Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-10-31
The Under. fIronnd Railway.

Uncle Toms Cabin " knows what slavery was.
Every one who has heard Of the Underground
railway knows how few persons with speD-
ala heroism helped the unfortunate slaves in their
endeavom TO escape from slavery Many stories
might be written Of those times which would
sound like romantic tales; and many honest black
people are living now whose adventures on that
railway would be exceedingly entertaining II re-
lated by any hresidein Vermont One of the most
memorable of these events happened little over
twenty-five years ago Some citizens of SYRIA
cuse, N Y, In October, 1880, indignant ut the
awful wickedness Of the fugitive slave law"
made public and emphatic declaration that the
law should not be enforced in Syracuse. They
appointed vigilance committee, and agreeing 10
stand by one another in any event. fixed ON
rendezvous, and made the tolling Of bell in A
certain way the signal Tor gathering together
Snch an ontburst from this quarter 40 alarmed the
political friends Of the fugitive slave law" that,
in the month of June 1851, Daniel Webster came
to the city and delivered powerful speech, cal
culated to intimidate the abotionists "Those
persons in this city who mean to oppose the exc
cution OF the fugitive slave law " he said are
traitors traitorsl traitorsl This law ought
to be obeyed, and II will be enforced-yes, it shall
be enforced In the city Of Syracuse it shall be
enforced aud that, too, in the midst of the next
anti-slavery convention, il then there shall be
any occasion TO enforce it," But so violent a
harangue served only to enrage the antagonists
OF the abomnable law it made them more de-
termined than ever, and they wanted but an OPP
portunity to strike telling blow against the
wrong to this helpless people One of the .chiefest
opponents Of the law in this city was the Rev
Samuel j. May, who was eminent as an aboi-
ZIONIST with William Lloyd Garrison and Gerrit
Smith. Even as early as 1884 when living in
Brooklyn, Conn, this clergyman had given great
assistance to the slaves Fugitives were COM
mited to his care and sent TO the next station on
the " Underground railway" Here in Syracuse
hundreds sought him for protection. Bands often
arrived in the night and he would be busy till
morning disposiug them in places where they
could be secluded till the route to Canada was
open. Now, on the first Of October, 1851, four
months after Daniel Websters speech Mr. Nav
just as he was rising from dinner was startled by
the sound of the signal bell. lie hurried off to
the rendezvous, but he had hardly struck the
street before he knew that fugitive slave was
arrested, and turning aside he fastened up to the
office the commissioner lie was not aone the
exciting event was drawing crowd the same
way; also this day there was an unusual number
in town-some coming to an agricultural meeting
and some attending an ant-slavery convention
belief prevailed that the arrest was undertaken
at this time for the purpose of trying whether
theanti-savery men would respect the law or carry
out their threat Of opposing its execution At the
court room Mr. May found mulatto named
Jerry McIienry before the commission This man
had been resident Of Syracuse for some two or
three years, and was an industrious cooper He
was now arraigned before the court but not al
lowed to state his case or refute testimony, al
though the man who laid claim to his person ex-
ercised every right. This outrageous injustice
exasperated the friends Of the coored man. and
they told Mr. May only to say the word, and they
would set him free. During the course of the pro-
ceedings, under the guidance of u Jealous young
man, McHenry managed to slip out of the court
room and make off about half mile, but as his
hands were handcuffed he could not run his
best, and was overpowered before he could make
good his escape, numbered into II cart and hauled
back to Jail with two men sitting on his body to
hold him down. Mr.. May contrived to let him
know that he had friends, and repaired to the
office of DIR. Hiram Hoyt, where twenty or thirty
picked men, with Gerrit Smith among them, had
gathered tn form plan for .lerrys escape They
agreed not to use more force than was necessary
to accomplish their purpose Gerrit Smith ex-
pressly admonished them not to hurt man, and
Mr.. May, the last thing said, declared that il any
one was hurt he hoped it would be one of their
own party About eight o clock in the evening
they surrounded the Jail, and at a given time the
doors and windows were broken in, the rescuers
rushed into the lobby, overcame the officers by
superior numbers, and gained possession of the
place without harming a single person In the
midst of the confusion McHenry was released
taken out, and entrusted to a driver who was pro-
vided with the heetest horse in town. They d-
ected this person not to leave the city, for every
road was watched, but to drive back and forth
from one street to another, and return to certain
spot, where two men would lie in waiting, and
cad the fugitive to n safe retreat. BY nine o. clock
he was received by Mr. Caleb Davis, and remained
hid in his house till the following Sunday. After
dark ON the evening of that day, a covered wagon
with span OF fast horses was brought to Mr.
Davis door, and three men got in and drove
rapidly of. Suspicion was aroused in some per-
sons who saw this, that McIIenry was one Of the
three and two men instantly set off in pursuit Of
the supposed fugitive A hot chase ensued for
many miles but the speed of their horses and the
darkness of the night enabled Mcllenrys friends
to elude their pursuers. They secluded Jerry in
the town of Mexico, and in IA few days conveyed
him to Oswego, where Mr.. Clarke concealed him
| in his house, ON the outskirts Of the city, till he
could find skipper willing to take the mulatto
across Lake Ontario to Canada. The boatmen
were afraid to give passage to any suspicious
looking persons, aud this was u great difficulty,
| but after the cautious search Of week the cap
tain of a small schooner was induced to bring his
craft off shore, and Mr.. Clarke rowed McIIenry
out to 1t from an unirequented part of the coast.
The captain raised sail, and headed toward the
Canadian side, Mcilenry waved his hand to the
good friend lie was leaving, and in short time the
boat arrived at Kingston, and the slave was free
ALLEN RICHTER