Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-01-17

"A moving incident came to our knowledge
last week which we lay before our readers
We suppress names for reasons obvious to
every one.
Near Louisville, KY, lives planter of wealth
and standing, He was the possessor of hun
dred negroes, and he was noted for his thrifty,
money making disposition. He had never been
married, and was an incorrigible bachelor of
fifty. His house was managed by young la
dy of about twenty, his daughter by quad
room, whose complexion was lighter by half
than his-and in whom the negro blood was
scarcely visible. The mother died ten years
ago, leaving her daughter with its fathers sol
emn promise that she should be educated, and
should live as free woman rather than as a
slave, and that she should pass as his daugh-
ter, as she was. The planter gave his prom
Use, because he had been really attached to the
dying woman, and was greatly attached to her
and his beautiful child. And so she grew up
radiantly notwithstanding a reasonable ed
ucation, all that her father could give her, and
in time took the management of his household
She never knew that there was any negro
blood in her veins, and never dreamed that She
was slave.
Last Fall series of misfOrtunes overlook the
planter. His house burned down and in it the
notes, books and papers that composed d large
portion of his fortune. His crops failed to a
great degree and some heavy speculations in
which he was engaged resulted disastrously.
Added to all this, he had lost heavily at play,
the besetting sin of Southern gentlemen, and
had completely exhausted all his ready means,
and found himself in terrible situation of hav-
ing more money to pay than he could possibly
raise in a given time.
He applied to his attorney for counsel in lis
extremity. The attorney after examining the
situation of his affairs, advised him to sell off
portion of his negroes. The planter objected
strenuously, first Directing to the sale of ne
groes, and secondly that his force was barely
sufficient to work his plantation But after
full delberation, he found this to be the only
alternative, and sorrowfuy consented. A list
was made out, and every head that could be
possibly spared was put down. After all was
done, and the most favorable prices for them,
the aggregate fell $4,000 short of the sum.
The attorney remarked quietly that he had
not included all that could be spared.
81 have put down all | can dispense WITH"
replied the planter
81 do not see Mary the housekeepers name
in the list, replied the lawyer. "She, if offer
ed to the right person, would make up the de-
ficiency. would give that for her myself"
AT any other time the planter would have
taken the suggestion as an insult, but necessi-
ty is hard master, and he grasped at the idea,
and before an hour the transaction was closed.
1t troubled him not little to disclose the mat
ter to her, but the fear Of bankruptcy and ruin
drove him to it. The poor girls horror and
distress may be imagined She had known
nothing but happiness, and now was to be
plunged into the deepest and most hopeless
misery She had been sold, and was then the
property, soul and body, Of one who purchased
her merely for the qualification of his beastly
lusts. The idea was too horrible and she
swooned, remaining almost delirious for several
days.
There was another upon whom the intelli-
gence came with crushing weight. A junior
partner in produce house in Louisville had
frequently visited the planters house on bust
ness, and, struck with the beauty and intelli-
gence Of the supposed daughter, had become
enamored, and after prosecuting his suit
proper time had declared his passion, and I'M
known to the father, the two had betrothed
themselves As soon as possible, after her IA
Their had told her her fate, she dispatched a
messenger to him, stating the facts, and i'm
ploring him TO save her from the doom that
awaited her. Though thunderstruck at the
Intelligence that his afIanced bride was slave
and had just been sold to fate worse than
death, like true man he determined to rescue
her That night he saw her, and n plan was
formed for fight.
The day she was to have been
transferred to the possession Of her pur-
chaser they fled, and in due time arrived
at Cincinnati, where they were married.
Our hero obtained an interview with one of
the agents Of the Underground Railroad locat-
ed IN that city, who Immediately telegraphcd
to the different agents along the line to keep
strict watch, and if woman catchcrs were on
the watch, at any point, to telegraph back, and
give the fugitives timely notice, that they
might leave the train. Accordingly they
started, purchasing tickets for Crestline.
In the meantime the lawyer, as soon as he
discovered his loss, had commenced active
measures to recover it. He had no difficulty
in tracing them to Cincinnati and none what
ever IN ascertaining that their destination was
Crestline. But having arrived several hours
after their departure, he was obliged to content
himself by tclcgraphng to CrestIine to the
! proper officers to arrest them at that place.