Description
History Made There - Famous Leavenworth Hostelry Built by Southerners - (excerpted from article about the Planters' House hotel in Leavenworth, Kansas) - - One of the most exciting incidents in the history of the Planters' House was the capture and liberation of Charley Fisher, a slave who ran away from his master in Kentucky.
Fisher was employed in the Planters’ House barber shop when a pro slavery man who knew that he was a runaway, notified his master, and the latter came on from Kentucky to take him back. Fisher was arrested under the fugitive slave law, and hot blood arose at once between the abolitionists and Southerners.
The abolitionists refused to allow Fisher to be placed in jail pending a hearing before a United States commissioner. After much parleying it was agreed that two abolitionist and two pro-slavery men should guard Fisher in a four-story room in the Planters' House until a hearing could be had.
At 1 o'clock in the morning of the first night a dozen abolitionists entered the hotel to take Fisher away. The guard refused to give Fisher up. and barricaded the door. Not to be outdone, the abolitionists battered down the door and the barricade and then Fisher refused to go with them.
There was high feeling the following day, and threats were made that unless Fisher was surrendered the hotel would be burned. A company of abolitionists went to Kickapoo and captured the old brass cannon, Kickapoo, from the Pro-Slavery Rangers of that place, who were taken unawares and did not have time to gather.
The cannon was brought close to the Planters’ House and unlimbered, and to protect the property Fisher was hurried away secretly under guard.
During the recess in Fisher's hearing before the commissioners the next day the United States marshal, James MacDowell, was called to the rear of the courtroom and the prisoner was hustled downstairs and away in a buggy at hand for the purpose. He was not recaptured.Date(s) of Creation
7/10/1903
