Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-07-15
The Man Who saved Fred Douglass
Life.

From the Philadelphia Record.
'Yes sir: am the man who saved Fred Doug
lass from being hanged when Old John Brown
was captured ut Harper's Ferry. l suppressed
dispatch addressed TO the sheriff OF Philadel-
phia instructing him 10 arrest Douglass who
was then In that city. as proofs OF his completely
IN the memorable raid were discovered when
John Brown was taken into custody"
Seated on the doorstep of his cosscy cottage,
few miles outside Of Vineland, y. J., was John
w. Hurn. pleasant. gray-bearded man OF sixty.
who. when questioned, answered as above re
specting the aid rendered by him TO the noted
aboltlonist.
AT that time was telegraph operator To-
Gated in Philadelphia" continued Mr.. Hurn,
and when received the dispatch was fright
ened nearly out of my wirs. As | was an ardent
admrer Of the great ex-slaye. who was doing
all that mortal could do TO agitate the anti
slavery question. | resolved 10 warn Douglass
of his impending fate. no matter what the re-
suit might be to me-" The news had just been
spread throughout the country of the bold
action OF John Brown and his intrepid follow
ers In taking the little town Of Harper's Ferry.
Everybody was excited. and public feeling ran
high. Before the Intelligence came that Brown
had been captured the dispatch have men,
toned was sent by the sheriff of Franklin
county, Pa, to the sheriff OF Philadel-
phia. informing him that Douglass had
been one of the leading cOnspra-
tors, and requesting that he should
it was Illegal to do SO quietly put the dispatch
in my pocket and asking another operator to
take my place started on my search for Fred
Douglass. | went directly TO Miller McKim. the
secretary of the contraband underground fugi-
tive railway Office in Philadelphia. and inquired
for my man. Mr.. Mckim hesitated TO tell me-
whereupon showed him the dispatch and prom
ised him not to allow il TO be delivered within
three hours. / told him that would not do
this unless he agreed to get Mr.. Douglass out of
the state. This he readily assented to. for il
was his business to spirit escaped slaves beyond
the reach of the authorities. | returned 10 the
telegraph office and kept a sharp lookout for
similar dispatches. None arrived. however. and
when the allotted time expired sent the be-
lated message to its destination.
" In the meanwhile those entrusted with my
secret saw Mr.. Douglass and urged him to leave
the town as quickly as possible. He was 10th 10
do so at first but the approximations OF his friends
0yercame his objections. and in an hour he left
on railroad train which placed a gap OF forty
miles between him and Philadelphia every hour
He reached his home in Rochester. New York,
in safety. destroyed the compromising docu-
ments. and then packed his gripsack and started
for Canada 1t was fortunate for HIM that he
left as soon as he did. for Immediately after his
departure from Rochester his home was sur
rounded by officers.
Those were queer times. and persons had TO
be careful what they did and said | did not
tell of my share in the rescue, for I feared the
power of the slave party, they could have
had me imprisoned. When I look back and
think what i did to save that man from the
gallows-for he would undoubtedly have gone
there had he been arrested feel that am re-
warded by contemplating that the life saved was
well worth saving"