Louisville (KY) Journal, "Negro Stealing," December 14, 1847

    Source citation
    "Negro Stealing," Louisville (KY) Journal, December 14, 1847, p. 3: 1.
    Original source
    (St. Louis) Missouri Republican
    Newspaper: Publication
    Louisville Daily Journal
    Newspaper: Headline
    Negro Stealing
    Newspaper: Page(s)
    3
    Newspaper: Column
    1
    Type
    Newspaper
    Date Certainty
    Exact
    Transcriber
    Zak Rosenberg, Dickinson College
    Transcription date
    The following text is presented here in complete form, as it originally appeared in print.  Spelling and other typographical errors have been preserved as in the original.

    NEGRO STEALING-The grand jury of Morgan county, Ill., at the November term of the circuit court, found three bills of indictment-one against --Argard, and two against Asas Hitchock, for running off negroes belonging to citizens of St. Louis. It also appeared from testimony before the jury that Henry Miller was engaged in the same transactions, but the testimony was not sufficient, at the moment, to convict him at that term. The three persons above mentioned are all of the village of Waverly, in Morgan county. The negroes were those of Mr. Russell and Col. Mackay, of this city. We learn that the grand jury were engaged a greater part of two weeks in investigating these nefarious transactions, and in endeavoring to ferret out the conductors of the underground railroad, which, we understand, is regularly ran between this city and Chicago. The parties particularly interested have the names of several other persons implicated in this business, to convict whom sufficient testimony is not quite yet accumulated. The grand jury of Morgan county deserve the thanks of this community for their just efforts to break up one of the "stations" of this inquitious "underground railroad," viz: the one at Waverly. Suits have been commenced, and they will be prosecuted to the full extent of the laws of Illinois.

    One of the gentlemen interested, by great efforts and perseverance, became possessed of information of great importance to this community.

    In the first place, it seems to have been satisfactorily ascertained, that, in consequence of the inefficiency of the police of this city, the ordinances of the city are of no effect, so far as they relate to negroes going abroad in the night.

    In the next place, that the Abolitionists have agents employed in this city, whose business it is to tamper with negroes, offer them free passage to Chicago, and conduct them across the river, and to the first relay near Upper Alton. The negroes are taken on in wagons, in the night, driving thirty to forty miles in a night, and concealing them during the day. The expenses are paid by the abolition societies. In this way a large number of negroes have been run off during the past summer. In addition to the regular agents of the regular line of negro stealers, there are other negro thieves who come to this city and remain for a time, finding many congenial spirits in our midst, who will wink at the boxing up and shipping a stolen negro as dry goods as a very witty device. As to their aide and accomplices in Illinois it is in our power to point to clergymen who openly express their willingness to serve their Creator by harboring and concealing stolen property.-St. Louis Republican, Dec. 9.

    How to Cite This Page: "Louisville (KY) Journal, "Negro Stealing," December 14, 1847 ," House Divided: The Civil War Research Engine at Dickinson College, https://hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu/index.php/node/843.