Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-07-14
Dover, (Delaware,) Sd me. Goth, 1913.
DEAR BRoTHER:

LEAR DRuTHEKs
/ now write a few words to you from my
loathsome prison. / beg TO be excused for
not writing to you before; but as things come
so near to an awful crisis, | deem it my duty
to inform all my Christian brethren of my
present condition. | suppose you have long
since heard, that | was arrested on the ION
day of July last, charged with being concern
ed in helping slaves TO regain their freedom,
which in the State of Delaware is a crime
next to that of murder, if committed by a CO.
lored man. | was also committed TO prison,
and there | remained, hand-cuffed and leg
ironed, until near the middle of August, du-
ring which time | suffered, if possible, more
than death. | then gave bail, in the sum Of
one thousand six hundred dollars, for my
appearance at Court Of Quarter Session, which
was to commence on the 25th OF October,
1917 but my adversaries being informed Of
the same, came forward and demanded spe-
cial bail for damage in the SUN of five thou
sand five hundred dollars more, which they
knew | could not give, on account of which
| was thrust back into prison-there to stay
and suffer until court, and then go in to trial,
unpre pared, as Shareholders intended that
should do. Court cam on, and without suf-
fcient preparation, | was forced in for trial
and as might have been expected, | was con-
victed on two indictments, and sentenced on
both to pay five hundred dollars fine and cost,
and prison charges, and be imprisoned ten
months, and be sold as a slave for a period
Of fourteen years 10 be exported, transferred
or assigned over to slave-traders, or whatever
else the inhuman purchaser may choose ia
do with me. OF course, / have been here ir
prison ever since, looking forward, with ar
anxious mind, to the day in which the sale
of my body in the first case will take place,
which is the 9th of May next, lSl9-aftej
which, | am to be brought back 10 prison, tc
suffer four months longer, and then sold
second time, on the second case. Each cast
requires that | should be sold to the highes
bidder or bidders, for a period of seven years
TO serve as a slave 10 all intents and pur
poses. From this, you may imagine how
much true Christianity exists in the State o
Delaware, especially when we consider tina
the Church, which holds the balance of pow
er in this State, is altogether responsible 70
the unjust punishments thus inflicted on III
poor colored people. This day there was
slave-trader from Baltimore TO see me, and t
find out when the sale of my body was t.
take place. He stated that ! need not thin
hard OF him for wishing TO buy me, for he in
tended, If he was the purchaser, to sell me T.
no man who he thought would not use m
5 well, if behaved well, and that | ought no
} to have been convicted from the evidence tina
the Shareholders produced against me; bu
so 1t was. He said also that the evidenc
adduced against me here would not have con
: victed me in Maryland, &c. This trader
5 name is Mass Fountain, who has shipped 10
S human beings from Skaters slave prison /
Baltimore at one time, to the great slave ma
ket Of New Orleans. He visits the courts
Delaware regularly twice a year, in order
y buy all the c%onvicts which the State holds fl
" sale, to be exported.