Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-11-05
Strange bat Frue-Eise s.t~i Ne gro
slave Liberated
'r"m he Ralci:A \ W

The last negro save was liberated 10
the city of New York on the 1st of Oc
tober, 1875. TIE circumstances in thu
case, as we obtained them from Ne's son
Rowe, the newly emancipated slave,
were these:
Nelson, IN company with his young
mast, r, Col Doiph Spiro left Missis-
sippi on the 1>t If Ju.v, 1855. to spend
the summer 1T the Virginia Springs.
After remaining at the White Sulphur.
O d Sweet aud other places unit things
bt-caine monutonous and dull Coz!
SpIro weuded his way TO Raleigh, y.
G.. where he had everal old friends
ard college mates. Having spent his
money on cards, wine and "thtr dissi-
pations, his credit b C lme thread bare
with his friends. At this time he met
at the Marlboro Fl ;u<e a das!iing young
man from New York, Mr.. d. Webster
Gutter, who dOHb less some ii our
readers Will L, c',lect. With the la
dies particularly was he IL favorlte. his
dashIng mAnners au general gayety
winning hin many friends and admir-
ers Young Unt tt and Col. SpirO
soon bee iu,e fat fri uds, and bee .m@
the toast OF II e ladies, no party or
dance Icing complete without them.
After returning from dance one
| night Spiro iuvIt, q Cutter to his room,
| No. 7, to have game of draw poker
| before going to bed, as it was Just
| O'Clock. and he never Thought OF re-
| firing before 3 En'erlng the room
they found he ft,t.Ifui Nelson await
! ing his masters return. Quit. r im-
mpdlatey directed Nelson to go to
John Gains ana br Hg two sttws,
| qua'ls o.. toast, cnffee. add two dozen
on the half shell. and Il bottle Of that
Old brandy Of 1920. IN about an hour
/ Nelson returned with a waiter loaded
down with the best John u get up.
The game bad gone OF, during his
absence with varylI g fortunes. AS he
entered II door he heard opiro say
Il will see that, and go five hundred
| better" i SEE it, and go one tnou-
sand better" 81 have 40 money to
go higher or call you said the CO..
but will risk my watch and Nelson
Oh my hand. and call you" "All
right" says Cutter, at the same time
throwing down fur aces. AS the
G olone! had only been playing bluff,
up went all his money, watch and
Nelson.
The cards were laid asid-., supper
taken in silence, and both parties re-
tired. Next morning about Nelson
gently entered Cutters 70 N and APP
preaching his bed banded him paper
which proved to be bill of sale con-
veying Nelson to Cutter. Spiro, sui
fering with a headache, did not put 10
his appearance that day, and that af
| 81. liz
left for Richmond, Va where Cutter
intended conveying his newly OBJ aimed
property into money. Melon, how
ever, proved so polite aud handy that
! Cutter proposed that he should ac-
company him to New York as his body
servant, or con dition that nothing
was ever TO be SAID of the affair, as his
family were .rehgiously opposed to
gaming. aud were red bot abolition-
lists. Nelson gave him his word and
honor he would play mum. Il will, :"
says Cutter, oblig te to give you your
freedom if you will serge me twenty
years, and then YIN can become your
own master" u will do it," said
| Nelson, ian no one can accuse me. II
negro as | am, of going back on nv
word" And the matter was never az
| forwards r, frrred to by either of them.
During the twenty years which hav,
p used Nelson has acted as dung
room servant, butler, coachmnn, etor =
mali, and III fact, man of all work, and
IN each capac ty acted faithfully.
On tue first of September OF the pre-
sent ear Nelson went to Mr. Gutter
office and for the first time alluded to
the compact N de between them
twenty years before by saying "On
the first of October my time is out,
and [ must go down to Mississippi to
look after my people. as / have lot
seen or heard of tt EN- il twenty years,
except Col. SpIro, when he was prison
er at Johnson's Island in 1864. Then
1 sent him a nice suit of clothes, a
pair of blankets, a box of cigars and
| five gallons of good brandy, but poor
fellow he died soon afterwards, and I
fear he did not receive the things or
my letter. ''Mr. Cutter" eays Nell
son, "handed me a check for $3.50,
and told me to go but to 1urly back,
which was all that was said by either
of u.s.
We interviewed n lson Rowe, q
fine looking darkey 80 yeers old, at
the Marlboro House, and received from
him this strange story, all of which be
told us in such an impressive manner
that we could not doubt it, and after
taking q good look at his old and new
masters rooms and all the surround
ings, he left for Jackson Miss, say
ing; ''I do not feel at home here-I
miss Col. Marlborough, Chas. Hunter,
Campbell Eaton, Henry Bryan. Robt.
i