Kimball enterprise. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1883, 1883-07-06
OUT OF BONDAGE.
Frederick Douglass Tells the Story or His
Escape From Slavery.

Frederick Douglass Tells the Story or His
Escape From Slavery.
In the forthcoming number of the Gen.
tury Magazine Frederick Douglass, for the
first time, relates the story OF his escape
from bondage. Nearly fifty years ago.
when the flight was made, it was the GUS
toni in the state of Maryland to require
all free colored people to be provided with
''free papers," without which they were not
permitted to travel. A description Of the
person was given in these papers, and the
person was examined very rigidly to make
good his identity. A slave answering the
general description would sometimes bor-
row or hire his papers from free negro,
but this was critical thing to do and often
resulted disastrously to both the owner and
the borrower. Douglas answered no de-
scription papers he had seen, SO that plan
could not be adopted in his case. He had
friend-a sailor-who was provided with
certain government papers that had at least
an official look. Baltimore was his starting
point. He arranged with friendly hack
man to take his luggage to the station, and
arriving there himself just in time to jump
aboard the train, hoping in the confusion
attending its departure, to avoid exciting
suspicion. The story is best told in Doug
lass own language.
"In my clothing was rugged out in sail
or style. l had on red shirt and tar
paulin hat, and black cravat tied in sailor
fashion carelessly and loosely about my
neck. My knowledge of ships and sailors
talk came much to my assistance, for knew
ship from stem to stern and from keelson
to crosstrees, and could talk sailor like an
old salt. I was we'll on the way to Havre
de Grace before the conductor came into
the negro car to collect tickets and examine
the papers Of the black passengers. This
was q critical moment in the drama. NY
whole future depended upon the decision
Of this conductor. Agitated though was
while this ceremony was proceeding, still,
externally at least, I was apparently calm
and self possessed. He went on with his
duty, examining several colored passen-
gers before reaching me. He was some
what harsh in tone and peremptory in
manner until he reached me, when. strange
enough, and to my surprise and relief, his
whole manner changed. Seeing that did
not readily produce my free papers, as the
other colored persons in the car had done,
he said to me, in friendly contrast with
his bearing toward the others:'
II suppose you have your free papersl"
To which answered:
"No, sir; never carry my tree papers to
sep with me,
'But you have something to show that
you are freeman, haven't you?"
"Yes, sir" answered; Il have paper
with the American eagle on it, and that
will carry me around the world"
at Havre de Grace he met q young COL
ored man whom he knew, and who seemed
curious to find out his business so far
n frCp, pn vi %
6culty only to encounter another. At the
window of a train standing on side-t track
directly opposite the one he was in sat O
man for whom he had just been working at
Baltimore. By good luck the man did not
turn around, SO he was undiscovered. On
reaching Philadelphia he inquired the way
to the New York trains, and arrived there
on the 4th of September, 1888, free man.
But his troubles were not over. In New
York he found that it was hard to find a
trustworthy man even of his own race.
Large premiums were offered for the
return of runaway slaves, and few Of
the miserable darkies in the city could
Withstand the temptation to betray q
brother. For days Douglass wandered
homeless and hungry through the streets.
Finally be found good Samaritan who di-
rected him to the house of David Ruggles,
one OF tne Qthcers OF the Underground rail-
road, who lived on the corner of Church
and Lispenard streets. There the poor
runaway was hidden for several days, and
there he was joined by his intended wife,
free woman from Baltimore, and they
were married by Presbyterian minister.
From New York the newly married couple
went to New Bedford, Mass, where their
free life began in earnest. Ii was in New
Bedford that Douglass, on the advice Of q
colored friend, changed the name given him
at birth to the one he now bears. Fred
erick Augustus Washington Bailey was his
read "The Lady of the Lake." suggested.
indeed insisted, upon Douglass as the new
surname, and Douglass it was made.