The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-06-25
"pRINcE
pomantic Experience of a Prince
~ SIaye--A Strange Story of
the Old Plantation Days.

r. River was the country seat u Grow
srnor Owen-Owen Hill. In the rear of
D. house we've miles Of aromatic. health
hiring pine forests, whose dark forms at
this season Of this year were covered with
a proiusion of the fragrant yellow jessa-
mine. The perfume of these flowers IS
sveeter than the orange blossoms or
magnolia, and the bOatman on the river
could detect the delicious oders for many
a mile after he had passed Gwen Hill.
To this retreat Governor John Owen,
of North Carolina, used to come when
wearied with p]olItica! cares. This old
home was the favored resort OF his wife
and children, aud here they insisted on
remaining as much a. possible. While
Governor Owen was at Owen Hill the
genial and gossIpy captain OF the Fayette-
Vile steamer that piled between Fayette-
vile and Wilmington would stop his
boat at the landing at Owen Hill and tell
the Governor the news &c the two towns.
In this way Governor Owen heard OF a
runaway slave who had been caught near
Fayettevile {, lurking in the woods. The
fugitive could not speak one word OF
English; but spoke ~luently, and with
graceful gesture, a language no one could
understand. He was placed in Jail TO
await developments, and the discovery of
his master.
The walls of his cell, So the captain of
the steamer related, were covered with
strange characters, traced in charcoal or
chalk, which no scholar in Fayetteville
could decipher. The negro who waited on
him 10 jail. as well as the astounded Jail
or, had carried the news of this strange
creature into the town. and clergymen.
r.aobor- lauror, .nl III. III -. .
vain to read the writing on the wall.
Something In the mans bearing made
the jailor treat him with consideration.
and the negro seryitors looked upon him
as a "conjuror, His hair was straight.
His features and form were as perfect a.
those ofan Apollo Belvidcre.
The bGatmans story made such an i'm
preston on both Governor Owen and his
brother, General Owen. who lived on the
opposite bank in a home almost as beau
titul as Owen Hil, that they determined
to 20 with the talkatIve captain and see
this singular captive for themselves.
Their first interview with Omeroh con.
WINGED both gentlemen that he was no
ordinary person., and was certainly not a
negro Governor Owen ordered that the
man should be made perfectly comfort
able, and IN a few weeks succeeded in
finding out that Omeroh had escaped
from a cruel overseer near Charleston, :. I
e. lie had been taken prisoner by ne
grCes Oft the coast of Africa aud sold 10
white traders. Charleston planter had
purchased him from these traders and
sent him to his cotton plantation. The
overseer was a coarse, brutal, ignorant
man and threatened to strike Omeroh.
This was too much for the hiyh-spirited
Arabian, who, as was afterward ascer-
tanned, was 40 years old, and had been a
hereditary prince Of the Foulah tribe 10
Arabia. Being feet footed, tall and
strong he succeeded in escaping to North
carolina. here he was arrested, and |
have a dim recollection of hearing that
the sheriff thought his explanations
made IN Arabic, were the rawlings of a
~lunatic.
In the meantime Governor Owen had
become 50 much interested in Omeroh-
aud the interest seemed to &c mutual. for
the poor captive was instinctively drawn
towards the courtly gentleman who treat
cd him so kIndly-that whenthe Charles
tonlan came TO claim his property, Gov
ernor wen paid hun about $500 or 81,
ouo, and became Omeroh's master.
Willingly he went with Governor Owen
to Owen Hill. He he was allo Eed to
wander at viii. and a neat cabin was fur
nI>hed hun. lie was patiently taught TO
speak English, and told his own story TO
ms noble hearted master. Omeroh was
d devout Mohammedan. Under the care
tai tutelage of Governor and General
Owen and the Presbyterian clergy, who
were always at home at Owen Hill, he
became a christian. The English idioms
puzzled him, and he asked Governor
Owen TO get him a Bible IN his own
tongue. This request Governor Owen
complied with at considerable expense
and trouble. After Omeroh's death this
BIB In Arabic was presented to the
library OF Davidson College, where it can
now he seen, bearing the marks of Uncle
MOroS constant use. Uncle Moro
was the name by which he was addressed
by the children of the family.
He was baptized by the pastor Of the !
Presbyterian church in Fayetteville, and
became a member of that church. His
membership was atterward transferred To
the First Presbyterian Church Of Viii
mingtOn, N G., of which church he died
a commitment. Soon after he became
Presbyterian Governor Owen offered him
his freedom. OmerOh declined it. He
SAID he had a wife and child liz Arabia.
who had doubtless forgotten him, and
that he feared he could not convert his
tribe by going tO them. He was installed
head butter at Owen Till. Often he
would sit on the broad veraudahs of the
house and let the children climb on his
knees, while he would ell them strange
stories of his native Arabia. He carried
the keys of Owen Hill and never BETRAYED
a single trust He was honest and faith
fuI always. l remember a striking photo I
graph of him, which one of his young {.
preserves with great care. !
This lady, though her hair is premature {
y gray, and her beautiful dark eyes
llmmed with tears, becomes handsome :
In her animation when she speaks |
If that dear old saint, Uncle Moro" S
She has sent me records Of Uncle Moro, t
| copy. The following was written
by a friend of her family in 1859. in which c
year Uncle Moro died. g
Uncle Moro is now well stricken in |
being according to his W account a
.~lghty-nine years. lie was born in Wes- e
ern Africa upon the banks ofthe Senegal 6
He belonged to the tribe of :
toulahs, but from which of the various :.
nations inhabited by this people he came !.
I Is difficult to ascertain. There is no I
loubt, however, that he is the most re- u
narkable of his tribe ever brought to
his country, and is now perhaps the
,nly one of his nation living in the
United States. One of the same was b
,ent back to Africa as early as 1913 by /
)glethorpe, another was ransomed and d
,ent to Liberia in 1888 besides these, t
lot more than two Foulah's were known a
u 1855 within the limits of the Southern Q
Omeroh was brought to this
.,,ntry IN ISa- 80, IT,. IL Ell a