The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1881-06-25
Mrs. Ca:harine Coffin, AbolItionist.

Another parsonage, who in the days of
abolitionist zeal and pro-slavery preiu-
dice was active in operating the ''C nder-
ground Railway" has recently died in
Ohio. The Cincinnati Commercial gives
the following sketch of the life of Mrs.
Catharine Coffin
1t will be recalled by many that she
WAS the wife of Levi Coffin. the manager
of the Il Underground Railway" and one
of the earliest and most active of the abO-
litionists. when it was as much as one :
worldly possessions and ones life were
worth to work in any way for the free
dom Of the slaves. Mrs. Coffin was born
Of Quaker parents in 1903. near New
Garden. \. C., but it was in Hopeville
Of the same State. that she was married
to Levi Coffin. on the 2Sth of October,
1924 About two years afterward this
couple moved to Newport, Wayne county
Ind, where Levi Coffin commenced bust
ness as a country merchant. There also
he began the management of the Under
ground Railway. and made his house the
refuge for runaway and destitute slaves.
These were always Hospitality received
and generously treated, and sent on
their way to 4 free State. never empty
handed. His wife, who received the
name of Aunt Katy, always seconded her
| husband in his efforts to befriend this
unfriended race. and sometimes her
woman's wit and quicknesS served her
well. She could elude the vigilance of
the searching officers of the law with
strategies that by their uneypectcdnesS
| and her cool manner of carrying them
ont made them successful when all other
means would have failed. She sent one
| escaping colored woman out of the front
door, yelled and dressed i'll gorgeous at
tire. in the very face of Tier former mas
ter. waiting for the Marshal to search the
house. She used to hide the girl; be
tween the mattresses. and stand cutting
out dress on the made up bed when the
officers would come to search the house.
She always spoke mildly to these men,
and treated them So politely that they
frequently thought that she did not sym
pathiZe with her husband views about
aiding the tugitives to escape. In 1871,
| to take charge in this city of the cuisines,
Of manufacturing Southern goods by
free labor. Levi Coffin and his wife re.
moved to Cincinnati. They still con
tinucd without interruption the manage
ment of the Underground Railroad and
their other labors in the abolition move
ment In 1917 Levi Coffin died since
that time Mrs Coffin has lived on Spring
street, in Avondale. where, until her
death. she was faithfully attended by the
colored woman. Mary Ann Green. She
has had near her her son Jesse and dur
ing the two years of 1873 and 1850, She
has ALSO enjoyed the society of her other
son. Henry W.. and his family. but they
at that time moved to Washington. Mrs
Coffin was, to the last, bright, cheerful
woman. endowed with much converse
tional power and sense of the witty and
humorous. and TILED US was her mind
with stirring "reminiscences of the past,
she was entertaining and Instructive to
all eager listeners. Until last October
she drove to meeting on the first and fifth
days of each week. aud to the last con-
sistent and earnest member of the Society
Of Friends.