To John Jay from Samuel Huntington, 14 July 1795
From Samuel Huntington
Norwich July 14th. 1795.
Sir
John Brainard Esqr. Sheriff of the County of New Haven, will have the honour of delivering this letter to your Excellency; & with the other papers which he will lay before you, You will observe I have appointed him my Agent to take two Criminals who have fled from Justice in this State & are said to be in the State of New York—
I request your Excellency to give the bearer the necessary Aid & Authority to take those two Criminals Messrs Chandler & Punderson if to be found in the State of New York and bring them to Connecticut for Trial.—1
I am sensible that the papers are not attended with all the exact formalities, to bring the Case within the Act of Congress2 so as to enable me to make a peremptory demand to have those Criminals delivered up immediately, but am satisfied at the same time that your Excellency will readily give the necessary aid to promote Justice & a due execution of the Law in a sister State: a delay will probably, in this case, give the Culprits opportunity to escape from condign punishment. With sentiments of perfect Esteem & Respect I have the honour to be your Excellency’s humble Servant
Saml. Huntington
His Excellency Governor Jay.
LS, NNC (EJ: 05763). Addressed: “His Excellency Governor Jay / New-York”. Endorsed: “… and.”
1. A grand jury of the Connecticut Superior Court held in Litchfield County for the summer term of 1795 issued an indictment charging James Chandler and Akimaar C. Punderson with the crime of forgery. When the accused fled to neighboring New York to avoid judgement, the governor of Connecticut sought JJ’s assistance with apprehending the fugitives. The pair successfully evaded authorities for over six months, however, forcing Oliver Wolcott, Huntington’s successor, to make another request for extradition. In response to Wolcott, JJ issued a warrant for the capture of Chandler and Punderson. Wolcott to JJ, 30 Jan. 1796, below; JJ to Wolcott, 19 Feb. 1796, LbkC, N: Governor’s Lbk. 2 (EJ: 03216); 20 Feb. 1796, C, NN: Wolcott (EJ: 13103); JJ to the New York Officers of Justice, 20 Feb. 1796, N: Governor’s Lbk. 2 (EJ: 03215).
Fugitives fleeing justice between states remained a mutual cause of concern for New York and Connecticut officials. In December 1798, JJ warned that neither state should be allowed to “become an asylum for fugitives from the justice of the other”. Moreover, New York experienced this same problem with other states, particularly those sharing her border. For instance, in late 1799, the governor of Pennsylvania requested JJ’s assistance with apprehending a horse thief who had fled from northeastern Pennsylvania to New York. JJ to Jonathan Trumbull Jr., 4 Dec. 1798, LbkC, N: Governor’s Lbk. 1 (EJ: 03198); JJ to the Sheriff of Cayuga County, 28 Dec. 1799, LbkC, N: Governor’s Lbk. 2 (EJ: 03302). See also JJ to James Wood, 11 Dec. 1797, LbkC, N: Governor’s Lbk. 1 (EJ: 03108); and JJ to Josiah Ogden Hoffman, 11 Dec. 1797, LbkC, N: Governor’s Lbk. 1 (EJ: 03109).
2. “An Act respecting fugitives from justice, and persons escaping from the service of their masters,” 12 Feb. 1793, , 1: 302–5.