Litchfield enquirer., 1880-11-04

pig mulatt0 was Snatched from his chair by
friendly hands, lifted over the sea of heads
and passed along with almost lightning swift
ness to the pointiof exit. On the bridge stood
a buggy, with the feetest horse that could be
got in town and trusty driver Into it Jerry
was thrust, and d minute later the vehicle was
around the corner and out of sight. !sgGis
lt,was a long and wandering ride that Jer-
ry took that night Up hill and down dale,
through by-ways and alleys. and across lead
ing thoroughfares, the willing horse was driv.
en- to confuse and battle pursuit Finally it
was drawn up near the back entrance to the
dwelling of Caleb Davis ina side street, and
its occupants descended and entered the house
For several days after that it might have been
noted that the.man who, more than the most
violent sympathizer with slavery, denounced
contempt shown for federal law was Mr..
Davis. There never was person, apparently
who felt so cordial o hatred for the negro and
all his belongings One would have looked to
him naturally to lead in a movement for the
Reinstatement of every human being with
black skin ID Syracuse. The disguise Of his
sentiments was so complete that not an aboli-
ZIONIST eyen, save the one who had procured
the refuge and shared the secret with Davis
and his wife, suspected where jerry was in
hiding. i,tj h1gsaoG ss., vl'i3taio5s W., r
ACROSS THE BORDER
1t took good while to get the prisoners
manacles off him. Files made scarcely any
impression on them. At last blacksmith's
punch was brought into recQuisition, and that
did the work. Then jerry suffering from his
wounds and the terrible excitement of his or
deal, fell ill of fever, and fortnight elapsed
before it was deemed safe to start him on his
Journey to Canada. When the proper time
drew near an abolition agent went for pleas
ure ride toward Oswego county at every toll
gate he stopped and made matters smooth with
the keeper. Then, one dark night, d butcher
drove his wagon to Davis's. Jerry was put
into the bottom of it with revolver, an inch
bar OF wrought iron, few rations Of food, and
the horses heads were turned northward.
There CHANGED to be peeplng Tom in the
neighborhood. and one or two stern patriots
were soon in pursuit of the mysterious ,vehi-
Gle. The chase was a hot One and might have
ended disastrously but for the peculiar behav-
Tor of the toll-gates, which flew open as if by
magic at the approach of the butchers wagon
but closed at once in front of the next convey
ance with such force as to require a deal of
tinkering before they could get it open the
second time. The keepers, too were sleepy,
and even the offer of double toll did not seem
to rouse them; and they never in their lives
were so conscientious before about counting
their fees penny by penny, and insisting on
making the right change before letting their
patrons through. Thanks to these delays the
pursuit was abandoned before dozen miles
had been covered, and Jerry reached the house
of benevolent Quaker in Mexico long ere
daylight. Here he remained several days, and
then was taken On to Oswego. Akindly Brit.
ish skipper on the lake took him aboard his
OH >ny,n n -
Ontario, and he was free man.
Of course, the events have detailed caused
great commotion throughout Central New
York. Mr.. Smith, MIR. May, and sixteen 9th
er more or less prominent persons wereindict-i
ed and taken to Auburn. William Fl. Seward
came promptly forward and put his name first
on their bail bonds. When the cases were
called for trial. the only witnesses who could
have sworn positively to the share of these
gentlemen in the rescue riot became all at once
bereft of memory, and the proceedings degen-
Grated into mere farce. The Liberty men,
in their turn, got out warrants and caused the
arrest of Lear and the Marshal who had done
most to help him, on charge of attempting
TO kidnap citizen of Syracuse !; but the de
PENDANTS pleaded obedience to a law of the
United States, and thus escaped punishment.
Mass meetings were called in various places,
and adopted resolutions condemnng or APP
proving of the rescue, but went no further.
Jerry McHenry lived only about four years
after his arrival in Canada he had time. though
to marry and settle down to his trade and to
win the goodwill Of the people about him by
his sobriety and industry. The preacher,
Lear, went backto his southern flock followed
by the execrations of populace whose cool
reason aleAe kept them from treating him to
six feet Of Judge Lynch's rope. Of the officers
assisted 10 W
was broken became a maniac as the result of
his experience in opposing the cause of human
freedom. and died in the Utica Asylum; anoth-
er became miserable sot aud was carried to,
his grave by his dissipation. For several years
after that memorable 1st of October, 1851, the
abolitionists of Syracuse were unmolested by
their foes, and the city grew to he a promi-
nent station on the underground railway"
F. e. L. /