The Kidnapping of Richard Newman

The Kidnapping of Richard Newman. The Blairsville Area Underground Railroad. , On April 1, 1858, a Virginian named Robert Stump, a bounty hunter from Uniontown named Peter Heck, and Frost, a Deputy US Marshal for the Western District of PA crossed the old covered bridge into Blairsville. These three men were searching for Richard Newman who had escaped enslavement in "Old Virginia" nearly six years earlier. Their intent was capturing Mr. Newman and returning him into slavery., As the three men climbed the hill toward the center of town, Robert Stump spied Richard Newman standing in the doorway of Mulholland's store. Since he would not be recognized, Heck was tasked with capturing Newman. The three men were able to subdue Newman as he valiantly fought his kidnappers. An angry mob of Blairsville citizens formed, surrounded the men, and released Newman. Calls for lynching the slave catchers resulted in a nervous Stump discharging his pistol into the crowd. Newman was moved to safety during the melee and then north along the UGRR., (Captions):, Blairsville, 1856, Old covered bridge, erected in 1822. Abutments are to the left of the current bridge. The 1827 canal is visible in the foreground of this photo taken from the opposite hillside