Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-12-08

ing a sufficient gang to lie transported down the
river. The weather was cold, and the only means
Of having a FIRE was q rusty iron stove without a
pipe. Whom persons in the vicinity demonstrated
at the cruelty Of hopping me withouta fire, a fire
was for some DAYS kindled in the stove, which I'LL
sd the cabin with smoke, and when this reached
% the point Of sudOcatiuu they dashed water upon
1t, and then it was confidently said that | had
enjoyed a lire in my prison. Observing me stand
ing up by the rude hole which served as q window
cndcavoring to write, the iailur nailed u board
across which completely excluded the light. In
vain ! petjtiuned them to scud for q change Of
clothing, and reduced rs | was by sickitss | was
obliged to lie on q miserable bed with scanty GOV.
ering for the greater part OF my time,
\ Kentucky lady in the noighborlood the wife
OF q large stakeholder, hearing Of my ihdigHities
and hardships to which | was subjected, took up
her carriage with n servant in the midst of a dri
wing storm, bringing with her in a basket II supply
OF clothing and other neccssaries suited to my SUI
fering state. The iailor, however, doggcdly re
fused to open the door or allow her to have an in
teryicw with me. lie and his wife even refused
to convey to me the comforts which were brought,
saying that my spirit had got to be subdued by
hardships till | would be willing to give up and
leave the State" Finding all opportunities use
less, she commanded hor servant to take of the
board from the window. and then resolutely stood
by while he passed to me the contents Of the bas-
ket, and when the iailor undertook to interfere,
she told him che would he made to feel her hus-
hands influence on his position if lie did not de.
slSt." ! bad found means TO Communisate with
my lawyers and on the Sh Of April, 1881, | was
taken out on Il writ Of habcas corpus and tried be
fore another Judge and discharged on the ground
Of entire innocence, this charge being pronounced
croundless. ! had now been confined in n most
lOathsome dungeon where | was forbidden Il breath
of fresh air for the period Of IS days.
After this | returned 20 my rural pursuits, and
after experimenting the blowing aud planting Of
a. hnfluNl u4vo. #E y.., toa g. ,g,t, ~ III.
harvesting Of my oats and other cro~s, | renewed
my dwclling-placc across the river to Indiana.
On the 18Th Of June ! went over to the estate to
see onA Of my tenants who was very sick. The
day was excessively hot. | was overcome with
fatigue aud taken suddenly i'll, and had to lie ear
ried TO the house. ! lay there helpless under care
Of Il physician until the l9,h, when / was again
arrested upon a warrant issued by Il justice Of the
peace in the city of Lexington, commanding my
apprehension ON account of the escape
Of the wife Of Lewis Hayden, who with her fani-
~ was missing ten years before. You will rec
ollect that was arrested and imprisoned for the
same ottensc in 1871. The officers found me too
sick to he removed without cndangcring my life,
and therefore stationed three AIMED men ut the
house to prevent my escape. Severa, other off
cors were stationed Il little distance from the house
to prevent the possibility Of my being rescued by
the lndianians. In the course Of the next day,
however, | found means TO escape into Indiana.
My pursuers had among them a man, who from
certain reasons of Lis own, was NY personal enc
my. BY his agency, Immediately after this, though
his i%utrigueS three old indictments, which the
Commonwealth attorney had stricken from the
docket ten years ago, 10y order Of the Court, were
rc-dockplcI and warrants issued under them for
my arrest. Knowing that this might appear an
incredible thing in our country, | hold in my hands
perfect documentary evidence If the fact, which
an able at any time to exhiJit. The Governor Of
Kentucky, on the strength Of these indictments,
sent to the Governor Of Indiana demanding me rs
u fugitive from justice. Without any inquiry as
TO the merits Of the case, the Governor delivered
me mp.
The Indianinns, indignant at such MI outrage
upon a poaceable citizen, hid me from my pursu-
ers. Sometimes they secretcd me in the city and
sometimes in the country-in a h~ny-mow. in the
woods. under brush heaps, in the r~yc-iclds, in
C,cits Of ocks-sometimes in one place and some
times in another, until | was too feeble to be lon
ger moved about.
While | lay PROSTATE with sickness, after some
twelve days search, the officers got track IF me,
took me of from the bed, put me in an open bug
gY and drove me some fifteen miles under Il Scorch .
ing July sun, and after dark made n daring at
tempt to smugglc me across the river. Here again
they were defeated, and took me secretly to Madi-
son, where they confined me in Jail, to await the
arrival Of the Kentucky officers.
The yigilant Indianians determined | should
have the benefit Of Il "habeas corpus" and a large
troop or volunteers Stailplci themselves around
the jail to prevent my being kidnapped by the
kentuck,ans; ana there ! lay in close jul 20 days
before | WAS able to he taken out for trial. Tie
evening pri + 70 the trial, 10, 0aother requisition
arrived demanding me upon another ten year ola
indictment.
On the evening Of the 2l>t Of July, 1851, both
warrants having been tried, ! was discharged from
custody by the decision Of Judge Walker Of Mad,
ison, Ind.
Again foiled, those slaveholding Kcntuckians
return to plumber my premises; and under the
guise of law my house is robbed of its entire CON
tents. my farming utensils are seized, my grain.
hay, &c, are taSCn away, nv cattle and other
stock driven of, and / am deprived Of my entire
personal property, even to my wardrobe. Moth
ing whatever is left upon the place save the grow
ing crops, tile property seized amounting to 50,
AT the next Circuit Court their writ of attach.
incnt is dismissed, and it becomes the dltv of the
officer to return tie property to my possession
Instead of this, he secretly sells what had not
before been destroyed, and the shareholders peck
cted the money.
Ar, they satisfied now? No. While on a yisil
to my aged mother in Vermont, they take advan-
tage Of my absence, steal and sell my crops, peck.
ct the money; and when | return to make n pay
ment OF $4,000 oil my place, 10! | have nothing
with which TO make tam bereft Of my lust dol
lar, the payment due, and ] pcnniless.
This last Spring, TO prevent my sending on ten
ants to take care of the place, they broke open
and demolished six Of nay dwelling. house, aud de-
burnt the seventh.
My close confinement in the four different, pris-
one, amounts to 1913 days, and the loss Of proper
to to $ll 900,
You have here bat the outline Of my persecu-
tions, and are at liberty to make such use Of them
rs your superior judgment shall dictate.
Respectfully and truly yours,
DELLA A. WEBSTER.
RUNAWAY SLAVES CApTUP