Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-03-13
GENERAL.


,,,NNKR on HIS EsoAPE--A PLAIN, UEyARNIsH
IhA ED STORY.
p..d Douglass would never tell the story how
h.. escaped. At last, however, in his lecture in
D,il,dophia, on Monday, he did so. He said
ryorybody seems to imagine that l have 4
L.'oiioua story TO relate, but such is not the
MAI in fact do not think could illustrate the
cAso Ls,ter than by running from one end OF this
lAo ~ IN the other. IIflo35, was owned by a
Sabg oman living In Talbot county, on the cas-
ss YEN shore eI Maryland, and my attempt to gain
Ioin treedsm was made about two and . nalf
NY sfter that time. had been sent up to
{'iimore by my master to 9 brother OF his, for
,a lseping but 1t was q strange movement to
az AZ ma from one place and put me sixty
Va Ios nearer my liberty. When l deter
Il,nal upon securing my liberty, looked
Ilin,nd IN every direction for the best means OF
a.Osns but the obstacles which presented them
'o.Sa. we're very great, and hope was almost
ssol.Sed within me. The strlctest vigilance wRs
uOt-eIved in those times. II man saw you out
M the limits of your masters plantation, you
,ao,a reauired TO show why you weresout Of place.
s,d il YOUR explanations were not satisfactory,
La issh might be expected to be applied. was
nlsced at work in ship yard, and learned par
ri,slly the business OF ship cArpenteriDg aud
s,nikipg, While there l mad frequent inter-
nurse with sailors, and thought that / dis
.ernad feeling of sympathy aud Partially for
,tsm generally existed. 1 learned their habits
md t6er form OF dress, and the thought struck
ns tbat might get myself up in sailors cloth
Ig and pass on Tor sailor.
~5 a., dlHoulues presented themselves which
ue,e apparently insurmountable. lhad no pa
mars and little money, ana the prospect was not
rs any means encouraging. Fortunately,
t11sw Al free celored man IN Baltimore, named
S,snley-who resembled me closely In form and
.,s,nre and from hmI Obtained u suit OF sailors
.,A . autinrta uraIaafinn nAnar " With
,bsse preparations decided to make my escape.
In baltimore 1 knew mah named Isaac
Rhodes With whom / arranged to assist me IN
nv plans He was to wait ut the depot until
iIa tram started, and then to throw . bundle
rontslning some necessary articles on the cars
mi Mas to run and jump on after it. The plot
vs. carried ont ana on the Sd of September, 1888
Irft the city Of Baltimore. 1t had been COM
usiIed 10 buy a ticket | would have been Obliged
IA undergo a rigid and critical examination;
il tie description in the papers had not
correspondent exactly with the marks
On my person, should immediately have been
sn-pGuted and would have been compelled to
.nlmit to the severe punishment which was then
inflicted upon slaves for running away. From
H,timore / came to Wilmington, where, upon
the train, / saw Frederick Stein, for whom had
formerly worked, but my Disguise was 80 perfect
that ho failed 10 recognise me. While the train
ON which was passenger, was waiting at the
station. the southwark bound train from Phila-
dtlphia arrived and stopped. Sitting at the win
dow, directly opposite 10 the one at which l sat,
wa Captain McGowen, of the revenue cutter at
BALTIMORE, man whom had been as well ao-
unanted as men in such widely different sta
tons in life could be, but he also failed to dis
cover my identity.
When the conductor came through the train
be rudely demanded OF the cOlored passengers
ther nee papers, but when he came to me
assumed the appearance of having my sea-legs
Oh, aud instead of speaking in an arrogant man
uer, liz kindly said that he supposed had my
free papers. Although somewhat surprised al
receiving negative RESPONSE, lie expressed his
satisfaction when l drew from my pocket all
American eagle and told him that was the only
pass had. He remarked, " You are all right,
and came through TO Philaduldhia aud arrived
lnu same night in New York. There, being u
lvfiett stranger, wandered about the streets
all night, aud the next morning met
William Dixon with whom L had lived in
Baltimore, who, when arrested as slave,
utcgted that he was Tree, and the Now
iUIk negroes swOre to 1t, ana said he had al
Nays lived in New York and that they haa rocked
llin IN the cradle lie turned me over to David
Mggles, a philanthropic citizen with whom l
sal cd Tor several days. While in the metropo-
lis went to the Tombs, and there IN that prison
! saw that noble old man, Isaac L. Hopper, who
waz confined for having assisted in the liberia
non Of Tom poor slave boy.
Mr. Douglass gave reasons Tor his having
kept this recital secret for 30 long time that
he would have done the conductor who was BIZ
humane to him great Injustice, for he (his BEN
elactor) would have been responsible TO HE
master for allowing him to escape /; also, he did
hot want to expose his friend Stanley, and he did
hot wish Shareholders to know that slaves had
such opportunities Of etfectlDg their liberty.