The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-13
ESCAPING FROM SLAVERY.
Using the Scent Of Onions to Throw the
Bl0odhoundS Off the Track.

A good many years ago. when the Republican
party was q baby-as portentous in strength
and promise of future achievements as the baby
Hercules who strangled the big snake in his
e-adle-there was a darby, rough, awkward,
Aigboned fellow, In the city, who rang the
bell for auction sales by Joe Little and William
Wiley, and others, by the name of Rhodes He
had been slave in one of the Gulf States, but
made his escape and came North, finally settling
here. One day, when in a laxative mood
moved thereto, probably, by glass of ''suthin'"
previously, he related to the editor of the
Journal at that time, e singular Incl
which, in the han sas' of f0 competent 01pssse
narrator, might be made as dramatic as the
escape of Mrs. Stoves Eliza" on the floating
ice blocks of the Ohio The present narrator
possessing no ability in that direction, or any
the hero of it. Rhodes had been i'll used and
refractory and got whipping. He appropriated
drawing knife and as much food as he could
carry in his pockets and ran away late in the
night. He knew he would be followed with
bloodhounds to track him, and his only chance
was to put running stream, down or up which
he could wade, 80 as to destroy the scent" be-
tween him and mis- deadly pursuers. His situa-
tion was something like that of ''Tam O'Shan-
ter and his mare Meg with the witches:
DO thy speedy utmost, Meg,
And win the key-stane o the brig;
There at them thou thy tail may toss
running stream they dare cross"
The bloodhounds would lose the scent of their
game in the water, and if it could escape to
remote point of emergence from that of entrance
1t had fair chance to escape altogether. Rhodes
tried this resort at the stream he knew lay in
his way, but the stratagem failed him. The
'sleuth" dogs somehow discovered the trail on
the other side of the stream, and kept up a close
pursuit Tired, hungry and desperate, he found
''save quarters garden on MS road and
entered it to steal something to eat. He found
some sweet potatoes partially grown and
large bed of onions He got all he
wanted of these and kept on. The blood
hounds gained upon him while he
halted in the garden. and kept gaining after
wards. Necessity is the mother of invention"
In his desperate strait sure of being captured
In few minutes, returned to slavery and
whipped to death, or near it, he bethought
himself of his onions. 1t may be that he had
heard before of their efficacy in obscuring scent,
and recalled it in the agonizing energy of his
thoughts At all events, he sat down. pulled off
his ragged old shoes split an onion, and rubbed
the juicy surfaces all over his feet. Then he
split another and used that the same way Then
he made all speed to dense swampy woods and
place of onion painting The dogs came up
to the spot where he had ''squatted,"
as confidently as if they had seen the runaway
there, and there they were puzzled. There was
around and no other indicated where the darkey
had gone who had sat there The hunt broke
mp in confusion. The dogs could go no further,
and the huntsmen had to give up the chase.
Rhodee kept on, travelling mainly by night, and
living on poached garden stuff and the plumber
of hen-roosts, till he reached the Ohio and
crossed. He didn't come to Indianapolis for
some time after his escape, but the narrator be-
lieves he remained during the rest of life He
was always crippled from the effects of that long
chase and the seventies he had suffered be-
fore it.