New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-03-16
her TRAGIC SACRIFICE OF A CHILD
Interview with her Husband
SUBSEQUENT HISTORY Of THE FAMILY

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SUBSEQUENT HISTORY Of THE FAMILY
From the Cincinnati Gazette.l
1t can not have passed from the mind of
any reader who lived in this city fifteen
years ago that one morning early IN Febru-
ary, 1856. a great sensation stirred the whole
community, as it had scarcely ever been
stirred before. The river was frozen over
solid, and the old "Mason and Dixon" line
between freedom and slavery was for the
time almost as much obliterated as it is
now; 80 much so, at least, that there were
frequent stampedes of the ''sleek and we'll
fed'' slaves. so POLITICALLY described by one
of the great champions OF the peculiar in-
stitutiOn. In consequence OF this facility
fer escape. United States Marshals and de-
tective police were vigilant, their Etching
palms" stimulating to duty. as the scent of
blood incites the hound to the chase.
Among those who improved the oppOr-
tunity, and, like too many others. fell
wofully short of realizing their fond expec-
| tations, were family of Garners, the old
father and mother about fifty years of age
Margaret and four children-two boys and
two girls. The old people and Margaret
| belonged to James Marshall, of Boone
county, Kentucky, while the wife and
children of the latter belonged to Archibald
X. Gaines, of the same neighbcrhood, the
husband, of course, having no control over
or duties in regard to them. But his desire
| to exercise such rights and privileges led
him to hitch up two of his masters horses
to sleigh in the dead hour of night, and,
putting his old father and mother and his
own family therein, drive rapidly to the
river.
Leaving the team on shore. opposite the
| foot of Western Row, they all crossed on
| the ice, and were met on this side by q col.
ored man named Elijah Kite, son of ''old Joe
Kite" of notorious reputation, who had been
| notified to assist them to the Underground
railroad.r He conducted them to q tene-
mept occupied by himself, few squares be-
| low Mill Creek bridge. Here he left them
until he went out to arrange for their de.
parture to Canada. He was to be back be-
| fore day. according to the injunction of
tween nine and ten O'Clock, when he was
| soon followed by posse of officers, accom-
| panied by the masters of the slaves.
The scene that followed was described by
| the newspaper reporters Of that day, as OBJ
tained from the white persons present, all
/ OF whom had interests in conflict with
| those of the unfortunate negroes, and was
colored accordingly.
INTERVIEW WITH ROBERT GARNER.
| We yesterday learned that Robert Garner,
| the principal mover in this affair, and whose
wife was the tragic heroine in its bloody ter
mination, was now residing in our city.
We met him at the law Office of Col. F. III.
| Moore, with whom he is instituting suit for
damages against the steamer Robert Burns.
| for damages sustained in having his ribs
broken in while in the performance of his
| duty on the boat, and by the carelessness of
/ the boats deck hands. He is now man OF
about forty five years of age, and much more
intelligent than the average of his race. We
| improved the opportunity to converse with
him about the shocking scene of his at
| tempted escape and the subsequent history
OF his family.
own cousin of his wife, and was, therefore
advised of their coming, and requested tC
assist in their escape; but instead OF assisting
them, he now believes, and then suspected
him of being guilty of treacherously sell
ing his kinfolk back into the hands of theil
masters. His long absence, while profess
ing to be making arrangements for theil
continued flight, which should have been
ready beforehand, and his neglect to return
| before day to secrete them, is strong justif
cation Of the suspicion.
| When the officers and masters arrived q,
the door and demanded admission, Robert
drew a pistol with which he had provided
himself and said the first man who attempt
ed to enter he would shoot dead. At the same
time his wife, Margaret, seized butcher
knife that was lying on the table, and declared
she would kill every child she had before she
would see them carried back into slavery
While some of the outsiders we're banging al
the door, another, a MIR. Patterson, Of the
| Fourth Ward, raised window and was
about to enter, when Robert shot him in the
mouth. He fell back, but was not killed
On turning round, Robert saw that his wife
/ L %L IS hnr r,t, IL <h-~<
| years old, from ear to ear, who was welter
ing in her blood on the floor, and was max
ing dash at his boy Samuel. He sprang tG
his rescue, calling on her to desist, and re-
ceived part of the blow himself, the remain
der taking effect on the child. Then thu
door was broken open, and he fred two
more shots at the intruder, who, by the way
was Clinton Butts, the present well-know,
Marshal of COvington. They were thel
overpOwered, and with an immense mob a
their heels, carried off to prison.
OF the hearing of the case before United
States Commissioner Pendery, which lastet
| about two weeks, and in which t,,y wer,
voluntarily defended by that ever read.
legal friend of the slave, MIR. John Joliffe
assisted by Mr.. Gitchell, We need not nov
| write. 1t ended as all such cases did ii
those days. in remanding the whole part.
back to their masters.
1
Robert, his wife and children, wer'
speedily sent Off to the South, the fearfu
: purgatory of Northern slaves. Clinton Butt
conducted them as far as Louisville, wher
they were shipped to 3 brother of on
of their old masters, LeGrand Gaines
3 cotton broker of New Orleans. On thei
way down their boat WAS run into by an
other, and sunk, and among the lives los
was the infant child of the unhappy slaves
1t was reported that the mother had drownet
! her child, in accordance with her frenziet
declaration. under fearful excitement, tha
she would kill all her children rather thai
see them go back into slavery. But tn
father protests that such was not the case
: and that his wife never attempted to iDi iur,
her children afterward, although she fre
quently repeated her conviction that
would be better for them to be put out O
the world than live in slavery.
In New Orleans, Robert hired his owr
time, and that of his wife, and supported
his family, by hard work and in great des.
titutiOn, until all we're sold to Judge Bon
ham, and taken to Tennessee Landing, Miss
where they were forced to labor on the plan
tation. Here Margaret Garner died in 1868
of typhoid fever. Her last words to bel
. devoted husband were, never to marry agail
in slavery, but to live in hope Of freedom
which she believed would come soon il
come way.
, Robert needed her Injunction; RENAME;
at Tennessee Landing till the war brok
out, when he made his way TO the Uniol
| lines, entered the gunboat service, was il