John Watson

Released
Race:Black
Era:1800s
State:Ohio
Time Imprisoned:
2 Months 21 Days
Support
Abolitionism
John Watson

Biography

John Watson, a Black grocer and confectioner in Oberlin, Ohio, was one of the twenty men committed to the Cuyahoga County Jail for the 1858 Oberlin–Wellington Rescue of John Price, a freedom-seeker seized under the Fugitive Slave Act. He refused release on recognizance and remained jailed from April 15 until the mass discharge on July 6, 1859.

Case

Charges: Aiding the 1858 Oberlin–Wellington Rescue of John Price, a fugitive from slavery, in violation of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.
Incarcerated: Apr 15, 1859
Released: Jul 6, 1859
Sentence: Held April 15 – July 6, 1859 (about 82 days); no conviction. Verdict as recorded: No — indictment dismissed July 6, 1859, when the Rescue charges were dropped in exchange for dismissal of the Ohio kidnapping case against Price's captors.
Convicted: No — charges dismissed

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