Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1862-10-31
Anthony Burns and the Subterranean
Rail Road.

stage near Boston, a gentleman iron Ohio. |
When entered, he was talking with an
other gentleman concerning Oberlin Col |
lege. He expressed great satisfaction that
women among the students had been found |
deserving of the highest pats in the exer- |
cises ON Commencement Day. This natu
rally interested me, sbeing myself one Of
the I" weaker vessels After some conver-
sation on the subject Of bestowing equal
education on men and women, said "Ouer-
lin has also the honor OF rising above pref
udice on the subject OF complexion. |
hope you sympathize With the institution in
thai respect also" III replied with much
animation, I" Certainly ! do. You have
heard Of Anthony Burns?" /" That ques-
ton sounds strange" / rejoined, !" for my
heart almost burst with indignation, and
shed hot tears over the disgrace Of old
Massachusetts, when Anthony Burns was
surrendered to our slave-driying masters.
I knew lie was at Oterln, and regretted
it, because he was considered rather stupid.
Since he had been made so conspicuous by
circumstances, and was helped to obtain an
education, was sorry he was not one of
the brightest specimens of his race"
s. The teachers at Oberlin thought the
same" he replied. :" AT first, some doubted
whether anything could be made of him;
but the change that came over him in
short time was one of the most wonderful
things | ever witnessed. When it fairly
dawned upon him that he could learn to
read, his zeal to improve was unbounded.
He was at his books the whole time, and
his capacity for learning developed more
and more. The whole manner Of the man
was altered; and the expression Of his
countenance changed SO much, that, in less
than year nobody would have recognized
| in him the half-stultifed wretch, for whose
REINSTATEMENT the enlightened city of Bos-
ton raised ehivalrous army. | do not
mean to represent him as possessing re-
markable degree of intellect. Nature did
not make him Frederic Douglass. But
his mental endowments are very respectable,
and the rapidity of his improvement has
been wonderful"
After expressing my satisfaction at hear
ing this account, ! said, You come from
the vicinity of the Sahterranean Rail Road
do you know anything about il 7"
He smiled significantly as he replied,
ought to know something about it, having
sometimes ofiiciated as one of the Conduct
ors."
i inquired whether business in that line
was very active at Oberin.
" Not at present. said he. "A large
number of inhabitants of 0berlin had firm.
Iy resolved that, under no circumstances,
whatever, should human being ever bt
carried beck iuto slavery from their town
and they had carried out their resolution il
a variety of ingenious ways, on divers oc-
casions- This became so notorious, that the
shareholders were peculiarly exasperated
against us. Such insubordination on the
part of their Northern vassals was thing
not to be borne by the naughty chivalry
1t was a pet project Of theirs to compel
Oberlin into submission to the fugitive
Slave Law. In Cleaveland, cur County
Town, there was a streng pro-slavery par.
ty, ever ready 10 assist shareholders in their
desired humiliation of Ohio; and many
we're the ways they conrived to o6sruct
the cars on our Subterranean Rail Read
The last attempt of masters to recapturt
slaves who had found their way to Oberlin
was rather curious adventure. Three
families of slaves consisting of men, women
and children, twelve innumber, arrived one
evening, 1t was large number TO hide
but we distributed them in safe places
Soon after daylight, fifteen Kentuckians ar
rived. armed with bowie-knives and re-
volvers. They had come in hot haste, hav
ing, as they said, traced into Oberlin three
families of slaves, who had escaped from
their neieborhood. They swore worse than
the army in Flanders, and repeated, with
great exuliatiou, You've resolved that nc
slave shall ever be carried back from Ober'
lin; but we've got you notc. We know
the niggers are here, and have 'em we wiH
You can't trick US his time, damn you
We kept our own counsel concerning the
slaves; and in answer to their vociferous
threats, we calmly told them that we should
do them no violence, but if they drove us
to self-defence they would find us men
who would not submit to violence. This
stopped the brandishment of pistols, while
it increased the volley of oaths. They
made inquiries in every direction, without
obtaining much light. They resolved TO
post sentinels in various places, and keep
watch upon all the movements of those who
we're known TO be most friendly to slaves.
They procured pro-slavery reinforcements,
and kept guard night and day, for three
days and three nights. 1t began to be a
serious question how the slaves could be
not safely out of Oberlin on their way TO