THE FUGITIVE SLAVE LAW. [From the New York Tribune.}

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 908, 15 April 1854, Page 4

THE FUGITIVE SLAVE LAW. [From the New York Tribune.}

A most disgraceful and brutal occurrence took place here this morning, (at Wilkesbarre, Pennsylvania,) which I shall take the liberty of communicating to you, thinking it probable that no other person here may take the trouble. Being an eye-wilness, I have given nothing but what you may rely upon as facts. Aibout 7 o'clock this morning an attempt was made by a person calling himself " Deputy Marshall Wynkoop" (a brother to Col. Wynkoop), another answering to the name of "Joe Jenkins," and three other assistants from Virginia, to arrest as a fugitive slave a coloured waiter in the diningroom of the Phsenix Hotel in this place. Immediately 3fter receiving their breakfasts at the bands of " Bill," the unsuspecting fugitive, who is a tall, noble-looking, remarkably intelligent and active mulatto, nearly white, they suddenly from behind knocked him dowiwith a mace, and partially shackled him ; but, by a desperate effort, and after a most severe struggle, with the whole five upon him, he shook them off, and * Ih..

with the aid of his hand cuffs, which were only fast upon his right wrist, lie inflicted some hard wounds on the countenances of some of tbe Southerners, the marks of which they will probably carry to their .graves. But, notwithstanding the fearful odds a, gainst him, he wtnaged to break off from their q rasp, and, with the loss of everything upon him but a part of his shirt, and covered with bload , he rushed from tke house and plunged in the river close by, exclaiming, " I will be drow Ded rather than taken alive." His pursuers fired twice at him on his way to the river without checking bi« speed, and on reaching the bank, t hey presented their large revolvers and called on the fugitive, who stood up to his neck in the wa.ter, to " come out and surrender himself, or th ay would blow bis brains out." He replied, "X will die first." They deliberately fired at him four or five different times, the last ball is si jpposed to have struck on his head, for his face nas instantly covered with blood, and the poor fr-llow sprung and ihrieked out in agony, and no >joubt would have sunk but for the buoyancy of toe water holding him up. Tbe people around, who had by ihis time collected in large numbei.'i., were becoming excited, and could no longer 1 refrain from crying out " Shame, shame !" which hadtbeeffect of causing the Southerns to retire a short distance, io evident consultation. The slave, not seeing his putsuers, came to the shore ; but not being able to support himself in the water, he laid down on the edge, completeily exhausted, became senseless, and was supposed to be dying ; on hearing which the slave-catchers remarked coolly that " Dead niggers were not worth taking "south." Some one shortly Wrought a pair of pantaloons and put on the fugitive, who, in a few minutes, unexpectedly revived, and was walking off from the river, partly held up by another coloured man, named Rex, on seeing which his pursuers again headed him, drew and presented their revolvers, and called upon him to stop, threatening to shoot any one who assisted the fugitive. The white friends of Rex instantly shouted " Stand away ! Stand away, Rex ! You'll get shot, too ! This was bad advice, as they would not have dated to shoot at that time, and it had the effect or encouraging the pirates, who kept advancing toward the fugitive, and at the same time intimidated Rex, who drew back, exclaiming to the slave, " Put, Bill, to the water again ; don't be taken alive !" The poor fellow, seeing himself alone, for there was a general drawback on the revolvers being presented, turned and plunged iuto the river again, where be remained upwards of an hour, with nothing; above water but his head, covered with blood, and in full view of the hundreds who lined tbe high banks. His claimauts durst not follow him into the water, for, as he afterwards remarked, "He would have died contented could he have carried two or three of them down with him." In the meantime some of the citizens, thinking there was no law justifying such barbarity, were taking means to have the kidnappers arrested. Judge Collins, one of our most respected citizens, and several others, questioned them as to their names and authority : to which they replied, " He was more like a lunatic than a judge," &c. They soon, however, saw the sentiment of the community was strong against them, and drove off before an officer could be found to arrest them. A telegraphic despatch to the constable in Ilazleton caused their detention there ; hut stc ttk;} overswew i?y srvrjai pompous vnirgC" States' officers, and they were allowed to go again. After their departure, the fugitive, afraid to come out there again, ira-led some distance up the stream and got out above, and was found by some coloured women flat on his face in a cornfield. The women cariied him off to a place of safety, dressed his wounds, and at night he will be far on his way to Canada. Such are the plain, unvarnished facts. You cannot overstate the barbarity of the scene, the excitement of the people, or the ferocity of tbe slave-catchers, but, having recently f«lt the rigours of the Fcgitive Slave Law here, there was a general fear of the officers, who bullied and browbeat any one who ventured to speak above his breath, exclaiming occasionally, " Gentlemen, yon can have him for but we are United States' officers ; resist us at your peril." We felt ashamed of our country, and almost longed to be in Austria or Russia, where human rights are more respected. Nothing in Mrs. Stowe's work equalled the brutality displayed by this Pennsylvania Marshal and the Virginia slave-hunters. Had some bold spirit led the way, the citizens would have demolished them on the spot. As it is, tbe result has been good. The blood-thirsty villains were baffled — the " property " escaped, (though, probably, a cripple for life, if, indeed, he should live, for he was quite light-headed during the day), and there has been more anti-slarery feeling excited, and more hatred to the Fugitive Slave Law aroused, than could hare been done with years of lectures or addresses.