Eastern District of Pennsylvania, ss.:
The Grand Inquest of the United States of America, inquiring for
the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, on their oaths and
affirmations, respectfully do present, that James Jackson,
yeoman of the District aforesaid, owing allegiance to the United
States of America, wickedly devising and intending the peace and
tranquility of said United States, to disturb, and prevent the
execution of the laws thereof within the same, to wit, a law of
the United States, entitled "An act respecting fugitives from
justice and persons escaping from the service of their masters,"
approved February twelfth, one thousand seven hundred and
ninety-three, and also a law of the United States, entitled "An
act to amend, and supplementary to, the act entitled, An act
respecting fugitives from justice and persons escaping from the
service of their masters, approved February the twelfth, one
thousand seven hundred and ninety-three," which latter
supplementary act was approved September eighteenth, one
thousand eight hundred and fifty, on the eleventh day of
September, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred
and fifty-one, in the county of Lancaster, in the State of
Pennsylvania and District aforesaid, and within the jurisdiction
of this Court, wickedly and traitorously did intend to levy war
against the United States within the same. And to fulfill and
bring to effect the said traitorous intention of him, the said
James Jackson, he, the said James Jackson afterward, to wit, on
the day and year aforesaid, in the State, District and County
aforesaid, and within the jurisdiction of this Court, with a
great multitude of persons, whose names, to this Inquest are as
yet unknown, to a great number, to wit, to the number of one
hundred persons and upwards, armed and arrayed in a warlike
manner, that is to say, with guns, swords, and other warlike
weapons, as well offensive as defensive, being then and there
unlawfully and traitorously assembled, did traitorously assemble
and combine against the said United States, and then and there,
with force and arms, wickedly and traitorously, and with the
wicked and traitorous intention to oppose and prevent, by means
of intimidation and violence, the execution of the said laws of
the United States within the same, did array and dispose
themselves in a warlike and hostile manner against the said
United States, and then and there, with force and arms, in
pursuance of such their traitorous intention, he, the said James
Jackson, with the said persons so as aforesaid, wickedly and
traitorously did levy war against the United States.
And further, to fulfill and bring to effect the said traitorous
intention of him, the said James Jackson, and in pursuance and
in execution of the said wicked and traitorous combination to
oppose, resist and prevent the said laws of the United States
from being carried into execution, he, the said James Jackson,
afterwards, to wit, on the day and year first aforesaid, in the
State, District and county aforesaid, and within the
jurisdiction aforesaid, with the said persons whose names to
this Inquest are as yet unknown, did, wickedly and traitorously
assemble against the said United States, with the avowed
intention by force of arms and intimidation to prevent the
execution of the said laws of the United States within the same;
and in pursuance and execution of such their wicked and
traitorous combination, he, the said James Jackson, then and
there with force and arms, with the said persons to a great
number, to wit, the number of one hundred persons and upwards,
armed and arrayed in a warlike manner, that is to say, with
guns, swords, and other warlike weapons, as well offensive as
defensive, being then and there, unlawfully and traitorously
assembled, did wickedly, knowingly, and traitorously resist and
oppose one Henry H. Kline, an officer, duly appointed by Edward
D. Ingraham, Esq., a commissioner, duly appointed by the Circuit
Court of the United States, for the said district, in the
execution of the duty of the office of the said Kline, he, the
said Kline, being appointed by the said Edward Ingraham, Esq.,
by writing under his hand, to execute warrants and other process
issued by him, the said Ingraham, in the performance of his
duties as Commissioner, under the said laws of the United
States, and then and there, with force and arms, with the said
great multitude of persons, so as, aforesaid, unlawfully and
traitorously assembled, and armed and arrayed in manner as
aforesaid, he, the said, James Jackson, wickedly and
traitorously did oppose and resist, and prevent the said Kline,
from executing the lawful process to him directed and delivered
by the said commissioner against sundry persons, then residents
of said county, who had been legally charged before the said
commissioner as being persons held to service or labor in the
State of Maryland, and owing such service or labor to a certain
Edward Gorsuch, under the laws of the said State of Maryland,
had escaped therefrom, into the said Eastern district of
Pennsylvania; which process, duly issued by the said
commissioner, the said Kline then and there had in his
possession, and was then and there proceeding to execute, as by
law he was bound to do; and so the grand inquest, upon their
respective oaths and affirmations aforesaid, do say, that the
said James Jackson, in manner aforesaid, as much as in him lay,
wickedly and traitorously did prevent, by means of force and
intimidation, the execution of the said laws of the United
States, in the said State and District. And further, to fulfill
and bring to effect, the said traitorous intention of him, the
said James Jackson, and in further pursuance, and in the
execution of the said wicked and traitorous combination to
expose, resist, and prevent the execution of the said laws of
the said United States, in the State and District aforesaid, he,
the said James Jackson, afterwards, to wit, on the day and year
first aforesaid, in the State, county, and district aforesaid,
and within the jurisdiction of this court, with the said persons
whose names to the grand inquest aforesaid, are as yet unknown,
did, wickedly and traitorously assemble against the said United
States with the avowed intention, by means of force and
intimidation, to prevent the execution of the said laws of the
United States in the State and district aforesaid, and in
pursuance and execution of such, their wicked and traitorous
combination and intention, then and there to the State,
district, and county aforesaid, and within the jurisdiction of
this court, with force and arms, with a great multitude of
persons, to wit, the number of one hundred persons and upwards,
armed and arrayed in a warlike manner, that is to say, with
guns, swords, and other warlike weapons, as well offensive as
defensive, being then and there unlawfully and traitorously
assembled, he, the said James Jackson, did, knowingly, and
unlawfully assault the said Henry H. Kline, he, the said Kline,
being an officer appointed by writing, under the hand of the
said Edward D. Ingraham, Esq., a commissioner under said laws,
to execute warrants and other process, issued by the said
commissioner in the performance of his duties as such; and he,
the said James Jackson, did, then and there, traitorously, with
force and arms, against the will of the said Kline, liberate and
take out of his custody, persons by him before that time
arrested, and in his lawful custody, then and there being, by
virtue of lawful process against them issued by the said
commissioner, they being legally charged with being persons held
to service or labor in the State of Maryland, and owing such
service or labor to a certain Edward Gorsuch, under the laws of
the said State of Maryland, who had escaped therefrom into the
said district; and so the grand inquest aforesaid, upon their
oaths and affirmations, aforesaid, do say, that he, the said
James Jackson, as much as in him lay, did, then and there, in
pursuance and in execution of the said wicked and traitorous
combination and intention, wickedly and traitorously, by means
of force and intimidation, prevent the execution of the said
laws of the United States, in the said State and district.
And further to fulfill and bring to effect, the said traitorous
intention of him, the said James Jackson, and in pursuance and
in execution of the said wicked and traitorous combination to
oppose, resist and prevent the said laws of the United States
from being carried into execution, he, the said James Jackson,
afterwards, to wit, on the day and year first aforesaid, and on
divers other days, both before and afterwards in the State and
district aforesaid, and within the jurisdiction of this court,
with the said persons to this inquest as yet unknown,
maliciously and traitorously did meet, conspire, consult, and
agree among themselves, further to oppose, resist, and prevent,
by means of force and intimidation, the execution of the said
laws herein before specified.
And further to fulfill, perfect, and bring to effect the said
traitorous intention of him the said James Jackson, and in
pursuance and execution of the said wicked and traitorous
combination to oppose and resist the said laws of the United
States from being carried into execution, in the State and
district aforesaid, he, the said James Jackson, together with
the other persons whose names are to this inquest as yet
unknown, on the day and year first aforesaid, and on divers
other days and times, as well before and after, at the district
aforesaid, within the jurisdiction of said court, with force and
arms, maliciously and traitorously did prepare and compose, and
did then and there maliciously and traitorously cause and
procure to be prepared and composed, divers books, pamphlets,
letters, declarations, resolutions, addresses, papers and
writings, and did then and there maliciously and traitorously
publish and disperse and cause to be published and dispersed,
divers other books and pamphlets, letters, declarations,
resolutions, addresses, papers and writings; the said books,
pamphlets, letters, declarations, resolutions, addresses, papers
and writings, so respectively prepared, composed, published and
dispersed, as last aforesaid, containing therein, amongst other
things, incitements, encouragements, and exhortations, to move,
induce and persuade persons held to service in any of the United
States, by the laws thereof, who had escaped into the said
district, as well as other persons, citizens of said district,
to resist, oppose, and prevent, by violence and intimidation,
the execution of the said laws, and also containing therein,
instructions and directions how and upon what occasion, the
traitorous purposes last aforesaid, should and might be carried
into effect, contrary to the form of the act of Congress in such
case made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the
United States.