Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1853-01-28

bill. but could not tell who was the vendor nor
who was the person sold, as appeared by the bill
of sale.
Mr.. Thorn was next called upon the stand, and
testified that he was in this tavern in the Spring
of the year 1871, and saw white man negotiating
a trade with Burch for a colored man; but whether
this was the eolored man not, he could not tell
for he never saw either white man or colored
man but that once, and did not know whether or
not Burch bought and paid for him.
Burch himself was next offered a witness in
his behalf, TO prove the loss OF the bill of sale
His evidence was objected to by the prosecution,
but was allowed by the Court. He testified that
he had the bill of sale and had lost it, and did not
know what had become of it. The counsel for the
prosecution requested the Court to send police
officer to bring the books of Burch, containing his
bills Of sales for negroes for the year 1871 and pre-
vious years. They were fortunately procured, but
no bill of sale was found of this colored man, by
any name. Upon this positive evidence that the
man had been in the possession of Burch and that
he had been in slavery for a period of more than
eleven years the Court decided that the testimony
of the slave trader established the fact that Burch
came honestly by him, and consequently discharg-
ed the defendant.
The condition of this colored man. during the
nine years that he was in the hands of Eppes, was
of a character nearly approaching that described
bv Mrs. Stowe, as the condition of ''Uncle Tom
while in that region. During the whole period
his nut contained neither floor, nor chair, nor
a bed, nor mattress, nor anything for him to lie
upon except a board about twelve inches wide
with block of wood for his pillow, and with
sins lie blanket to cover him. while the walls of his
hut did not by any means protect him from the
incemency of the weather. He was sometimes
compelled to perform acts revolving to humanity.
and outrageous i'll the highest degree. On one
occasion, colOred girl belonging to Eppes about
II years of age, went one Sunday without the per-
mission of her master, to the nearest plantation
about half mile distant, to visit another colored
girl of her acquaintance. She returned in the
course of two three hours, and for that offence
she was called up for punishment, which Solomon
was required to intiict. Eppes compelled him to
drive four stakes into the ground such distances
that the hands and ankles of the girl might be
tied to them, as she lay with her face upon the
ground; and having thus fastened her down, he
compelled HIM, while standing by himself, to in
fict one hundred lashes upon her bare flesh, she
being stripped naked Having inflicted the
hundred blows, Solomon refused to proceed any
further EppeS tried to compel him to 90 on
but he absolutely set him at defiance and refused
to murder the girl. Eppes then seized the whip
and applied it until he was too weary to continue
it. Blood flowed from her neck to her feet, and
in this condition she was compelled the next day
to 60 into the field to work as a field hand She
bears the marks still upon her body, although the
punishment was inflicted four years ago.
When Solomon was about to leave under the
care of Mr.. Northrop, this girl came from behind
her hut, unseen by her master, ard throwing her
arms around the neck of solomon, congratulated
him on his escape from slavery, and his return to
his family, at the same time in language of des-
pair exelaiming. "But, Oh, God what will be-
come of me p
These statements regarding the condition of
Solomon while with Eppes, and the punishment
and brutal treatment of the colored girls are taken
from Solomon himself, II has been stated that
the nearest plantation was distant from that of
Eppes halt mile, and of course there could be no
interference, on the part of neighbors in any pun
lshment, however cruel, or however well dispose
to interfere they might be.
BY the laws of Louisiana, no man can be pun.
ished there, for having sold Solomon into slavery
wrongfully, because more than two years had
elapsed since he was sold; and no recovery can be
mad Ior ms services, because he was bought with
out the knowledge that he was free citizen.