, 1874-01-18
TIE FIRST SLATE.ShLE IN CHICAGO.
An Incident Of Thirty.two Years
Ago.
Edwin Hcathcock, Co!ored, Bought by mahion
D. Ogden for twenty-five Gents.

cade since liberty has been proclaimed through
out the land, to all the inhabitants thereof, it
can hardly be comprehended chat little more
than thirty years ago man was publicly sold in
Chicago at auction,-his liberty put up to be
disposed Of legally to the highest bidder. It
happened in this wiso; By the organic law OF
the Northwest Territory, Ct which Illinois ia
q part, in the sc-called ordinance OF 1887 it Was
dec1eed, " That there shall be neither slavery
nor involuntary servitude in the said Terri
tory forever" And the original Consti-
tuition Of the State yery properly in
corporated this clause, making it an
essential condition in the organic structure Of
the civil society Of the State q chain with an
unbrokeu link in the title Of the natural right
to liberty Of every inhnbitant of the State. But.
notwithstanding this, as outrageous as it may
seem, the fathers of our State Incorporated a
slave code upon the statute law, in the :" In
dentured Servant" system, and in regulations
concerning alayes escaping into this jurisdiction
from the original Slave States. Therefore By
the laws enacted in spite Of this safeguard in
the Constitution, and the greater power behind
the Constitution (tho ordinance), every negro o.
mulatto WAS
PRESUMED TO BE SLAVE;
HNsSAAA@tH
this State without filing certificate OF freedom
and giving bonds and security that he should not
become chargeabIe to the public for main
tenance as a'pauper. Thus, in fact, it became
unlawful for free negro to be freq in this
State.
Now, it so happened, in the fall Of 1912, that
there was working for man on farm IN Cook
County q oolorad man Of the name Of Edwin
Unr
manded BY white man named Dodson
to render some service to him such as
became negro, or person not free and to
whom he owed no allegiance (for he was work
ing tor another person), and for his refusal to
serve two mastere, neither OF whom was
his master. be Was knocked down; and,
as the knocking down WAS not agreeable to
Hesthcock, as was proved BY ample demonstra-
t:eFne, Gnd threats made by friend to have tho
knockor-down arrested for breaking the peace.
tbs assailant got the start OF hum and had
ths negro arrested for being in this State
uuconstitutionally free. He was placed IN
the Cock County Jail. The Justice committing
him for this heinous offence, is not positively
remembered, but it ia believed to be one that IN
those days was known AZ Justice" but more
generally called 81 Old kerchivul."
THE COUNTY JAIL
was then T. very uncouth structure made OF
hown logs, either one story high, OF two very
~
the Oourt-House Square, close upon the side
walk where now is laid the mosaic Portland
ccmept stono for our modern pathway. The
Courthouse WAS long, low, brick ediilce with
northeast corner Of the Same delecta~
bio square, which was then enclosed by
q board fence, and used rs an occasional
COW pasture, until q short timo after
the Mechanics' Institute, operated by $. D.
1sas Ges 1a s sn iefS fna pu as ap be i%0 faoa
he4 tre 'e,fDi Of tie SD square, to look upon which
Was supposed to make it certain which way Was
north Or south. On the west Of LaSalle street,
known as Chapn1an'a building. TIE Jail was
then and some years after regularly indicted by
the Grand Jury as O nuisance. Into this nuis-
ance with horee-thicYes aud the like, WAS COM
mitted this unlawfully free man, who was at the
time worthy and devoted member OF the Meth
odist Church, there to remain to be
ADVERTISED FOR SIX WEEKS
as slave, and for his master to come forward,
reclaim him, pay charges and take him away,
otherwise, it no master should appear, or it he
the highest bidder by the year or from month to
month, for tho charges for being detained for
not being slave, as the law did require md
enjoin. The jaiior was the jolly, good-hearted
safe; and the Sheriff was Samuel J. Lowe, an
Eug1ishman, and popular Democrat. Wash
instonian, training under the banner of Judge
Smith, Justice Kerchiyal, and Drs. Egan and
Maxwell, and Dick Hamilton, and as prusque as
became IN energetic Sheriff. As the political
chip of this county was trinity sailing under the
Democratic aaS, Edwin Heathcock was legally
advertised, and tho notice properly kept in the
Weekly CHICAGO Democrat for six weeks.-where
Long John Wentworth, having proper appre-
citation Of the joke, set the advertisement off
with the customary illustration OF negro run
ming bareheaded with bundle on stick over
his shoulder. The day Of sale was set for
MONDAY, TIE l4TH DAY OF NOVEMBER, 1872,
the street from the jail,-and why 1t Chapman'a
rather than at the Court-HouHo door on the
other end Of the block, will forever remain un-
explained.
The selling OF Methodist brother, IN good
and regular standing, as piece OF property,
was not considered altogether proper by somo
even who were not regarded as the contemplate
Abolitionlsts. It was some time after this that
they became D-d.' .'Abo1itionists But the con-
to1npt1ble Abolitionista were becoming numerous
already in Chicago It is not probable that they
would have allowed so important an event as
slaye-salo in Chicago to 50 unnoticed: Con-
sequently, late on Saturday night Calvin De
Wolf, who VAS then student Of law
ing Office, and the sale on Monday
BECAME topic of conversation. It was thought
not best to let the opportunity pass without
giving due notice to tho citizens OK Chicago, that
there might be 6ufnclent meInDeIa ple6eQt az k1e
sale to fairly test the value of a man on the
auction block. The matter decided, De Wolf
held IN oil lamp at the case, while, after had
placed the heading on tie stone, set up in
double-English, q hand-bil nearly in these
words:
Al 1IAN
FOB SALE
On Mondny morning at 10 o'clock Sheriff Lowe will
sell ut or rear the JAIL the highest bidder, Edwin
Heathcock, now conf1ed for being froe, to pay the
legal expenses for holding him suspicion OF being
slave.
The solid men Of Chicago IRE requested to be pres
ent aud witness the first MN sale in county.
This WAS locked up, put upon tho press, and,
while DeWoh stood behind aud played the part
OF roller-boy, printed of fifty or more copies
Of the bill We then, at II O'Clock Saturday
night sailed up Clark street, along the line to
be traversed by the church-goer On the morrow,
posted these bills on the boards Of the fence
around the Public Square, up past the long, low
Presbyterian church on the right, the
equally low Methodist on the left (now
where the Methodist Block iB), between
Washington aud Madison streets, and on the
board fences along and beyond the houses OF r.
E. Hearock, 6tarr Foote Tuthill King, P. F. ".
a1+ar1 o+o