Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1850-08-10
Tale Of Cruelty.

Rev. ]. Is. Finley, noted Methodist cier-
gyman, who was for three years Chaplain OF
tho Ohio Penitentiary, has published vol
ume entitled Memoirs of Prison Life from
which we copy the following sad story, il
lustrating at once the cruelty inseparabe
from slavery and the injustice Of the Govern
ment in its treatment of those whose rights
it suffers to be trampled under foot, and
whom II trains in ignorance aud degradation.
called upon an old colored man, who is
here for life. He was born a slave, in one of
the southern Stntes; and as his history IS
substantially that of many others in those
parts, ] will give it, as have learned It rom
himself, and from many other sources
Perceiving that the old fellow could not walk
much, inquired of him to know the cause
of his lameness. lie answered me in near
ly the following words; To tell you mat
father Finley, would be to give you tne ms
tory of nv bad life; and If that would be
interesting to you, will relate it all. ! was
born in the State Of IA slave. My old
master died; and the negroes were divided
among his sons. and my two brothers fell
TO one of the sons who was much given to
drinking, and whose whole estate was soon
run through. The land and the negroes
were put up for sale. My two brothers and
myself were bought by the same man. This
man was very cruel TO us. One of my BROTH
ers went to see his wife, about four miles
from where we lived, who had Just been con-
fined; and for this offense our master whip
ped him till he died. This excited me very
much; and said to the other negroes that
my master should never whip me that hard.
My master overheard me as ] spoke, and cal
led me to him but ran with all my might
the other way. Hiding in the cornfelds,
then in the woods and swamps, made my
escape; but had no means of getting suf-
ficient food, after the corn was taken in, or
had become too hard to eat, TO keep me from
almost famishing. Almost exhausted with
cold and hunger, after four long months Of
close concealment, ventured to crawl out of
my hiding-place. went to a farmhouse,
that stood nearest to where l was. A color
ed man was there, who sent word to his
master that lalf-starved runaway negro
was in the house. The fellow dared not do
otherwise, though could see he pitied me,
from the bottom of his heart. His master
carae, and found me almost speechless with
exhaustion. lie told his slave to throw me
across a horse, and take me home. When
they bad brought me to the house, they laid
me down upon the floor, and sent word to
my master. He came TO see me, and after
making thorough examination of me, snid
that, i'll ever got well, should never run
away again. So, taking out his knife, and
lifting up my feet, he cut the great cords of
my heels / laid one whole year, in this
condition and, at the end of il, l could hob
bio about. My master now set >me at the
plow; but MANNED, as l was, could not
keep up with the team SO my master whip
ped me severely for this faultt When /
was set down, tainted, and fell to the ground,
nearly dead. After many long and weary
months, partially recovered, and was put
to the plow again; but not being able TO do
any better than had done before, and see
ing nothing but hard treatment before me, ]
ran away again, thinking had better starve
in the woods than be whipped to death. l
lay in neighboring swamp until was near
ly dead of hunger; but they found me at
last, and, as was trying to run, my master
shot me in the shoulder.t j was now, of
course, captured; and my master, after he
had nearly ruined me, sold me for trihe,
though had been man OF great strength
The gentleman who bought me was kind to
me, giving me the liberty of fishing, of ma
king brooms, and of other light work, by
which might be able TO pay for myself and
So hNO' ~ 'hio WoJ OuihCu my hOcuohiJ
and came TO this State. But what could /
do? knew not how TO be freeman: and
if had known, had been deprived of all
power of making an honest living. So now,
as my last end and resting-place, you see me
here
Such, reader, are the beauties of slavery!
This is that venerable, patriarchal system,
which southern Christians, and southern
doctors of divinity and the professed follow
ers and admirers of John Calvin and of John
Wesley, and the disciples of the meek and
lowly Jesus in the South, defend at the haz-
ard of every thing dear on earth.
l examined his feet, and found that the
leaders of his legs had been cut. They had
grown up again, in large knots, above and be-
low the cuts.
The whipping must have beon severe; for
the marks of it still remain, in coarse ridges, in
his skin.
saw the marks of the shot. The shoulder
was dreadfully mangled and nearly torn off.