The Underground Railroad eBook

William Still
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 1,446 pages of information about The Underground Railroad.

The Underground Railroad eBook

William Still
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 1,446 pages of information about The Underground Railroad.

Henry was left free by the will of his mistress (Elizabeth Mann), but the heirs were making desperate efforts to overturn this instrument.  Of this, there was so much danger with a Richmond court, that Henry feared that the chances were against him; that the court was not honest enough to do him justice.  Being a man of marked native foresight, he concluded that the less he talked about freedom and the more he acted the sooner he would be out of his difficulties.  He was called upon, however, to settle certain minor matters, before he could see his way clear to move in the direction of Canada; for instance, he had a wife on his mind to dispose of in some way, but how he could not tell.  Again, he was not in the secret of the Underground Rail Road movement; he knew that many got off, but how they managed it he was ignorant.  If he could settle these two points satisfactorily, he thought that he would be willing to endure any sacrifice for the sake of his freedom.  He found an agent of the Underground Rail Road, and after surmounting various difficulties, this point was settled.  As good luck would have it, his wife, who was a free woman, although she heard the secret with great sorrow, had the good sense to regard his step for the best, and thus he was free to contend with all other dangers on the way.

He encountered the usual suffering, and on his arrival experienced the wonted pleasure.  He was a man of forty-one years of age, spare made, with straight hair, and Indian complexion, with the Indian’s aversion to Slavery.

Turner, who was a fellow-passenger with Henry, arrived also from Richmond.  He was about twenty-one, a bright, smart, prepossessing young man.  He fled from A.A.  Mosen, a lawyer, represented to be one of the first in the city, and a firm believer in Slavery.  Turner differed widely with his master with reference to this question, although, for prudential reasons, he chose not to give his opinion to said Mosen.

* * * * *

ARRIVAL FROM MARYLAND.

TWO YOUNG MOTHERS, EACH WITH BABES IN THEIR ARMS—­ANNA ELIZABETH YOUNG AND SARAH JANE BELL—­WHIPPED TILL THE BLOOD FLOWED.

The appearance of these young mothers at first produced a sudden degree of pleasure, but their story of suffering quite as suddenly caused the most painful reflections.  It was hardly possible to listen to their tales of outrage and wrong with composure.  Both came from Kent county, Maryland, and reported that they fled from a man by the name of Massey; a man of low stature, light-complexioned, with dark hair, dark eyes, and very quick temper; given to hard swearing as a common practice; also, that the said Massey had a wife, who was a very tall woman, with blue eyes, chestnut-colored hair, and a very bad temper; that, conjointly, Massey and his wife were in the habit of meting out cruel punishment to their slaves, without regard to age

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The Underground Railroad from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.