Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1851-06-19
Tl,e ESCAPE Of Crafts.

In England, viii Interest many in "a
narrative of their first escape from slave
~. We give it as reported in the Bris
tol Exawiusr from a speech made b.
Crafts at an enthusiastic anti-slaver
meeting in Bristol
He would give them 9 brief detail o
az manner in which he and his wife es
caned from slavery. AS he had airead!
caPeu NoH ha was born in the slave state
81 reorgia, and whilst there he had beer
continually planning the best wTethod o
os XXI. his escape. The difficulties how
aver we're very great, and as he had
rt,at distance to travel, he almost DIES
1aired of ever being able 70 accomplish
lis object. After he had thought of the
Man which ultimately succeeded, he sug,
lasted Il to- bis wife, and they both
ssreed to try it, the plan being, for her
to dress herself up as a gentleman who
~ ~.s verv sick, and that he should be
,aSen rs her slave. Having resolved
mon carrying out this plan, the neces-
sary disguise was purchased; and per-
hans they would wonder how he had OBJ
taiped the money requisite for that pur>
n nose and md to pay the expense Of a Jour
new Of some thousand miles. lie would
telI them. During the time he was
WORKING at the cabinet>making, the man
who employed him gave him work to do
sas,;,,,a for he did not earn cent for
himself during the day, and thus by
Workiny early and late, he had consrived
20 accumulate sufficient money Tor his
Tnnrnose The disguise was purchased
at different and at different places, for it
was necessary 10 be exceedingly cautions
So rs 'pot to excite suspicion, each article
as il " was prepared being taken to his
wife who had a small room to herself.
and carefully locked UP. When all was
ready another difficulty presented itself;
thew did know how to get away, and no
other means appeared to be open. than
that they should practice some kind OF
deception. He did not relate this boast
inely, for he never spoke Of this part OF
his history without feeling embarrassed
that he should have been compelled to
iraesars to such means even to gain his
liberty. He related it merely to show
the deception slaves were compelled to
practice, and the evils which were nec-.
essarily allied to the institution of slaves
~. HIS wife told her mistress that she
had an aunt about twelve miles of, who
was very sick. that she had just heard
from her, and that she wished to go and
see her. Her mistress at first refused
10 allow her to go, and then his wife be-
gan to cry, or rather pretended to do so
and after little while her mistress
gave her consent, and wrote out a
pass. He then told his oyerseer that his
wife's aunt was very sick, and that he
wished to 60 with his wife to see her.
The overseer said he had great deal Of
work to do, and could not spare him, but
afterwards he consented to allow him to
take his wife up provided he returned
Tie same evening. He promised him he !s
would, but he had not since made 1t
convenient to do so. (laughter.) Hav-
ing purchased pair Of green sPectacies
for his wife, who thought she should be
able to get along much better with the
aid Of glasses, he went to her, and as
they expected TO start next morning be-
tween three and four clock, she put or
her disguise for him TO see what kind Q
q geniienDan she would make. Qaugh
terl He ihouoht she would pass yer,
well, and they then sat down to wait un
jill the time came for the starting OF tn
railway train. Y 1t so happened that III
train left before daylight, and his viii
succeeded u getting a ticket for herse
and her slave to Savannah It was nee
essary for his wife to get their tickets DC
pause the company were very partlcu!a
n not granting them to slaves since the.
were liable to damages if it could b
proved that a slave had escaped BY thel
line, They arrived in Savannah abou
eight o'clock, and Immediately came OF
in q boat for South Carolina. where they
drove M III q cab to one The hotels. ane
were ushered INTO . private room, (
await the departure Of tie b ,at for Viii
mington, thelandlord calling two servant
TO help his sick master bgt Of the cab. =
HeFc p hey difficulty presented itself
they knew it was the custom for all pa
lies to register their name when pass'n
from slave state to a free one. 10 OF
yiate this difficulty. it was decided
iags tNo large poaltices. the one bein
for the hand which was to be bound u
aed carried in sling. and the other t
lbe side Of the face, so as to more com
pletely disguise the features. Tho be-
was Immediately rung. the necessary OF
der given. and the poultices obtaine
which were then laid on the mantel piec
till wanted, for his master could rest
great deal better without the poultice
yhen no one was near. (laughler.)
due time they went to the Office to g,
tickets for Philadelphia, but when the
drove up to the door, they saw three Q
q ds:eerrs. the duty IT one Being to give 0
al. |, n