Connecticut western news., 1882-07-19
A NARROW ESCAPE.
The Man Who Saved Fred Douglass's
 Life When it was in Danger.


 "Yes sir; I am the man who saved Fred Douglass from being hanged when 'Old John Brown was captured at Harper's Ferry. I suppressed dis patch addressed to the Sheriff of Phila- delphia instructing him to arrest Douglass, who was then in that city, as proofs of his complicity in the mem orable raid were discovered when John Brown was taken into custody"
 Seated on the doorstep of his cosy cottage, few miles outside of Vineland, N. J., was John W. Hurn, pleasant, gray-bearded man of sixty, who, when questioned, answered as above respect ing the aid rendered by him to the noted abolitionist.
 "At that time was a telegraph oper- ator located in Philadelphia," continued MT. Hurn, "and when I received the dispatch was frightened nearly out of my wits. As was an ardent admirer of the great ex slave, who was doing all that mortal could do to agitate the anti slavery question, I resolved to warn Douglass of his impending fate, no mat ter what the result might be to me. " The news had just been spread through out the country of the bold action of John Brown and his intrepid followers in taking the little town of Harper's Ferry. Every body was excited, and public feeling ran high. Before the in- telligence came that Brown had been captured the dispatch have mentioned 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 conspirators, and requesting that he should be i'm mediately apprehended. Though I knew it was illegal to do so. I quietly put the dispatch in my pocket and ask ing another operator to take my place, started on my search for Fred. Doug lass.
 "I went directly to Miller McKim, the Secretary of the contraband, under ground fugitive railway office in Phila- delphia, and inquired for my man. Mr. McKim hesitated to tell me, whereupon I showed him the dispatch and promised him not to allow it to be delivered within three hours. told him that I would not do this unless he agreed to get MT. Douglass out of the State. This he readily assented to, for it was his business to spirit escaped slaves beyond the reach of the authorities. l returned to the telegraph office and kept sharp lookout for similar dis patches. None arrived, however, and when the allotted time expired I sent the belated message to its destination.
 ''In the meanwhile those entrusted with my secret saw MT. Douglass and urged him to leave the town as quickly as possible. He was 10th to do so al first, but the approximations of his friends overcame his objections, and in an hour he left on 8 railroad train which placed gap of forty miles between him and Philadelphia every hour. He reached his home in Rochester, New York, in safety, destroyed the compro' missing documents, and then packed his grip sack and started for Canada. Il was fortunate 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 per. sons had to be careful what they die and said. I did not tell of my share 1T the rescue, for feared the power of the slave party, as they could have had me imprisoned. When I look back an6 think what I did to save that man from ! the gallows-for he would undoubtedly have gone there had he been arrested I feel that am rewarded by contem plating that the life saved was vel worth saving. ."-Philadelphia Record.