el Chambers,
counsel for the slave-claimants, in his argument, "read
long extracts from a pamphlet entitled, 'A Northern
Presbyter's Second Letter to Ministers of the Gospel of all
Denominations, on Slavery, by Nathan Lord, of Dartmouth
College,' approving and recommending Dr. Lord's views."
Colonel Chambers having alluded, in his remarks, to Mrs. Lucy
Stone Blackwell, and said that she had sought to give a knife
to Margaret Garner, the Court gave permission to Mrs.
Blackwell to reply to Colonel C. Mrs. B. preferred not to
speak at the bar, but addressed the crowded court-room
directly after the adjournment. Her eloquent remarks will be
found in the papers of the day. At the close of the hearing,
February 14th, the commissioner adjourned his court to the
21st, afterwards to the 26th, when, he said, he would give
his decision.

Meantime the case was making some progress in the State
courts. Sheriff Brashears having made return to the Common
Pleas Court that the fugitives were in the custody of the
United States Marshal, Judge Carter said this could not be
received as a true return, as they were in the County jail,
under the sheriff's control. The sheriff then amended his
return, so as to state that the prisoners were in his
custody, as required in the writ, and this was received by
the Court. The fugitives now came fully into the charge of
the State authorities. The sheriff held them "by virtue of a
_capias_ issued on an indictment by the grand jury for
murder."

The slaves declared they would go dancing to the gallows
rather than to be sent back into slavery.

On the 26th February, Commissioner Pendery gave his decision.
First, he refused to discharge Margaret and three others from
the custody of the United States Marshal and deliver them to
the Sheriff of Hamilton County, although held to answer,
under the laws of Ohio, to the charge of murder. He then
proceeded to consider the claim of Marshall to three of the
slaves, decided it to be valid, and ordered them into
Marshall's custody. He then considered Gaines's claim to
Margaret and her three surviving children, decided that also
to be good and valid, and ordered them to be delivered into
the possession of said Gaines.

The case of the rightful custody, as bet