, 1870-07-28
BALlH MONTGOMERY.
Death OF the Historical Negro. OF
lown-SAetch Of l2is LA1c md Early

lo,vn-SAetch OF IQis Li1c nna Eaziy
Cnrccr.
F.y1n the Dubuque 7;nIes, July II.
What nau. woman or child, who has resided
in Jubunuc aMy length OF time. but has met
aud conyersed with that aged man. halph
MoptgomerE, or as he waa better tx Known, ''?''1
i,a,e s ra, sIm liz rr.n vi Ii, o-
Eevo1ent. ginning eourtenAnce, Which seemed
to be the aLode uf q perennial smile, and
the kindly eye which had look OF fecog-
li,ion for I'LL. will 10 seen upon o. eur !!
streets 10 moEe, for aold ha1e als.
On friday last, - Old Isafe . died IN the pest
housc. vi -mall-poI, having contracted the
tli%. are Willie nurHiu4; = sick patient. His re-
nailr, inferred at The hands OF CHARITY, now
lie iu The Potter Field.
The deceased waa one Of the old familiar
Luulnu lsnuula1kE, che Ut the pioueers who
Was present At the firth aud christening OF
our Eey City: yea, whose feet trod the&e
sAorce, AMI whose pick WAS reaoundihg among
the shis,ius galena OF the tluuH, before thus
legion boosted OF even d territorial orEaulzA-
ton. ...-
:. Although Ralph wss very communicative
ard fond OF relating his early history to all
Who inquired, set. with advancing years, his
memory grew treacherous, until it became
almost impossible for him to relate con-
ecteti etur. in regard 10 his adventures With
lie has. however, been called the historical me-
gro OF Iowa, from the fact that bis case VAS
| fLe trat one ever argued and determined BY
I the Supreme Court Of Iowa a. the July
term. 1883. At that time the Hon:
Charles Macon was Ghief Justice, aud
! OF Dubuque, Associate Judges. 1taiph being
within this territory WAS claimed By his master
iu Missouri as Ills slave, and was delivered
over by the authorities to be Transported to
that State Lie was atterward brought before
the Judge Of the Third Dist1ic1 on writ OF
ha1sas Corpus, from whence the proceedings
we're Transferred to the Supreme Court OF an
agreed state OF facts, setting forth tbat in
1884 Ralph being the slavo Of the claimant
Montgomery, Written agreement wss entered
into Between them, b. which Ralph YVES per
mitted to come into this territory to reside,
master the sum Of $50, with inter-
est. from the LET OF January, 1885,
~ the price Of Lis freedom, aud that having
failed TO COMPLY with liu contract OF payment,
lie was reclaimed BY his former master, The
tE1ul was held. and G result is ucll-known &c
all OF our scauers, tho petitioner being dis
charged from Ill custody aud restrained on the
riunnd that the master. who subsequently tc
The passage OF the Fugitive slave Act. permit
ted Lit elaye to become resident here, could
| Lot afterwards exercise any acts u ownership
over linn WITHIN tlis territory. This was tht
l..t case that controlled all future decision,
ufou the subject, Il 4 has probably been quot
cd more ,a;.n Any other III the Northwest,
i few tuoathn ago our reporter "iutor
viewed" 1tx1pl,, and learned from III. own LIN
tllat he was born a slave III Virginia, but
wEat year hc could not state. 1t must law
been before lelN. His proper name was naf
Neleon, but he soon after took his masters
name. that OF Ralph Montgomery, and ha'
l;e,u known by that name ever hipre. Will
ltalph hs yet All infant, his master remover
I nHS1 11}1
lsecoming quite chunk Of field band. III
was sold TO brother Of his master
IN Ker,ucky until lie WIS twent.
yeatB OF age or upwards, and waA treated Il
plenty Of hog and houiny under tho direction
of kind aud iudulseut master. From Ken
lucky Ha1ph's master removed to Palmyra
Marion County, Mo-, where he remained 10
about two YEAR,. Here Ralph met whit
man named Ellis $'ehotield, who had but jus
returned from trip to the upper slissisaipr
lead feg'ons, and who related snsn ,l CLOWN
there that ls.lph became seized with
. III. own ralvatlon. He proposed th
: thing to L,s master. nnd it was finhlly agree
. between them that l:alpl should be permitte
his freedom At the figures already given. an
70, strong Of purpose end light Of heart,
came TO this region. and h.. reinaiAetl her
: ever tilIce. But little il known Of b
j cl.eauesed fortunes Mt this day, but 1t is
: matter Of record that Ralph became high
/ s,,ccessiM miner, aid discovered sever
!" valuable leads. Among the number v:
: The famed Mckenzie lead, which sieias
d millions al pounds Of mineral, and resultt
4 in mines Ut wealth. Ralph sold out b
; claim, for good figure, but being Of M eas
! contlding turn Of miad, ho permitted hii
i .clt To he swindlcd on. Of it, aud his latt
y year. wc.e passed in comparative povert
10 nuring tho last few yesrs he was kept at I
i county Poor House. an institution Of viii
j. Ealph never sroke in terms Of high regsl
r lie said that the l,eei was POOR. the col
9 muddy. and the dsheB dirty,-iu short,
Il would he blessed il It wasn't the touelt
10 "hole lie ever seed" During the sunaI
o months Ralph resumed lis mining, and moi
II ,rr was more familiar than 10 see his clay u
l. moving UP the street, ready atti,ed for bu
u ncss. But lie has PUT down Ills las. shaft, a
10 hir nick will now forcyermore 10 silent.