Shadrich (Shadrach), a waiter at the Cornhill Coffee House in Boston, Massachusetts, was arrested as an enslaved fugitive. He was held under guard in the courtroom because Massachusetts law forbade the confinement of enslaved fugitives in any jail. A large mob of African Americans burst into the room and freed him and one man was arrested in Salem, Massachusetts, and charged with helping with the rescue. According to the 1850 Fugitive Slave Law, aiding enslaved fugitives was punishable with a six-month term in prison and a $1,000 fine. Even though this man was immediately freed, he sued the District Attorney for “false and malicious prosecution.” The Gazette & Courier was the newspaper in Greenfield, Massachusetts, from July 20, 1841 until June 24, 1932. Before 1841, the newspaper’s name changed quite frequently, with “Gazette” a frequent part of the title.
Greenfield Gazette and Courier. “Article about wrongful arrest suits by rescuers of Shadrich from Gazette and Courier newspaper.” March 3, 1851. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l05-107/. Accessed on October 16, 2024.
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