Carlisle (PA) American, “The Kidnappers,” June 22, 1859

The Kidnappers.

It will be recollected that in our last we gave an account of a daring abduction of negroes in this county. Since that time two arrests have been made by our active and efficient Sherriff, Robert McCartney, who in that line of business evinces a sagacity which would be a credit to the far-famed Bow-street runners of London. The parties arrested are a German, named Valentine Gas, who showed the principals the house in which the Butler family lived, and a Marylander, Emanual Myers, who was the principal agent in this black and diabolical transaction.

We visited the prisoners in jail yesterday ; Gas is an ordinary looking man evidently much scared at and, at, the same time, not exactly understanding his situation; Myers is a man of about 6ft. 1in. in height, lightly but withyly built. His countenance expresses much firmness and resolution with but a very low degree of intellect; and, a few moments conversation with him is sufficient to convince one that he is but a tool, an unprincipled one if you please, of the persons who really owned the negroes. – He seems to care very little for the fix that he has gotten himself into and expresses his perfect willingness to go to the penitentiary if he has broken the law of which he seems to be entirely ignorant. He says that there were some four or five others engaged in the affair who managed the greater part of the business but as to their names, etc., or as to giving any clue to them he keeps a close mouth and when questioned as to the matter either laughs or else says nothing.

We do most sincerely hope that the balance of the party may be apprehended and brought to justice and the real leaders of this affair who have worked on this man Myers’ ignorance may be made to suffer at least equally with him.

N. B. – Papers getting their information about this matter from the local columns of the Carlisle American will please either alter our diction (which no doubt they can improve) or else give us the usual credit that the courtesy of the press demands.