The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1854-04-19
4 HE LANCASTER LEDGER
Il. S. B ALL Ely,
EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
We take the following from Northern
paper--the Aew York TREE .imericon,
which, by the way, is an excellent paper.
Material for another Uncle Toms
Cabin"

Cabin"
The following account contains excel
lent materials for some of the abolition
Stowe school to work up into thrilling
tale of crueticS practiced upon the poor
negro. They could easily create second
'Unclc Toms" out of these ficnds, and
make them martyrs in the cause OF chris.
tian meekness. Many of the political
clique of abolftionists, of both sexes. would
rub their hands i'll an ccStacy of delight
at the recital of this dcmoniac Outrage
as in almost every line thcv could rccog-
nize the fruits of their christian teachings.
L., poor Negro"
The Mississippi Free Tra,lcr the 25th
nit. contains long article upon the story
which recently appeared in the Tribune
ot slave having been burned alive at
Union Point, on the banks of the Missis-
sipPi, in reply to the request OF correspon-
dents, the Elltor OF the Free Trader gives
the following as an authentic account Of
:he transaction referred to:
The circum stances on which the fiction
is doubtless Y founded, occurred, from the
best information We can get, in the Sum-
mer or Fall of lS4l.
Two runaway slaves, in the Parish of
Avoyellcs, louisiana, had for some time
eIudcl capture, and had become a terror
to The whites of that thinIy settled region.
The first crime OF magnitude which they
committed was the murder of an old man
named Harrington, who WAS living on
Red River, near the Mississippi, with his
only daughter, young womm who as
sisted him by her !abors in obtaning
meagre support. The negroes had previ-
ousIy forced negro woman, belonging
to Il nelghboring planter, to Join them
After numbering Mr. Harrington and rob-
bing his house of everything available TO
them, they forced his daughter to Join
them, tearing her from beneath the roof
where her murdered father lay wclterng
in his blood, and making her the victim
of crimes too horrible to he told. From
the house of Mr.. Harrington they proceed
Ell to Red River to the mouth of the Coo
drn, where was then living Mr.. Todd,
with his wife and child, who kept small
store to supply raftsmen. At that time
the two negroes were armed, one with
double barrel gun and knife, and the
other with rifle and pistol. They de-
manded food and liquor, which he gave
them. After satisfying their appctites
they demanded free pass, he pretended
to comply, and wrote an account of what
had transpired at his house, stating his
bilief that they intended 10 murder him.
They did murder him by beating ont his
brains. They then departed, taking with
made the victim of the same horrible crime
to which they had devoted tue innoccn,
young girl whom they had ruthlcs<lv torn
from the home of her murdered father.
Miss Harrington seemed to have lost her
reason, but Mrs. Todd, it seems, was a
woman of great strength Of mind, and
knowing that so soon as the murders and
aoducuons became known the neichbors
would be out in pursuit, she endeavored
to mark a trail for the pursuers by leaving
shreds of her dress on the bushes rs they
passed, and making her little child walk
IN the mud Of the swamp, at times that
ITS little track might afford indubtable
proof OF the course Of the savage fendS
and their unhappy victims.
In week or ten days, while the party
were at halt, about three miles back of
Union Point, which is on the Mississippi
River about thirty-fivc miles from Nachez
the two negro men fell asleep, one Of them
with his head in Mrs. Todd'S lap. and the
negro woman kept guard. Suddenly Mrs.
Todd perceived the approach of the armed
pursuerS. She with admirable presence
OF mind, motioned to them to be cautious.
They advanced silently, and when she
thought them sufficiently near, she up with
ashrlek OF ofdeiirious JOY, land rushed towards
them. The negroes sprang to their feet
one was captured-the other escaped seve-
raj shots having been fred at him as he
fled.
The party were then taken to Union
Point Many Of the neighbors were COL
itcted. Miss Harrington was maniac.
but the mind of Mrs. Todd was clear and
unciouded. She told her story with re-
markable cleaneSs and consistency. 1t
was enough TO make men weep tears of
hlooG--a series Of crime black enough to
be execrated by devils. The poor assem-.
bly, did not take long to deliberate. A
summary execution was resolved upon.
The captured negro was tied to tree
iaggots We're piacel around him-and
Mrs. Todd herself set first to the funeral
pile. IL Uas the one toho had murdered
her husband and had first outraged her
self.
About one week afterwards the other
negro was captured and met a similar
fate. The negro woman was not executed
Mrs. Todd stating that she had saved the
life OF Miss Harrington, and herself several
times from these savage fiends.
This is as accurate histo. of the trans
action as can be given at the lapse of time
without reference TO old files Of newspapers
which we have not been able TO obtain.
IL Is drawn from the narrative of several
old citizens Of this neighborhood, and in
part from gentleman who witnessed the
execution and heard Mrs. Tolls tragic
and heart rending story.
Both the negroes made full confession
ofthe horrible crimes. They confessed
further that they had lurked round the
plantation Of another planter OF the neigh.
borhood, for the purpose Of numbering