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Fugitive Slave

Defined in 5 dictionaries — Cyclopedic (1922), Ballentine's (1916), Black's (1910), Black's (1891), Bouvier (1839)

The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary

Walter A. Shumaker and George Foster Longsdorf; ed. James C. Cahill · 1922

One who, held in bondage, flees from his master's power.

Ballentine's Law Dictionary

James A. Ballentine · 1916

A slave who has fled from his master.

Black's Law Dictionary

Henry Campbell Black, M.A. · 1910

One who, held in bondage, flees from his master's power.

Defined under Fugitive in Black's Law Dictionary.

A Dictionary of Law

Henry Campbell Black · 1891

One who, held in bondage, flees from his master’s power.

A Law Dictionary, Adapted to the Constitution and Laws of the United States

John Bouvier · 1839

is one who has escaped from the service of his master. The constitution of the United States, art. 4, s. 2, 3, directs that “no person held to service or labour in one state, under the laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in consequence of any laws or regulation therein, be discharged from such service or labour, but shall be delivered up, on claim of the party to whom such service or labour may be due.” In practice summary ministerial proceedings are adopted, and not the ordinary course of judicial investigations, to ascertain whether the claim of ownership be established beyond al! legal controversy. In some states strenuous but unsuccessful efforts have been made to procure the supposed slave atrial by jury. Vide generally, 3 Story, Com. on Const. § 1804-1806; Serg. on Const. ch. 31, p. 387; 9 Jobn. R. 62; 5Serg. & Rawle, 62; 2 Pick. R. 11; 2 Serg. & Rawle, 306; 3 Ib.4; 1 Wash. C. C. R. 500.