Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1855-09-12
[Yrom the wesleyan.l
MERCY TORTURED INTO CRIME.

not ciuSneu out Vi every ndu WIZ Nv %
within The reach of slavery. Read Da-
Wis appeal to his brethren and sisters for
their justification, and let your heart
throbs answer the question. Read the
last words about his aged parents, and
let the unbidden tear drop scalding hot
from your red eye balls-for you will
weep. Binding drops prevent a finish
to these hurried words. They are sent
forth, Kissing with contempt and hate for
slavery, to inspire in your hearts like
passion.
'Pardon Davis, citizen of Marquette
County, Wisconsin, and member of
the Seventh-Day Baptist Church, at Bur
lin, in said County and State, had been
spending some time in Tensas Parish,
Louisiana, engaged in business. In Sep
tember last, however, he had settled up
his business in Louisiana, and was upon
the point of returning to the North, when
he was met by slave. hunter with his
dogs, who drew a revolver, and threat
ened to fire upon him in case he should
stir or make a noise. He was brought
before a magistrate, who informed him
that he was accused of aiding slaves to
escape from their masters. The whole
town was soon assembled, in high state
ofexcitement The citizens, fearing that
the evidence against him would prove in
sufficient. formed themselves into mob
for the purpose of inaicting lynch law
in case he should be cleared. Some
cried, hang him some, shoot him; 9TH
ers, give him a thousand lashes on the
bare back. No one dared speak word
in his behalf, save lawyer from Missis-
sippi. He informed the prisoner that the
chances were against him-that if he
had been charged with larceny or even
murder, there might be hope, but little
hope as the case was. He was conduct
ed to Jail, through heavy rain, where
he was loaded with irons, his feet put in
iron stocks, his hands coupled together
with iron handouts, closely fitted
These last were subsequently removed
next day for him to eat his breakfast.
"The prisoner subsequently had his
trial, and was sentenced to t,Oenty gears
confinement in the State Prison of Louis
lana, and is now in Baton Rouge, suffer
ing this penalty.
''From a touching letter, written by
the prisoner, in the Jail, awaiting his tri-
al, addressed to his brethren and sisters
at Berlin Church. we copy statement
of the accusation against him, and the
occasion of his arrest We remark it was
not proven that he furnished fictitious
passes to the fugitives as charged by his
accusers it was simply alleged that the
passes resena5Led his writing, ink, paper,
&c.
"'The cause of my being arrested, as
stated by Mr.. Perkins, the negro hunter,
is: A man in Mississippi, having discov-
cred trail of runaways, sent for him tc
come with his dogs and catch them He
went and caught them after running
them thirty or forty miles. Upon over,
taking them, they all ran up to the fence
to get away from the dogs. He asked
them who they belonged to. They gave
him fictitious name, at the same time
presenting passes, which he read but,
being a villain at heart, Perkins took
them down, one at time, and set his
dogs on them. The negroes, after being
torn in shocking manner, promised, il
he would desist, they would tell the truth
The dogs being taken off, the negroe:
made the following confession: We be
long TO Mr.. Dunkin, of Louisiana, and
the overseer, Huggins, whipped us near
ly every night, because, being new
hands, we could not pick cotton enough
We stood this as long as we could, and
then ran away. We went to Mr.. Davis
woodward, and told him our complaint
He let us hide in the wood, and carried
us bread and water until last Saturday
night. He baked us some bread, gave
one of us pair of shoes, another hat,
another shirt, quilt for us to sleep un-
der, some money, these passes, set III
across the river in a canoe, one at time,
and told US to 90 towards sunrise. Bu
getting entangled in the swamp, they
were overtaken. Each negro, after be-
ing torn by the dogs the same way, con-
fessed the same Is"
The letter of Mr.. Davis closes with the
following statement and appeal:
"And now, after hearing what l have
written, ask my brethren and sisters,
thine fear of God, if a man should come
to you, presenting a lacerared back, ex-
posed to the rays of southern summers
sun for want of shirt, feet bleeding
flom having been tom by snags and
briars, hungry and faint, whose crime
was that he failed, after straining every
nerve, 10 perform the labor appointed
him-I ask, would you-could you
turn him away without assisting him
No brethren, l think l know you toe