Cleveland (OH) Herald, "The Absconding Slaves," August 19, 1848

      The Absconding Slaves.

   Down to Thursday the excitement in the counties of Harrison, Bracken and Mason, Kentucky, in consequence of the slave-stampede, has abated but little. The Maysville Eagle had received information that another of the men who was [were] in pursuit of the slaves, had been shot in attempting to arrest a party of them. The editor was also informed, by a letter from Augusta, that 19 additional runaways has [have] been lodged in Bracken jail, and 20 more secured at Claysville. The name of the whiteman [white man] who had been arrested is given as Doyle, and it is said that he was sometime [some time] ago traveling in Kentucky as an agent for the sale of Rice's book against Popery.

    The Kentucky papers received yesterday bring but little additional information as to the runaway slaves. It seems that they have nearly all been taken, and lodged in jail, at different points. Young Fowler was shot through the left kidney, and the wound is supposed to be mortal. Only one other white man was shot - Joseph Duncan, who was wounded in the mouth, by which he lost a tooth. A pistol ball was also put through his hat. Several of the slaves were wounded, and one killed. Six we believe to have succeeded in crossing the Ohio near Ripley, and effecting their escape.

   The plot seems to have been pretty well matured, but a heavy rain fell the night of the elopement, which swelled the creeks so as to retard the movements of the fugitives towards the river. – The slaves appear to have but poorly provided themselves with provisions, and grew so hungry in consequence of the delay that two of the party which escaped from Lex­ington, Lafayette co., went into Claysville, Harrison co., after they had been out two nights and one day, hungry and worn down, and begged to be taken back to their masters. They gave the first information the people of Harrison County had received of the stampede, and reported a large party hidden in the woods in the immediate vicinity, and who were pursued, and most of them finally taken. It was in arresting this party that Fowler and Duncan were wounded. The negroes were armed with revolvers, fought well, and twice compelled the whites to retreat.

   Patrick Doyle, the white man taken with them, is stated to have formerly been a Catholic student at Bardstown College, then a protestant student at Danville, then an itinerant preacher, a book pedler [peddler], &. He is thought to be weak minded.