Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-01-31

been scythe and edgetoo maker, and Thomas
learned of him the trade, and his knowledge of
it aiterward proved OF the utmost advantage to
him.
He grew up and married at Darby, his wife
being Sarah Sharpless, and in 1920 they came
to Wilmington to live bringing with them
several children, most Of whom still live here.
Some years after his arrival here his wife died,
and in course of time he again married, his
second wife being Rachel Mendenhall, who died
in April, 1868, beloved and regretted by all who
knew her.
His business career was one of vicissitudes,
but generally and ultimately successful, for he
made the whole Of the comfortable competence
of winch be died possessed after he was sixty
years Of age. While in the beginning of his
business career as au iron merchant in this city,
a wealthy rival house attempted to crush him
by reducing the prices of iron to cost, but Mr..
Garrett, nothing dismayed, employed another
person TO attend his store, put on his leather
apron, took to his anvil, and in the prosecution
Of his trade as an edge-tool maker, prepared to
support himself as long as this ruinOus rivalry
was kept up. Thus in the sweat Of the brow of
one of the heroes and philanthropists of his age
was laid the foundation of one of the most eX-
tensiye business houses that our city now boasts.
His competitor saw that no amount Of rivalry
could crush a man thus self-supporting, and
gave up the effort
OF course Thomas Garrett is best known for
his labors in behalf of the abolition Of slavery,
ana as pracIlCul ana tUbCIlNe worker Chilli
cipation, long before the nation commenced the
work of liberation and justice.
Born Quaker, he held with simple trust the
faith of the society that God moves and inspires
men to do work he requires at their hands, and
throughout his life he never wavered in his con-
viction that his Father had called him to work
in the cause to which he devoted himself. His
attention was first directed to the niquity of
slavery while he was young man at twenty
four or twenty-five. He returned one day to his
fathers house, after brief absence, and found
the family dismayed and indignant at the kid
mapping of a colored woman in their employ.
Thomas Immediately resolved to follow the
kidnappers, and so followed in pursuit Some
popularity about the tracks made by their
wagon enabled him to trace them with ease, and
he followed them by devious course from
Darby to place near the navy yard in Phia-
delphia, and then by inquiries, &c., tracked
them to Kensington, where he found them and,
we believe, secured the woman's release.
During this ride, he afterwards assured his
friends, he had felt the iniquity and abomina-
ton of the whole system of slavery borne in
upon his mind so strongly as to fairly appal him,
and he seemed to feel a voice within him assur-
ing him that his work in life must be to help and
defend this prosecuted race.
From this time forward he never failed to as
sist any fugitive from slavery on the way to free
dom, and, of course, after his removal to this
city his opportunities for this were greatly in
came known as one of the refugees for fugitives.
The sentiment Of this community was at that
time bitterly averse to any word or effort against
slavery, and Mr.. Garrett had but half dozen
friends who stood by him. Nearly all others
looked on him with suspicion, or positive aver
sion and his house was constantly under the
surveillance of the police, who then, sad to say,
were always on the watch for any fugitive from
bondage. Thomas was not disheartened or dis
mayed by the lack of popular sympathy or APP
pIoval. He believed the Lord was on his side,
and cared nothing for the adverse opinion of
men.
Many and interesting stories are told of the
men and women he helped away, some of them
full of pathOs, and some decidedly amusing.
He told the latter, which related TO the ingenious
contriyances for assisting fugitiyes to escape the
police, with much pleasure in his later years.
We could repeat many of them, but this is not
the time or place. The necessity of avoiding
The police was the only thing however, which
ever forced him into any secrecy in his opera
tons, and in all other respects he was "without
concealment and without compromise" in his
opposition o slavery. He was a man of unusual
personal bravery and OF powerful physique, and
did not present an encouraging object for the
bullying intimidation by which the pro-slavery
men of that day generally oyerawed their oppo-
nentS. He seems TO have scarcely known what
fear was, and though irate shareholders often
called on him 10 learn the whereabouts of their
slaves, he met them placidly, never denied hav-
inc helped the fugitives on their way, positively
refused to give them any information and when
they t10urshed pistols or bowie-knives to enforce
their demands, he calmly pushed the weapons
aside aud told them that none but towards re-
sorted to such means to carry their ends.
He continued his labors thus for years, help
Ing all who came 10 him, and making no con-
CeaIment of his readiness to do so. His firm
ness and courage slowly won others, first to ad-
mire, and then TO assist him, and the little band
of faithful workers, Of which he was chief, grad
ually enlarged, and included in its number men
of all ranks and differing creeds, and, singular
as II may seem, even numbering some ardent
democrats in its ranks. He has IN conversation
with the present writer and others, frequently
acknowledged the valuable services of two Ro-
man Catholics, of Irish birth, still living in this
city, who were ever faithful to him, and now
among those who most earnestly mourn his de-
cease. His efforts, of course, brought him much
persecution and annoyance, but never culmn-
ated in anything really serious, until about the
year 1876 or AZ.
He then met, at New Castle man, woman,
and six children, from the eastern shore of Mary
land. The man was free, the woman had been
a slave and, while in slavery, had had by her
husband two children. She was then set free and
afterward had four children. The whole party
ran away. They Travelled several days, and
finally reached Middletown late at night, where
they were taken in, fed, and cared for by John
watched, however, by some persons in the sec
ton, who followed them, arrested them, and
sent them TO New Castle to jail The sheriff
and hi daughter were ant-slavery people, and
wrote to Mr.. Garrett TO come over. He went
| over, had an interview, found from their state
ment that four of the party were undoubtedly
| free, and returned to this city. On the follow
| ing day, he and United States Senator Wales
went over and had the party taken before Judge
Booth on writ OF habeas corpus. Judge Booth
decided that there was no evidence on which to
| hold them, that in the absence of evidence the
presumption lcdS Arrays in taoOr of freedom,
and discharged them.
Mr.. Garrett then said, ''Here is this woman
with babe at her breast, the child suffering
from white swelling on its leg, is there any inn
propriety in my getting a carriage and helping
them over to Wilmington Judge Booth re-
| spOnded, "Certainly not"
MIR. Garrett then hired the carriage but gave
the driver distinctly to understand that he only
| paid for the woman and the young children; the
rest might walk. ii ey all got in, however, and
finally escaped, of course, the two children born
in slavery along the rest.
Six weeks afterward the Shareholders followed
| them, and melted, it is said, by the Cochrans
and James A. Bayard, commenced a suit against
MIR. Garrett, claiming all the fugitives as
slaves. Mr.. CARROTS friends claim that the
Jury was packed to secure an adverse verdict
The trial came on before Chief Justice fancy
and Judge Hall, in the May term (1S4S) of the
United States court, sitting at New Castle,
Bayard representing the prosecutors, and Wales
the defendant. There were four trials in all.
lasting three days. We have not room here for
the details of the trial, but the iuries awarded
even heavier damages than the plaintiff claimed,
and the judgments swept away every dollar of
his property.
When the trials were concluded, Mr.. Garrett
arose. the court being adjourned, made a speech
of an hour to the large crowd in the court
room, in the course Of which he declared his in
tenton to redouble his exertiops, so help him
God. His bold assertion was greeted with min.
ged cheers and Kisses, and at the conclusion of
his speech one of the jurors who had convicted
him strobe across the benches, grasped his hand
and begged his forgiveness.
Mr.. Garrett kept his pledge, and redoubled
his exerlons. The trial advertised him, and
such was the demand on him for shelter that he
was compelled to put another story on his back
buildings. His friends helped him to start
again in business, and, commencing anew in his
sixtieth year with nothing, he again amassed a
handsome competence, generously contributing
all the while to every work in behalf of the
down-trodden blacks or his suffering fellow men
Of any color.
In time the war came, and, as he remarked,
the nation went into the business by the whole.
sale so he quit his retail operations, having,