request that all printers who feel the degradation of the human race to shrink that they belong to a species capable of perpetrating such meanness and depravity—who commit the crime of fabricating false papers to justify the crime of theft, will give this one or more insertions in their papers; that the ruffians may see their condemnation written in the contemptuous glances and scowling brows of every honest man.