The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-08-16
Boston Event"
A New Phase OF the "Shadrach Rescue"

lChsrles Smith in Boston Commonwealth
The Shadrach rescue occurred about thirty
years ago. 1t is memorable with many now
living. Its public details are we'll known to
the smallest minatie. The power of the press
for the right, through its representatives, in
effective, solid work and nnrevealed evidence,
has not been so generally known and conse-
quent credit accorded. While having, with
others, sympathy for the oppressed, humilia-
ton that such law should ever have been en-
acted, the rep orters gave aid to the arrested
alleged slave in pointing out an accepted way
Of deliverance, which was successfully taken,
and in declining when hotly pressed to declare
the positive knowledge had of who was one Of
the rescuers.
The fugitive slave law was passed amid
storm of remonstrance and the indignation of
the North. A few entirely politicians gave aid
and counsel for the passage of the law. They
were few and far between. The entire North,
except these few, were utterly opposed to the
law, ready and willing to thwart its execution
in every constitutional manner, and also ready
and willing to tacitly allow those who, desired
to do SO every means they wished to stay the
hands of the officers of the law in the perlous
duty of enforcing the obnoxious and opprobri-
GUS statute.
Shadrach was the first alleged slave arrested
by the United States Marshal under this out
rageous and despised law The United States
Court, before its commissioner, was then held
in the room in the Court House. Court Square,
now in use by the Municipal Criminal Court
The examination took place IN this room. /
well remember it as though it were yesterday.
Shadrach was seated between two men who
before, and more certainly afterwards, wore
the opprobrium of the community. The court
room was sparsely filed with the assistants to
the United States Marshal, witnesses, lawyers,
friends Of the prisoner, and the reporters of the
press. Outside of the room the corridors,
stairways and floor were filled to repletion
with friends of the prisoner and few loiter-
ers Without the Court House, in the square,
| eager and excited, were gathered, as thickly
| as could be, people who had come from far and
| near as the tidings of the arrest were spoken
from one to another The sympathy and hearts
| of nearly all this vast assembly Of people were
| with the prisoner
| The examination went on, was concluded
| and all had left the court room except the off,
| GERS and one reporter for an evening paper,
| who fingered in apparent preparation Of ihe
hearing for the evening paper; but, as was de-
| veloped, with other views at heart. As an out
| cry was made in the street the officers went to
/
the time had come, took his leave. At the
| door OF the room he was met, as he expected,
| by crowd OF colored men, one of whom he
| well knew, and to whom, on his eager inquiry
he communicated the situation of the prisoner
and the officers. The colored men made rush
through the door, which had not been closed,
and almost, II not quite, as soon as the reporter
| reached the square on one side of the court
house, Shadrach was in the hands of his rescu-
| ers on the other. This reporter was Demo-
crat, but in favor of liberty and the rights Of
free and untrammelled conscience. All honor
to him for thus acting humanely! In after
years the reporter met the colored man, who
said 'For long time we trembled in our
boots for fear you would blow on us" The re-
porter said If he had desired to do so, which he
did not, as he had intended to have done what
was done he was equally culpable with the rest.
A reporter for another evening paper, who
had been about watching and waiting" heard
| the Outcry and commotion, and arrived at the
court house door as Shadrach was beng taken
into the square in the hands of a colored man
he well knew. Though hard pressed to be a
| witness against the deliverers in their trials,
he maintained profound silence, determined
not to harm the rescuers, believing they acted,
rightly, for liberty. This reporter was also a
Democrat. To his honor it should be said that
he firmly and persstently spurned all efforts
made to ascertain his knowledge, although if
he had done so four hundred dollars would
have been his recompense, which at that time
was large sum. Now he has clear con-
science, and knowledge that he saved one
man from penal servitude; for this same col.
ored man was afterwards put upon his trial az
rescuer and acquitted.
The judge who tried the rescuers the
United States commissioner, the senior attor,
neys on both sides, and most of the officers
with the clerk OF the court, have passed on.