Minnesota Communities

	Milestones: Abolition

Source

News 2

Type

Newspaper Article

Year

1860

Source

St. Paul Pioneer and Democrat

Size

76K

The author of this article for the Pioneer and Democrat disagrees with the actions of the abolitionists in the Eliza Winston rescue.

Another Abduction Case--Outrageous
Conduct of the Abolitionists.
_________
JOHN NININGER and ABRAM ELFELT,
Esqs., came down from Lake Harriet, yes-
terday afternoon, and have given us par-
ticulars of another abduction on the part of
the Abolitionists, and of their infamous
conduct, all of which these gentlemen wit-
nessed, that will make our citizens blush to
read.
It appears that the family of Col. Chris-
tian, of Mississippi, were residing at Mrs.
THORNTON'S, on the lake, and yesterday af-
ternoon they were surprised to see some
twenty men enter upon the grounds, some
of them armed with guns. Instead of tak-
ing the travelled paths, they rode over and
trampled down - the plants and shrubbery,
and entered the house and behaved in the
most rude and insolent manner. They were
headed by Mr. Stout, the Sheriff of the
county, who, individually, behaved courte-
ously, but the other, whether connected
with him as deputies or happening along at
the time, as they asserted, and joined the
party, were a disgrace to the community
among whom they reside.
The Sheriff stated that he had a warrant
to "ELIZA," a servant girl of MRS. CHRIS-
TIAN, and must take her along with him
but did not produce the warrant, or any au-
thority for the act. The girl said she did
not want to go, and went out to the back
of the house to hide, but the house being
almost surrounded by the posse, she was
found and taken away. Some of the party
also stated that they were also going to ar-
rest some of MRS. PRINCE'S negroes, who
have been living in the vicinity since the af-
fair at the International Hotel in this city.
Our informants, however, do not know
whether they accomplished their purpose or
not.
The gentlemen who have given us the
above particulars are inclined to believe that
the girl has been tampered with, and per-
haps had told these people that she desired to
leave her mistress, and that possibly the
sheriff had authority in the premises, but
they most emphatically assert that the con-
duct of all, with the exception of the sheriff,
showed that what they most desired was to
insult the family.