Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-12-04
From the Evening Poet.
A SLAVE SALE IN ST. LOUIS.
HOW 1T STRIKES A NEW YORKER.

The following letter is from gentleman of this
city, who was recently in ST. Louis;
"Sr. LOUIS, October I, 1858.
To tie Editors Of tie Ecening Fost'
II noticed, BY ar advertisement in the Repub
ican of this morning, that there would be a sale
of slaves for lfe' at the east ooor of the city hall
at noon to-day, and at that time wound my way
thitherward. The crowds hurrying through the
busy streets probably knew or thought little oil
tue traffic in human beings about to he consum'
mated IN the open day. in the very centre of the
noble city of St. Louis.
at was with peculiar sensations, and yet fixed
determination to be an impartial witness of the
transactions that ascended the granite steps to
the east por,ico door of the massive city hall
had arrived little before the time, and but three
or four of the chattes on sight; but soon the
traders gathered in goOdly numbers and, with two
or three dozen spectators the sale commenced on the
very steps of the building. The auCtioneer, an
aged man. was evidently an adept at the business
and inclined to do his part in the most respectable
manner;' bnt OF the beastly appearance and de-
meanor Of the dealers no language can give you
an adequate description.
"The first lot put up was middle aged wo.
man, with infant. said to be eighteen months old
in her arms. The poor mother was subject to much
sharp questioning, and almost indecent persona
examinations One of the bidders took so many
outra geous liberties that the auctoneer came
70 the rescue and pronounced him mo gentle
man. The bidding was slow. and it was only af
ter great amount of hammering, that the lot was
h,,, ,,phn i'm,
trader named Andrae. for S6l0. I've got plenty
more like ye, said the buyer, as he asked the
down.cast mother if she glad he'd bought her
An insolent interrogatory well answered, IF yer
good master, Pse glad Andrea was evidently Il
we'll known breeder or dealer, for when he walked
away, bystander remarked, the old fellow buys
'em all
"The next Iot' consisted of single woman
called Kissie, who, as the auctioneer said. had q
good countenance. and was but lS years DID,
She stood the jeers Of the depravei crowd remark
ably well, and was sold for S797 80 cts.
Then came another woman, aged %, a tidy
looking creature, whose merits were loudly descant
ed on by the seller She brought 5000 and was
pronounced "a remarkably cheap aigger'.
u
was put up, but not bid could be had His abll
tiles were evidently appreciated by the crowd.
"rhen on old man. venerable and digni6ed, who
stood erect as a Roman NOBLE was brought to the
block. His age was Of course against him, though
at the auctiuneers beck he said lie could do
heap of work.
"The poor old fellows gray head was the subjec
of considerable coarse jcsting, and he was fnall,
bid off at 1885,
"Minpie. sprightly looking girl was then 'trot
ted out. Her virtues were long dwelt upon, anc
AS she submitted to the buld handling OF severa
traders, she was made the point Of the most oathe
some insults from the lockers on, not few o
whom were but ha!fgrown boys. Several boldl,
intmased that iur the purposes of prostitution sh
was worth IA large sum, ard would soon pay fo
herself. She, however brought but S795.
"Her sale was followed by tina. of Harriet,
girl of about the same appearance. who said sh
could do all of house work and after consid
cradle bantering, was knocked down at $500, ant
thus the days traffic closed" -