The Cecil Whig., 1881-11-12

Sdl w colltcI llChclS anu cAdiiiine tu'
papers of his black passengers. Thi
was a critical moment in the drama. My
whole future depended upon the decision
of this conductor. Agitated though
was while this ceremony was proceeding
still, externally, at least, I was apparent
ly calm and self-poSsessed. He went OF
with his duty. examining several coloret
passengers before reaching me. He wa:
somewhat harsh in tone and peremptory
strange enough, and to my surprise anC
relief his whole manner changed. See
ing that | did not readily produce my
free papers, as the other colored person.
in the car had done, he said to me- il
friendly contrast with his bearing to
ward the others:
II suppose you have your free pa
pers -
To which answered:
NO, sir; never carry my free papers
to sea with me-
But you have something to show
that You are freeman, haven't you? -
"Yes. sir" answered. Il have a pa
per with the American eagle on it, and
that will carry me around the world
With this I drew from my deep sailors
pocket my sailors protection, as before
described. The merest glance at the
paper satisfied him, and he took my fare
and went on about his own business
most anxiouse ever experienced. Had
the conductor looked closely at the paper
lie could not have failed to discover that
it called for very different looking per-
son from myself, and in that case it
would have been his duty to arrest me
on the instant and send me back to Bal.
timore from the first station. When he
left me with the assurance that | was all
right. though much relieved, | realized
that | was still in great danger: | was
still in Maryland. and subject to arrest
at any moment. | saw on the train sew
eral persons who would have known me
in any other clothes. and | feared they
might recognize me, even in my sailor
rig" and report me to the conductor.
who world then subject me to closer
examination, which l knew well would
be fatal to me.
Though | was not a murderer fleeing
from justice. | felt perhaps quite as mis-
cradle as such criminal. The train was
moving at very high rate of speed for
that epoch of railroad travel. but to my
anxious mind it was moving far too slow
ly. Minutes were hours, and hours were
days during this part of my flight. AZ
ter Maryland, | was to pass through Del
aware-another slave State, where slave
catchers generally awaited their prey.
for it was not in the interior of the State
but on its borders that these human
hounds were most vigilant and active.
The border lines between slavery and
iltS'pil NSiS tit 'iiCS ioi iit
fugitives. The heart of no fox or deer,
with hungry hounds on his trail in full
chase. could have beaten more anXiouSly
or noisily than did mine from the time |
left Baltimore till reached Philadelphia.
The passage of the Susquehanna River
at Havre de Grace was at that time made
by ferry boat, Oh board of which met n
young colored man by the name of Mich
OILS, who came very near betraying me.
He was hand ~ on the boat, but. in
stead of minding his business. he insisted
upon knowing me-. and asking me dan
gerous questions as to where | was going,
when | was coming back. etc. | got
away from my old and inconvenient ac-
quaintance rs soon as | could decently
do 80. and went to another part of the
boat. Once across the river. | encoun-
tered a new danger. Only few days
before had been at work on a revenue
cutter. in Mr.. Prices shipyard in Balti-
more. under the care of Capt. McGowan.
On the meeting at this point of the two
trains, the one going south stopped OH
the track just opposite to the one going
north, and it SO happened that this Capt.
McGowan sat at Il window where he
could see me very distinctly, and would
certainly have recognized me had he
looked at me but for a second. Fortu-
nately, in the hurry of the moment. he
did not see me; and the trains soon pass
cd each other on their respective ways.
But this was not my only hair breadth
escape. \ German blacksmith whom |
knew well was on the train with me, and
looked at me very intently, as if he
thought he had seen me somewhere be-
fore in his travels. | really believe he
knew m. but had no heart to betray me.
At any rate. he saw me escaping and
held his peace.
The last point of imminent danger,
and the one dreaded most, was Whining
ton. Here we left the train and took the
steamboat for Philadelphia. In making
the change here | again apprehended ar
rest, bat no one disturbed me, and | was
soon on the broad and beautiful Della
ware speeding away to the Quaker City.
On reaching Philadelphia in the after
noon. | inquired of colored man how |
could get on to New York. lie directed
20 hn Walnut Str Innnt aud flitj,
er | went, taking the train that night. |
reached New York Tuesday morning,
having completed the journey in less than
twenty -four hours.
My free life began on the third of Sep
tember. 1888. On the morning of the
fourth of that month. after an anxious
and most perilous but safe journey,
found myself in the big city of New
York, Trec mdn-one more added to the
mighty throng which, like the confused
waves of the troubled sea. surged to and
fro between the lofty walls of Broad
way. Though dazzled with the wonders
which met me ON every hand. my
thoughts could not be much withdrawn
from my strange situation. For the mo-
mcnt, the dreams of my youth and the
hopes of my manhood were completely
fulfilled The bonds that had held me
to "old master were broken. No man
now had a right to call me his slave or
assert mastery over me. ] was in the
rough and tumble of an outdoor world.
busy number. have often been asked
how | felt when first found myself on