The Underground Railroad
"On arriving in Boston, the first persons I had the pleasure to converse
with, were four or five uncommonly interesting Underground Rail Road
passengers, who had only been out of bondage between three and five
years. Their intelligent appearance contradicted the idea that they had
ever been an hour in Slavery, or a mile on an Underground Rail Road. Two
of them were filling trustworthy posts, where they were respected and
well paid for their services. Two others were young people (one two, and
the other three years out of Slavery), a girl of fifteen, and a boy of
twelve, whose interesting appearance induced a noble-hearted
Anti-Slavery lady to receive them into her own family, expressly to
educate them; and thus, almost ever since their arrival, they have been
enjoying this lady's kindness, as well as the excellent equal Free
School privileges of Boston. The girl, in the Grammar School (chiefly
composed of whites), has already distinguished herself, having received
a diploma, with an excellent certificate of character; and the boy,
naturally very apt, has made astonishing progress."
The "boy of twelve," alluded to, was not Mary's brother. He was quite a
genius of his age, who had escaped from Norfolk, stowed away in a
schooner and was known by the name of "Dick Page."
On arriving in Philadelphia, Dick was delivered, as usual, into the
hands of the Committee. The extraordinary smartness of the little fellow
(only ten years old), astonished all who saw him. The sympathies of a
kind-hearted gentleman and his wife, living in Philadelphia, had been
deeply awakened in his behalf, through their relative and friend, Mrs.
Hilliard, in whose family, as has been already stated, the boy's aunt
lived. So much were these friends interested to secure Dick's freedom,
that they often contemplated buying him, although they did not like the
idea of buying, as the money would go into the pocket of the master, who
they considered had no just right to deprive any individual of his
freedom. So when Dick arrived the Committee felt that it was as little
as they could do, to give these friends the pleasure of seeing the
little Underground Rail Road passenger. He was therefore conveyed to the
residence of Prof. J.P. Lesley. He could not have been sent to a house
in the great city of Brotherly Love, where he would have found a more
cordial and sincere reception. After passing an hour or so with them,
Dick was brought away, but he had been so touched by their kindness,
that he felt that he must see them again, before leaving the city; so
just before sundown, one evening, he was missed; search was made for
him, but in vain. Great anxiety was felt for him, fearing that he was
lost. During the early part of the evening, the writer, with a bell in
hand, passed up one street and down another, in quest of the stranger,
but no one could give any information of him. Finally about ten o'clock,
the mayor's office was visited with a view of having the police stations
telegraphed. Soon the mystery was solved; one of the policemen stated
that he had noticed a strange colored boy with Professor Lesley's
children. Hastening to the residence of the professor, sure enough, Dick
was there, happy in bed and asleep.
From that time to this, it has been a mystery to know how a boy, a
perfect stranger, could make his way alone, (having passed over the
route but once), without getting lost, so circuitous was the road that
he had to travel, in order to reach Professor Lesley's house. Having
said this much, the way is now open to refer to him again, in Boston at
school. He was generously assisted through his education and trade, and
was prepared to commence life at his majority, an intelligent mechanic,
and a man of promise.
THE CASE OF EUPHEMIA WILLIAMS,
CLAIMED AS A FUGITIVE SLAVE UNDER THE FUGITIVE SLAVE-LAW AFTER HAVING
LIVED IN PENNSYLVANIA FOR MORE THAN TWENTY YEARS.
Scarcely had the infamous statute been in existence six months, ere the
worst predictions of the friends of the slave were fulfilled in
different Northern States. It is hardly too much to say, that
Pennsylvania was considered wholly unsafe to nine-tenths of her colored
population. The kidnapper is fully shown in the case of Rachel and
Elizabeth Parker as he appeared on the soil of Pennsylvania, doing his
vile work in the dead of night, entering the homes of unprotected
females and children, therefore:
The case of Euphemia Williams will serve to represent the milder form of
kidnapping in open day, in the name of the law, by professed Christians
in the city of Brotherly Love, and the home of William Penn.
February 6, 1851, Euphemia Williams, the mother of six children, the
youngest at the breast, was arrested in the upper part of the city
(Philadelphia), and hurried before Edward D. Ingraham, a United States
commissioner, upon the charge of being a fugitive from labor. She was
claimed by William T.J. Purnell, of Worcester county, Maryland, who
admitted that she had been away from him for twenty-two years, or since
1829. Her offspring were born on the soil of Pennsylvania, and the
eldest daughter was seventeen years of age.
Euphemia was living in her own house, and had been a member of church,
in good and regular standing, for about seventeen years, and was about
forty years of age. When the arrest was made, Euphemia had just risen
from her bed, and was only partly dressed, when a little after daylight,
several persons entered her room, and arrested her. Murder! murder! was
cried lustily, and awakened the house. Her children screamed lamentably,
and her eldest daughter cried "They've got my mother! they've got my
mother!" "For God's sake, save me," cried Euphemia, to a woman in the
second story, who was an eye-witness to this monstrous outrage. But
despite the piteous appeals of the mother and children, the poor woman
was hastened into a cab, and borne to the marshall's office.
Through the vigilance of J.M. McKim and Passmore Williamson, a writ of
habeas corpus returnable forthwith was obtained at about one o'clock.
The heart-broken mother was surrounded by five of her children, three of
whom were infants. It was a dark and dreadful hour. When her children
were brought into the room where she was detained, great drops of sweat
standing on her face plainly indicated her agony.
By mutual arrangement between the claimants and the prisoner's counsel
the hearing was fixed for the next day, at the hour of three o'clock.
According to said arrangement, at three o'clock Euphemia was brought
face to face with her claimant, William T.J. Purnell. The news had
already gone out that the trial would come off at the time fixed; hence
a multitude were on hand to witness the proceedings in the case. The
sympathy of anti-slavery ladies was excited, and many were present in
the court-room to manifest their feelings in behalf of the stricken
woman. The eloquent David Paul Brown (the terror of slave-hunters) and
William S. Pierce, Esqrs., appeared for Euphemia, R.C. McMurtrie, Esq.,
for the claimant.
Mr. McMurtrie in the outset, arose and said, that it was with extreme
regret that he saw an attempt to influence the decision of this case by
tumult and agitation. The sympathy shown by so many friendly ladies, was
not a favorable sign for the slave-holder. Notwithstanding, Mr.
McMurtrie said that he would "prove that Mahala, sometimes called Mahala
Purnell, was born and bred a slave of Dr. George W. Purnell, of
Worcester county, Maryland, who was in the habit of hiring her to the
neighbors, and while under a contract of hiring, she escaped with a boy,
with whom she had taken up, belonging to the person who hired her." The
present claimant claimed her as the administrator of Dr. George W.
Purnell.
In order to sustain this claim many witnesses and much positive swearing
were called forth. Robert F. Bowen, the first witness, swore that he
knew both Mahala and her master perfectly well, that he had worked as a
carpenter in helping to build a house for the latter, and also had hired
the former directly from her owner.
Definite time and circumstances were all harmoniously fixed by this
leading witness. One of the important circumstances which afforded him
ground for being positive was, as he testified on cross-examination,
that he was from home at a camp-meeting (when she run away); "our
camp-meetings," said the witness, "are held in the last of August or the
first of September; the year I fix by founding it upon knowledge; the
year before she ran away, I professed religion; I have something at home
to fix the year; she was with me a part of a year. I hired her for the
year 1848 as a house servant; I hired her directly from Dr. George W.
Purnell. When she ran away I proceeded after her. I advertised, in
Delaware in written advertisements, in Georgetown, Milford and
Millsborough, and described her and the boy; her general features. I
have not the advertisement and can't tell how she was described; Dr.
George Purnell united with me in the advertisement. I followed her to
Delaware City; that's all I have done since, about inquiring after them.
I came, after twenty-two years' absence, to seek my own rights, and as
an evidence for my friend. I have not seen her more than once since she
ran away, until she was arrested; I saw her two or three times in court.
I saw her first in a wretched-looking room, at Fifth and Germantown
Road; it was yesterday morning; it was the evening before at Congress
Hall; I arrived here last Tuesday a week; a man told me where she
was"--"I beg the court,"--here Mr. McMurtrie interposed an objection to
his mentioning the person. The court, however, said the question could
be put.
_Witness_.--I was pledged not to tell the name; the person signed her
name Louisa Truit; the information was got by letter; the reason I did
not tell, because I thought she might be murdered; I have not the
letters, and can't tell the contents; the letter that I received
required a pledge that I would not tell: I was directed to send my
letter to the post-office without any definite place; the representative
of Louisa Truit was a man; I saw him in Market street between Third and
Fourth, at Taylor and Paulding's store, in the course of last week; I
was brought into contact with the representative of Louisa by
appointment in the letter, to get the information; I never heard him
tell his name; he was neither colored nor white; we call them with us
mixed blood; (I should take you to be colored, said the witness to Mr.
Brown.) I suppose he lives somewhere up there; I saw him at my room the
next morning; I did not learn from him who wrote the letter; he did not
describe the person of the woman in the letter written to me, only her
general appearance; Purnell said he burnt the letter.
Mr. Brown demanded the letter, or the proof of its destruction.
I never wrote myself, but my friend, Mr. Henry did; he said so; I never
received a letter; it was written to Robert J. Henry; part of the letter
was written to me, but not directed to me; the Louisa Truit, who wrote,
stated, that for the information he wanted $100 for one of the
fugitives; he was referred to the store of Taylor & Paulding, and Mr.
Henry would meet him there; when I got to the store, some of the concern
let Mr. Henry know that a man wanted to see him; I heard this at the
store; the man was there; he was a mulatto man, middle-aged, and
middling tall; he is not here, that I know of; can't tell when I last
saw him. His name I understood to be Gloucester.
Under the severe cross-examination that the witness had been subjected
to under D.P. Brown, he became very faint, and called for water. Large
drops of sweat stood upon his forehead, and he was obliged to sit down,