Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1878-11-02
A Reminiseenee Of slave DAYS.

NO tfftef ntnsIratIvu Oh t0c CDUtfa>t
of the past AMI present can be found
than that afforded 10y the appearance Of
a gray-haired negro in the city looking
for his relatives Of eighteen years ago.
Your correspon lent met him this morn
ing and ascertained that he was Bey
Strother, Who, with his half-brother.
JEFF Murray. ran away in 1850. an had
never been heard Of by their friends
since. Bey's face relaxed into broad
grin as he told how "me and JEFF run
away AMI the awful time We had"
It seems that Bey and JEFF we're slaves
in 1860. the former belonging TO Travis
Murray and the latter to ]. T. Overall
of st. Charles county, Mo-. that Bey
was threatened with ''sale down de rib
ber," the terror Of all darkies, and so
persuaded JEFF to run away with him.
Through an old darkey at St. Charles
they found white man who agreed to
pilot them one hundred miles FOR S22,
and on the night of June 80, 1860, the
trio met and started on a runaway
sure enough" They travelled nights
and lay in the brush by day, the white
man being used to pilot the way and
buy provisions. The negroes had very
shrewdly provided themselves with
compass to be sure they were being
piloted to tho "far-of land rather than
to Dixie" They also took pistols to
defend themselves with, and always
after they had hidden for the day and
sent the man for provisions, moved
their hiding-place and watched dat ar
white man" from long way off to see
that he did not bring any nigger-catch-
ers with him. On the evening of the
second day the white man, while out
foraging, saw DR.. Overall and pursu-
ing party, and heard him describe the
negroes and offer reward for their ap-
prehension. II tell you, massa," said
Bey, as he rubbed his gray head, them
was hot times" They travelled at right
angles to their general course that night,
and the pursuing party never heard OF
them again. The "white pilot" was
given away by pretended would-be
runaway about three weeks later, was
captured by D. Ov. rail- and sentenced,
after plea of guilty, to six years in
the penitentiary.
Two weeks later Bey and JEFF turned
up in Lafayette, Ind, with little faith
in there being any end to the world or
anything for runaway niggers but sore
feet and empty stomachs. Onthe night
of their arrival they were followed by
negro man who accused them OF being
runaways, and rendered his services to
show them the Underground railway"
They denied the Hrst aud refused the
last, but when the would.be guide was
reinforced by lone of dem real old
honest niger mothers" the runaways
acknowledged the impeachment and
we're provided for. At Detroit they
jumped off the train q mile from the
depot, and followed the reckoning of
"Black Hand" without ing uiry or ex.
PLANTATION, and were locked up in lit
tie room wav up on the top Of boat.
The next day Canada received two citi-
zens.
Both negroes went to work on farm
in the county of Essex at $24O per year,
and at the end of Ave years had saved
81, 900, with which they purchased two
farms. JEFF acquired q limited educa-
ton, and, in addition to attending to his
own matters, became foreman on large
farm. In June last jeff was poisoned
by his wife, who bids fair to hang.
Bey found his old master, who is 81
years of age, still living on the old
place, and was made happy by the
kindly manner in which he was re
ceived and treated by the massa and
missus Of his boyhood days, and thinks
he will sell out and move his family OF
seven back to ode ole Missouri Shore"
Cincinnati Engineers ST. Louis Let.
ter.