Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1878-09-13
A ROMANCE or SLAVERY.
How Two Missouri Darkeys Ran Away
and Made Their Way TO Canada, Re-
turning After Eighteen Years 10 see
- Old Nassau and I. Missns"

UIW WHhSn'@ HHu n mIsSHS'
st. Louis Post.
No better Illustration of the peculiar
relationship Of the past and present
can be found thnn that afforded by the
appearance to-day Of 4 gray -haifed ne
gro in the city looking for his relatives
OF eighteen years ago The Posi- re-
porter was, Of course, on hand 1T the
suggestion 81 item that related to the
olden time Of slavery, bloOd-hounds and
tie underground railway" The re-
porter found the embodiment Of this
lite nj" in Il lawyers office, and ascer-
tanned from him That he WAS Rev.
Strolher vino, with his half-brother, Jel
Murray, ran away i'll 1860, and had
never been heard Of by their friends
since. Bey's face relaxed into u broad
grin as he told now enc and jeff ron
away and the awful times we had" IL
seems that Rev. and jeff were slaves in
1860, the former belonging 70 Travis
Murphy and tho latter 70 Or. J. 4. Over
all, Of ST. Charles county, No; that
Bev. WAS threatened with "salc down de
ribbcr,n The terror Of all darkics, and 70
persuaded jeff to run away with him.
Through M old darkcy ~ 30. Charles
they found II white man who agreed TO
pilot them 100 miles for w. and on the
night Of June 30, 1860, the trio met and
started On u Runaway, sure enough
They travelled nights and my in the
bush by day, the white man being
used 10 pilot the way and buy provi-
sions. The negroes had very shrcWdly
provided themselves with Il compass, TO
30 sure they were being piloted to the
"far-oll land rather than To Dixie
They also took pistols TO defend Them
selves with, and nlwaysaftcr they had
hid for the day and sent the man for
provisions, moved their hiding place
and watched "dnl ar white man" from
Il long way Oh to see that hc did not
bring any nigger.catchrr with him. On
the evening Of the second day out the
white man, while out ioragng, saw Dir.
Overall md pursuing party, and heard
him describe tile negroes, and 0ller u
reward for their apprehension. i tell
you, mNssn, said Ben rs hc rubbed his
gray head, "thcm was hot times" They
travelled ~ right angles 10 their general
course that night, and the pursuing
party never heard Of them again.
The "Whilo pilot and Niger steacr
was given away by II pretended would
be runaway about three weeks later,
was captured by III. Overall and sem
tenecd, after ii plea Of guilty, by Judge
King, ~ the st. Charles circuit court, to
six years III the Penitenlary.
Two weeks later Boy. and jeff, turned
UP Mt Laylnyetto, Ind, with mighty Ill
tlc faith IN there bong any end to tho
world or anything for runaway negroes,
but sore feet and empty stomaehs. On
the night Of their arrival they were FOL
lowed by II negro man who accused
them OF being runnways, and rendered
his services To show them the "llnder-
ground railway They denied the first
and refused tho last, but when the would
be guide was reinforced hy "ono Of dem
old honest Niger mothers" thc rum
Always acknowledged the soft impeach
ment and were provided for.
At Detroit they jumped on the train
Il mile from tile depot, and followed the
bcckonng of u "hlaek hand without
inquiry or explanation, and were locked
mp in i little room, way un on the ton
Of bout. The next day Canada re-
ccived two citizens and tho United States
was out 5000 worth Of negroes.
Both negroes went to work on farm
in the county Of Essex IL S2lO per year,
and at the end Of five years had saved
$1,000, with which they purchased two
farms. jcl acquired Il limited cduca-
tion, and ia addition to attending to his
own matters, became foreman on II large
fnrm. La June lust lctl was poisoned
by his wife, who bids fur % hang. As
lctl had no children, Bey. came buck to
hunt III his heirs. Bey found his
mother, Emily Murray, Il Negroes, "a
years old, still living.
As her children, twelve iii number.
aru I'LL illogtimnte, they cannot inherit
from each other, and hence She gets
Iells entire estate, worth Some $4,000
subject to the dover rights Of tile wife.
Bev. found his old master, who is ~
years Of age, still living on The old plan,
and was made happy ~ the kindly
manner III which lie was received and
treated Ivy tire massa and nissus OF his
boyheod days, aud thinks lie will sell
ont and move his family Of seven back
to ! ,le ole Missouri shore