Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1852-02-20
She don't belong to nobody master said Ham

:
your free papers? Got mona eh never fpa,
old woman, III not take her to the care she,
be safe in Jail before leave herI tell YOU =
you cursed DEVILS he exclaimed giving the
child severe push you're always getting where
YOU no business to be- Come, march
Poor Amy, when she heard the word ial. anC
understood she was to 90 there. fell back nnon
her seat with shuddering groan, nor did her
trends dare to speak word of comfort or sym
patty for fear Of giving offence to the patrols
VIII" have the free colored people completely in
their power, and when offended, wreak their ven
geance on them in the most barbarous manner
Amy, child said her aunt, you better 90
along as quiet as you can, and I'll 90 to Man
chester right soon tomorrow morning, and tell
Your nanny, may be she'll soon get you ont
The Lord bless you child she added in a lower
tone and take of you, for if he don't do i;
don't know who will
With passionate burst of grief and cries
which were speedily suled by the lash of the
patrols whip, the little girl went forth into the
darkness and storm. The firm grasp of the
man held her by the arm and pushing and drag
glng her along through the mud and water VI
terng the most horrid oaths whenever ANYTHING
obstructed his path, he proceeded toward the jai
Al last, during bright flash of lightning. poor
Amy saw the horrd Jail with its gaunt whipping
post standing near, wet with the blood of many
a victim. She closed her eyes in terror, and
heard the patrol speak few hurried words TO
the lalior, by whom she was hurried in and con-
Quoted along dark passage. A door grated
heavily on lis hinges, and in a moment she was
thrust rudeIy into cold, damp cell, and left
alone.
Half dead with terror she sank down on a
no nF -, 1 IL
she lay n stupor until the morning light shone
through bars of her windows, and he jaiIor came
with her food. The poor child felt no DISPOSE
ton to eat, and she tmidly asked the man if her
mamma had come yet
No. said he grutfly, 'how's she going to
know you're in Jail, don't you tell the patrol you
belonged to Manchester? III be bound you're
a runaway from some plantation but we'll see
If we can't stop 1.-THE whole country is poster
ed to death with runawavs'
i aIn'ta runaway, said Amy meckly But
please MASTER If mamma comes won't YOU let
her in to see me 2
I'll see about it, said the jaor as he closed
and fastened the door, and Amy felt comfortod in
the hope Of seeing her mother for surely, she
cannot help it,
Toward noon Amy's mother came. The jail
or asked II she had brought the GIRL free papers.
She said she had not; for in her entire ignorance
OF the law she did not know that free papers were
necessary to procure the freedom of one out in
Jail for the simple offence of being from home
after night without passport The mother
though once slave herself had married and
raised her family since she had became free,
and feeling perfectly safe herself, she had not
provided for her Childrens safety by procuring
for Them free papers, and as she had none Of age
10 leave at home, She thought it time enough to
1T. Ignorant of the forms of the law. and hay
ing no one TO counsel or direct, she knew not
what 10 DO.
Amy said She don't give mp and cry 50
mach it. I'll do all can for YOU child
Though the Lord knows don't know where t.
60 or what 10 do If poor Miss Edwards wa
only LYNN, she'd help me, for if ever thar was Il
blessed oman on arth she was one
The hoart-stricken mother sat on The floor be-
side her child, with her face buried in her apron
and rocking herself TO and fro in an agony of dis
tress. For she we'll knew that her child was
in the hands of men who lacked neither the viii
nor the power to accomplish any deed of dark
ness.
Day after day passed, the mother was some
times contorled with the hope Of seeing her
child free. At others, overcome by III" leihargy
of SPAR, She felt as she conld do nothng At
length, one morning after Amy had been in pri-
son for moro than month, the jaer aCcosted
her with:
well, old woman, who's going to pay your
child'o fees. The court sat yesterday and forty
five dollars are owing this dav, and they must
have It cash down, or she'll have to be sold along
with the rest, to pay out. We can't Keep such
gang here month in and month out, for moth
ing What are You going to do say? he
thundeTcd seeing the woman stand silent with
surprise and terror.
4 don't know Sir said the poor mother, 4
amt got dollar in the world. Since my poor
child has been shut up here, amt been able to
work half lifetime. But bless me, master, sure
" you can't sci! my child she was born free
woman.
'Neger mind that, said the jai'or Here she's
been in Jail these toriy-fve days and 10 more
likely to get out now, than she was the first
time turned the keys on her, less she's sold to
pay the fees. You see when any niger gets
jail, no odds whether lis right or wrong, the fees
have got to be paid atore they bulge one inch
mind tell YOU
How long, sir, before the sale begins, asked
the mother.
'Abont ten o'clock, he answered, and mind
now, Wen have to stick 10 the law, an1 the mon
ey must be paid, or she'll have TO go.
Alas! poor woman. fruitless were her efforts
TO obtain the required sum, and with an aching
heart, she stood al the appointed hour among the
crowd Of purchasers, and oilers, who were gath
cred about the Jail door One after another Of
the wretched victims was brought and exposed
on the block to the view Of the crowd, and with
Jeers and brutal jestS sold to the highest bidder
Among the purchasers, Any's mother saw one
whose eager voice was always first and loudest
and she learned from one who stood near, that
he was a trader making mp a cargo for New Or
leans He was anxious 10 buy, and bought up
all he could get Oh how tina; mothers heart
failed wi!hjn her for fear, when she saw her
poor terror-siricken child, standing on the block
and felt that, though she would have died 10 save
her, she was powerless err enemies were too
strong for her and she had no helper.
Foriy-five days had she been in prison, and
forty-fve dollars were all that was required 10
pay the fees, but with a refinement Of cruelty Of
which those only whose hearts have been hard
ened By long years Of oppression, they sold the
poor child 10 the Southern trader 70! forty-ive
dollars for torty-iye years
The trembling little girl scarcely looked up
while she stood upon the block, but when the
bargain was struck, and the hammer Of the sher-
if DESCENDED, she looked fearful!y round 70 see
the man into whose hands she had fallen. She
could not distinguish ham from the crowd, but
she saw a well known anxious face down which
the tears were silently streaming, and throwing
up her arms, She screamed mandy DO save