Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1856-03-15
From the FREQ Presbyterian
A VISIT TO THE SLAVE MOTHER WHO
KILLED HER CHILD.

Last Sabbath after preaching in the city prison,
Cincinnati through the kindness of the Deputy
Sheriff, was permitted to visit the apartment OF
that unfortunate woman, concerning whom there
has been so much excitement during the last two
weeks.
| | found her with IN infant in her arms only n
few months old, and observed that it had d large
bunch on its forehead. | inquired the cause of
the injury. She then proceeded to give detail
ed account of her attempt to kill her children.
She said that when the officers and slave hunters
came to the house in which they were concealed,
she caught shovel and struck two of her children
on the head, and then took q knife and cut the
throat of the third and tried TO kill the other,-
that if they had given her time she would have
killed them all-that with regard to herself she
cared but little; but she unwilling to have her
children suffer as she had done.
| | enquired if she were not excited almost to
madness when she committed the act? No. she
replied, was as cool rs | now am; and would
much rather kill them at once. and thus end their
suffering, than have them taken back to slavery
and be murdered by piece-meal. She then TOLD
the story of her wrongs. She spoke of her days
of suffering, of her nights of unmitigated toll
while the bitter tears coursed their way down her
cheeks. and fell in the face of the innocent child
as it looked smiling up little conscious of the dan
ger and probable suffering that awaited It.
! As listened to the facts and witnessed the ago
ny depicted in her countenance could not but ex
claim, o how terrible is irresponsible power, wher
exercised over intelligent beings She alludes tc
the child that she killed as being free from al
trouble and sorrow, with degree of satisfaction
that almost chills the blood in ones veins Ye
she evidently possesses all the passionate tender
ness of mothers love. She is about t8sniy-ivt
years of age, and apparently possesses an average
amount of kindness, with q vigorous intellect, and
much energy of character.
| The two men and the two loldest children were
in another apartment, but her mother-in.law was
in the same room. She says she is the mother Of
eight children, most of whom have been separated
from her; that her husband wqg ohce Separated
from her twenty-five years. during which time she
did not see him; that could she have prerented it,
she would never have permitted him to return, as
she did not wish him to witness her spfferngs, or
be exposed to the brutal treatment that he would
receive. ' ''' - ''' '' """'
She stated that she has been faithful servant,
and in her old age she would not have attempted to
obtain her lberty but as she becaule feeble, and
less capable of performing labor, her master be-
came more and more exacting aud brutal in his
treatment. until she could stand it no lCpger that
the effort could result only in DEATH at most-she
therefore made the attempt.
She witnessed the killing of the child, but said,
that she neither encouraged nor discouraged her
daughter-in-law, under similar circumstances
she would probably have done the same. The old
woman is from sixty TO seventy years of age; has
been professor Of religion about twenty years,
and speaks with much feeling Of the time when
she shall be delivered from the power Of the op