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Archiver > ILHAMILT > 2000-01 > 0947713495


From: "Trev" <>
Subject: [ILHAMILT-L] Battle against Slavery
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 15:44:55 -0600


This is only one paragraph, of a very long article on Slavery in Southern IL. A
must read. In this article below, a resident from Hamilton Co is mentioned as
being in the trade of kidnapping Negro's.....

You can find the full story at this address....
http://www.springhousemagazine.com/battlegainstslavery.htm

....This was merely one out of hundreds of similar instances, although few had
so satisfactory an ending. The entire southern portion of the State was overrun
by professional kidnappers, and free negroes were kept in constant terror. The
Shawneetown "Mercury," as late as 1851,contains an account of a peculiar case
illustrative of the class of men en-engaged at this work. A Mrs. Prather, of
Tennessee, emancipated her slaves, and the latter removed to Gallatin County,
Illinois. They were followed by a party of kidnappers, who conspired for their
arrest as fugitive slaves. Judge Pope, of the United States Circuit Court,
before whom the case came, decided that the Tennesseeans had not a shadow of a
claim to them. While endeavoring to get hold of these negroes, a well-known
Kentucky kidnapper, named Newton E. Wright, came to this State, and became
acquainted with two Illinoisans in the same trade, – Joe O’Neal, of Hamilton
County, and Abe Thomas. A little later, O’Neal stole three children from a negro
named Scott, living in that county, ran them off, and sold them, partly on
credit, to Wright, who immediately resold them to one Phillips at New Madrid.
When O’Neal’s note matured he sent Abe Thomas to collect, telling him that
Wright had some other business for him to attend to, for which he would be well
paid. Arriving at Wright’s, the desperado was offered one hundred and fifty
dollars to go to Hicco, Tennessee, and kill a Dr. Swayne, who had sued Wright on
a note. This job was undertaken, and Thomas went to Hicco, gained Swayne’s
confidence, and endeavored to carry out his contract, but merely succeeded in
fracturing the Doctor’s arm by a hasty shot fired from behind. Thomas escaped,
although closely pursued. A year later, an unexpected clew to the discovery of
the felon was obtained. Two residents of White County, Illinois, chanced to meet
Dr. Swayne, and heard him describe the man who shot him as having a nose flat at
the base, projecting forward like a hawk’s bill. These Illinoisans at once
recognized Abe Thomas, and a short time afterwards the fellow was seized by a
party of Tennesseeans, taken to that State, tried, and convicted.

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