empt of court, and true bills were found against him and
half a dozen colored men, charging them with "riot," "forcible
abduction," and "assault and battery," and there was no lack of hard
swearing on the part of Col. Wheeler and his pro-slavery sympathizers in
substantiation of these grave charges. But the pro-slaveryites had
counted without their host--Passmore would not yield an inch, but stood
as firmly by his principles in prison, as he did on the boat. Indeed, it
was soon evident, that his resolute course was bringing floods of
sympathy from the ablest and best minds throughout the North. On the
other hand, the occasion was rapidly awakening thousands daily, who had
hitherto manifested little or no interest at all on the subject, to the
wrongs of the slave.

It was soon discovered by the "chivalry" that keeping Mr. Williamson in
prison would indirectly greatly aid the cause of Freedom--that every day
he remained would make numerous converts to the cause of liberty; that
Mr. Williamson was doing ten-fold more in prison for the cause of
universal liberty than he could possibly do while pursuing his ordinary
vocation.

With regard to the colored men under bonds, Col. Wheeler and his
satellites felt very confident that there was no room for them to
escape. They must have had reason so to think, judging from the hard
swearing they did, before the committing magistrate. Consequently, in
the order of events, while Passmore was still in prison, receiving
visits from hosts of friends, and letters of sympathy from all parts of
the North, William Still, William Curtis, James P. Braddock, John
Ballard, James Martin and Isaiah Moore, were brought into court for
trial. The first name on the list in the proceedings of the court was
called up first.

Against this individual, it was pretty well understood by the friends of
the slave, that no lack of pains and false swearing would be resorted to
on the part of Wheeler and his witnesses, to gain a verdict.

Mr. McKim and other noted abolitionists managing the defense, were
equally alive to the importance of overwhelming the enemy in this
particular issue. The Hon. Charles Gibbons, was engaged to defend
William Still, and William S. Pierce, Esq., and William B. Birney, Esq.,
the other five colored defendants.

In order to make the victory complete, the anti-slavery friends deemed
it of the highest importance to have Jane Johnson in court, to face her
master, and under oath to s