The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-01-13

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i their ncliuatiohs led them. Songs bnt
/ ctedcd dancing, and dancing srccc,dr,
! sougs, until Jim AdlnOnislIed by the llect
h iug moments, Stopped playing and said:
Y "Ole MillCy, Fanny and me has 'greG'
|, TO 90 down to ManA Stewards and hAv
1 little danes with the ringers daI; now g
/. 10 bed, or sit by dc lire and tell storie
for egrl other until we come back, Go0'
night and good by" Said Jim as he 20
rapidly out Of the cabin to conceal his ieeI
ings.
Old Nilley and Fanny followed him Int
their own little cabin, where he slipped Of
two or three shirts over each other, put OF
whit other clothing he could wear, aud tut
three started out and walked down thu
road, jim carrying over his shoulder the
buujo which he Ind owned ever siucO liz
was Il boy, and with which he had whiled
away 80 many happy hours. Fairlv away
from the sound Of merry making In TIT
old homestead Jim stopped and looked
bRck at the home OF his childhood, kissctl
his mother good by, and then pressed
Fauny's great thick lips, aud walked rap
idly away lest he should lose his resolution
In the SOTTOw OF parting.
lie reached the Potomac river in safety
not long after the new day was born thu.
bad he remained w.ud have put an end
TO the freedom OF holiday time, He crossed
on the ice at the same ferry where thOus'
Anls Of armed men found their way 10
battle not many years aiterward. When lie
WINS on the other side he was not yet In the
land Of the free. but Just beyond the little
neck Of Maryland soil he had to cross lay
free State where hundreds Of willing
souls who we're ready TO aid him in gaining
the freedom he WA rlsking so much 10
secure.
Just before dRybreak he stepped from
the soil OF slave 10 that Of II rec State,
and before people were nstir he slowed
himself away under hRys.Ack in the vi
Cinity OF Grcencastle. lie had entered u
hospitabc neghbOrhUod. The sturdy
manhood oiSouthern Pennsylvania lnathei
slavery III tho great curse OF the century,
and the fugitive bondsman never failed 10
receive from them all the assistance that
willing hands and well stocked larderS
could give. Jim WIS fed and concealed by
them, and in his movements from farm to
farm finally reached the house Of Alexan'
Ruder Mcclure, u fearless anti.savery far.
mer, who had helped many II black man
on his way north. lie lived in Shermau's
Valley, Perry county, near the loot OF tue
mountain range TINT tugalivc slaves skiTted
to reach the JuniatN river, NJ Bells Mills, the
most convenient crossing point. TINS was
a direct and ilvorite route North for run
Always from the plantations, and there were
not many days or nights during the lew
wears preceding the war that one or more
cOlorrd fugitives were not concealed among
the liberty loving farmers OF franklin and
Perry COUNTIES who lived along tic line
indicated. With Alexander Mcclure, who,
NAV remark, was the father Of Col. 4. X.
Mcclure, editor OF Of the Philadelphia
Times, jim remained some days before
taking his departure from the borders OF
the slave territory for the far North.
Meanwhile the planters OF Tuscarora
were hot with alarm and indignation ut his
daring escape. Slaves had escaped before,
but there never had been Il runway
whose flight had created the excitement
that Jims did. He WAS the iavOrite OF ali
the valley. lie had enjoyed rs much l7tl.
tuhe almost rs his master, aud when his
flight became known among the plAnin
tons the slave population WIS thrown ill.,
ton fever OF excitement. The planters
saw that unless stern measures were taken
70 prevent 1t the effect OF Jim's example
wonld be serious among the blacks.
Hon. Charles James Faulkner, an emf.
ueut lawyer OF Murtinsburg, ". VA, where
he il now spending the evening Olan event
iuI life, was ilnportuned by the planters 10
lend his aid in this, TO them, nIOinentous
case. Iim'S return was importnnti moi
merely because Of the effect ii would have
upOn other negroes who dreamed Of flight
TO tho free States, but also because he was,
perhaps, without exception, the most waltz
able slave in tho Shenandoah Valley.
Notwithstanding the most persistent Efforts,
Jim WAS not returned TO slavery, although,
believe, he was found and identified. lie
was projected by the Northern people
among whom he was living wnen dis.
covered. Having once inhaled the nlr oil
liberty, he grew strong enough 10 elude his
pnrsurrs; and from the night he left the
nuuy Of dancers on the old plantation up
10 the hour when the mailed hand OF war
struck the shaCkIes from the slaves, Jim
never returned TO Virginia.
Mr.. Faulkner, influenced by the failure
Of his legal Efforts to recover the fugitive,
und indignant in common with other slave
owners al the sympathy and encourage:
ment shown for runRwaYs by the people OF
the tree Stntes, determined to appeal 10
the Legislative power Tor protection. Fresh
from his unsuccessful efforts 10 bring Jim
back to bondage, Mr.. Faulkner went be-
fore the people vi his county rs Candi'
date for the Virginia House OF Delegates,
and was elected. Ills appearance in that
body was the sign Of HI aggressive step by
the slave power. One OF his lirst acts WAS
The introduction Of bill providing for the
rrcapture OF iugitives from bondage, and
he was appointed Chairman Of special
committee 10 which the subject WAS refer.
red The measure became Il cart oil the
statutes Of Virginia, and year later il was
enacted by the Federal Congress and, lis
part Of the compromise Of 1850, become
famous ~ the fugitive slave law.
This was the act which l0reshadowed IN
their clearest lights the true intentions OF
the slave owning classes. The law aroused
Il whirlwind Ul indignation in the free
States, and tanned into resistlesa fury the
terrific fire which swept away in flame and
blood, and merely the act itself, but tile IN
stilution Il WIS designed 10 protect.
Who will say, then, that the New Years
Dly that marked the escape Of Jim john
sOu from bondage IL not tue milestone
which points directly TO the finish in the
contest thut the Staveholding power made
TO win dominant influence over the con
sciences rs well rs the acts OF men who ND.
nedhuman slavery FRANK A. Burn,