The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-01-01
RITES OF ADVERTISING.
n In a In a IntN 60 60 ~ ~, "a r
NEWS.
FRIDAY. JANUARY /. 1876.
a Fugitive SLAVE ARD
HHHS 1sUERaUEGeS.


On certain morning a fugitive
slave came to my house before il
was light. Two Of my sons convey
ed him to another depot on the un-
foreground railroad. Sometime at
ter daylight two slaye-hunters CALI
ed at my house I was absent from
home. They at first were ashamed
tn make known their business.
Therefore, they Inquired of Mrs..
Rankin the way to another house.
She began to tell them the way but
they stopped her, aud said, 1--WE may
as well be plain. A man broke open
store at Dover last night, stole
some goods, and we have traced
him la some straw in your yard"
Mrs. Rankin enquired whether he
was a white man, or black man.
They replied that che was a black
man." She enquired again, "wAs
he slave or a free MANI" They
said, she was slaYe." She replied,
"ihere is no slave here, aud | have
seen none. You may come ia and
see IL there be any one here" She
was in bed when the slave passed.
My son Samuel, q boy of fifteen
years Old,placed himself in the door,
aud said, "you shall not come in"
They made some threats, but he per-
sisted, and they did not venture to
force them selves in. He sent one
Of his smaller brothers to town, and
soon there were nen enough gath
cred together at my house to pre-
vent any violence being offered.
Samuel locked the barn door. The
slave hunters said that looked as if
the slave was there. Samuel said,
al wish you to believe he is there"
They applied 10 Charles f. Camp
bell, ESQ, for search warrant to
search the house, but Charles wac
lawyer and therefore knew that
there was no law for such q warrant,
as slaves were not property in Ohio.
lie refused TO give a search warrant.
And therefore they could not search
either the house or the barn.
When the day was far spent the
hunters proposed to Mrs. Rankin
that If she would permit two men
TO 20 through the house and barn,
and they would say that there was
no slave In either of them they
would be satisfied and go away.
She permitted and Elder OF the
church and another man to examine |
the house and the barn, and no fug-
tive was found. lie had gone on |
his way to Canada. My house was
on top OF the river hill. The hunt
ers departed protesting to be salts
fed. At the foot OF the hill they |
met the owner of the fugitive. lie |
said he would not leave In that way
he would search the house himself |
lie walked up boldly to the door,
but Mira. Rankin shut the door
against him, and said, al have done
all am going to do In this case"
tie sat down on the doorstep and |
began to complain how badly they |
were treated when they came peaca-
bly, hunting their property. She
told him how she was treated, in |
the morning, by his slave hunters,
who said that they had traced a
man who had stolen goods up to
her yard, as If she had been harbor-
ing thieves at her house. lie said
that there was not II negro between
that and Lexington but know that
red house on the hill, and that it
must be demolished. Mrs. Rankin
replied that if the negroes knew it
the Kentuckians themselves must |
have given them that knowledge. |
They did not get il from the owners
of that house. And now, she said,
al will give you Kentuckians fair |
warning you haYc como here, and
have lain around the house at night
and sometimes have como into the
house In our absence, and Interior
ed with the children; If you ever
come back you shall be shot"
"Why, madam" said he, "who will
shoot?" She replied, "if nobody
else will shoot, will shoot. If ever
you come back you shall be shot"
lie arose and departed.
JOHN RANKIN.