Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-03-21

after tomorrow fk that letter has
been written. If yes, l will be your
friend and help you, as | have help.
ed the lieutenant, in any honorable
love scheme you may choose to en-
ter upon; if no, be prepared to meet
me in the evening""
The letter was written, and six
months after tile young lady was
married to the lieutenant.
Fred Douglass Escape from slavery.
The speaker referred to what had
been "hung out" as to his own es-
cape. l authorized the manager,
Mr.. Pugh, to say that | would refer
to the manner thereof. | must
make the promise good and, | do
reter to it. l would have told it
some time ago, but there were good
and sufficient reasons why | should
not tell, and l am not satisfied that
those reasons are removed. Before
abolition there were reasons why |
should not tell, and now that we
have abolition there is no reason
why I should tell it. Laughter.
Most of people think there was
something remarkable about my
escape. III start and run across
the stage you have it all. l had
made an attempt to escape, and my
master, in order to prevent a second
attempt, sent me to Baltimore to be
taken care of, sixty miles nearer the
liberty he wanted me to be kept
from! The vigilance of the time
was very great. Any one could ask
why you were off the plantation,
and have you lashed for doing SO
unless you answered correctly. l
had been in the ship yard, and l
noticed sympathy from sailors,
and I, knowing their vocabulary,
thought l could dress up and pass
off for one, though there were some
difficulties in the way. These were
removed by friend, Stanley, who
has since been to sea, and he had a
"sailors protection" He was about
my height, SO l dressed myself Sep
tember 3, 1898, got the "protection"
and got Isaac Reales to put my
bundle on the train after the cars
were in motion, and then l would
run and get on. If l attempted to
buy ticket l would have to pass
rigid examination, and to avoid this
l waited and jumped on. From
Baltimore | came to Wilmington
In the cars was man named Isaac
Stories, who made caulking-irons
for me and knew me well, but he
did not recognize me so thoroughly
was l disguised. We passed a
train, and there at a window sat
Captain MCGOWAN, of revenue
cutter at Baltimore, and he did not
recognize me, and yet we were as
well acquainted as men in different
positions could be. The conductor
came in, and, askin. for free papers,
l displayed the American eagle.
He said: "You are free" and l
told him l did not carry my papers
to sea with me, putting on an ap-
pearance as if l still had my sea
legs on. l came on to Philadelphia
and went to New York, arriving
there at two o'clock in the morning.
| laid about the streets, and in the
morning met William Dickson, who
had been there and his master after
him, but colored men in New York
swore they had rocked him in the
cradle Laughter ], and he escaped.
l went to the tombs few days
after, and saw Isaac Cooper on trial
for assisting slave to escape, and
there l found the stuff Abolitionists
are made of. This is stale and
Improbable account of my escape,
because there are no incidents in it,
and the only reason l did not tell it
was, first, on account of the conduc
tor, who would have been response
BILE for my value; second, because l
did not want to. expose my friend
Stanley, and, third, l did not want
the shareholders to know escape was
possible in such an easy manner.
When l met the abolitionists first it
seemed almost too good to be true.
When knew their sympathy it was
like the New Jerusalem to me, but
l want these old veterans to have
the credit they deserve. They are
a long-lived race, and live and die
honored and respected. They real
lied the true ideal Of manhood
"Strong minds and strong bodies"
1t took strong men those days, in
the cage of brickbats." The Amer
lean Eagle did not lay the same
kind Of good eggs that she does
now. [Applause.] We feel our
gratitude, and in behalf of my race
l am here to express it.
Why SHOULD HE NOT BE MAD?-
The Detroit Free Press relates an
incident which occurred on the re-
turn Of an excursion party from that
city. Soon after the boat left Tole-
do, the steward was approached by
an excited individual, who asked
him if he was the captain. The
steward replied in the negative, at
the same time giving his rank.
"Have you the power to put a man
out Of the cabin?" inquired the
stranger. "Well, yes; il he is dis
orderly, l have" replied the stew
ard. "Well, sir, look in here and
see them, will you?" said the stran-
ger leading said official round to
the door. The steward looked in
upon the motely group, and replied
that he saw nothing out of the way.
"You don't, eh? Don't you see
man in there hugging q wOman?"