, 1859-06-09
A Noble Act-EnnnelpatIon Of two
O40Eht&f8 by thefl Father.
4h..fHi 1

From ths Cleveland L.adse1
In the summer Of 1857. Jame4 Oldham; q
'tfrce White citizen" Of CoahomA COUNTY, xiasis-
sipp, left his plantation near Frfar's Point, with
now II and the other IS years Of age. for Ober-
lin, Ohio, whittier he came for the double pur-
pose Of emaucipating and educating the girls.
for they were his 1lavea.. lie vas accompanied
by Miss Hattie Oldham, q near relative, who
came to assist in locating the daughters in their
new condition.
At Memphis, the younger daughter, Cyrepo,
having been the pct Of tIe family, and prefer
ring the known case of her sunny home to the
fancicd trials aud the dreaded restraints Of
school, could not be persuaded to come my far
thcr On the journey, and her kind iaIher was
induced to permit her to return to the p|anta,
ton, while tue balance Of the party came on and
arrived at 0berlin in August.
The next day inter- their arrlSal, Mr. oidha1n
was attacked with typhoid dysentery, and was
soon reduced to critical condition, II which be
fingered for some three weeks, and died. Har.
ing formed IN acquaintance with Dr.. +: L. Rea,
OF Oxford, Butler county, Ohio, and having
great confidence in bis skill a. physician, at
alr. 0ldham's request the Doctor came to bis
bedside, watched over him until death ended his
sutfsrings, and then accompanied his mortal re-
mains back to his desolate home in Mississippi.
When Mr. Oldham became convinced that he
must die, bis concern for the freedom Of his
3UnuEE3k NauEulCT WAS tulEuaE. Luz ElUtSt+
Emeline, was with him in Ohio, aud was there.
fore free; hut tho younger BY lingering amid
the 1oved scenes Of her childhood, was exposed
to be inrentoricd uulou8 the other cbnttels Of
the estate, and sold ut a high price because Of
her light complexion. her beautiful ringets, and
her graceful form, aud the dying fathcr knew it.,
and bitter anguish stung his soul.
He knew too that the laws Of Mississippi for
bid emancipation within her borders, and fur
thcr, that be could not by his will make her free
to be sent out Of the State, nor could he will her
in trust to another for the purpose Of making
her free, neither yet could be sell her to any one
for that purpose. Thus was the dying parent
cruelty Of the law, hedging up as it does every
way By which hc might secare freedom to his
child and thus save her from dreadful fate. In
this strait he applied to Hon Philemon Bliss, OF
Elyria, for counsel, whose clear head and warm
heart were soon enlisted in what would seem
tue hopeless task Of enabling a wealthy father
to free his Own child from eternal slavery.
will was soon executed, in which the facts
Of the parents earnest wish were clearly set
forth, and by the terms of which the daughters
were made free, and the sum Of four thousand
dollars bequeathed for their support and educa.
ton, and the noble Doctor Rea was appointed
Executor Of the will.
TWINS also provided that the whole Of the
above sum should be expended, if necessary, to
secure the freedom Of the youngest girl SHOULD
III attempt be made to prevent It by the heirs
under the laws Of Mississippi, which wise provi-
sion, with the energy and drmness Of Dr. Rea,
proved more than a match for s1nveholding Gu.
pidity and siaveho1ding law, as is shown 1n The
tact that both Emeinc and Cyrena are now safe
in 0berlin, where their wants will be supplied
and their education provided for under the di'
rcction of Dr. Rea.
But all this las not been accomplished with.
out severe struggle, every point being warmly
contested By greedy heirs with wicked laws on
one side, and the determined Doctor and right.
euusness Oh the other. For time it seemed
| almost certain that the cormorants would sue
coed, and that the money a. well as the liberty
of Cyrena would be lost; indeed, 50 sure were
| they Of success, that the heirs bid Doctor Res
| i bold defiance.
At length point was decidedly the Supreme
Court Of Mississippi in 4 case involring some
| important ones in this, and the controversy was
brought to close by compromise, in Which
the Doctor Il. secured the freedom Of the glr
| and three thousand dollars of the money.
A few days ago Doctor Rca might have beer
seen leaving the plantation Of the late James
Oldham in u large canoe freighted with bis pre-
cious charge, tie tender Cyrepa, an unwilling
exile from her chiidbood's home, and making
his devious way for nine miles through recently
cut gorges and cddylhy. currents made by tht
turbid waters Of the Mississippi back to Frlar's
Point, where he embarked for The purpose o.
| reinstating these sisters In 0berlin, the very
place chosen for them by the dying honest
Shareholder, where they can become free, riE
| ttous and intelligent women.