The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-12-29
A Free Negro Sold into Slavery
at His Own Request.

sitting at the Grand Hotel last evening
( I heard one of the strsngeSt ronanees o.
modern times-strange bcc.ii1se Il va,
true. How do know il l. true9 Well
I the nan who told it Is one Of Ohio'-
F weIlihiest citizens. and q man who does
not tell what he Is unable 70 substantiate.
But 20 tie story. As near Is I nov ~
member, it ran as follows
In IS47 I was 4 steward on the Golden
Age, one Of the largest passenger boats
running between Cincinnati and New
Orleans. Il vas N the DAYS before rail-
roads and telegrlms, and when slavery
was at its prime. d" Well, one day strap
ping negro entered ms office. just as we
were about TO sail. and asked ME how I
would ike 20 go into a speculation with
him that would make Us q good deaf Of
money. I was young then and willing to
10 most anything 70 make money that
was honest, and I told him TO proceed
with his proposition
Well" he said. d" il Is as follows
am a. likely "A negro as can be found. I
am q free man what want 10 do is Tor
YOU t. take me to New Orleans and sell
me into slavery. am worth $500 You
sell NE and I will do what is righ with
You
His proposition took nay breath away
N first IL was 20 startling
Do YOU want to 20 buck into slavery 2'
I asked, astJuished.
No. indeed, / does not he enswered.
And vet You want 10 be soId?'
sure, sir, but Tse a likely niger, and
III soon be back on your banis again"
4 reasoned with the fellow in vain
He knew of no way OF making money 50
easily is being sold. [ hesit4ted TO ap-
pear in the role of a slave dealer. was
opposed 10 slavery in every form, out as
I thought over the subject I concluded
there would be nothing wrong in selling
the man. and at the last moment yielded
To his wishes and took him with me.
Upon arriving at New Orleans al
once proceeded TO the slave market, which
in 1871 was one Of the principe business
places OF tine city. I made my object
known. and the next afternoon 1 was in
formed that the sale would take place 1
gave Charley, that was his first name,
into the custody OF the brokers. and left
the market
You can rest assured that | was on
hand early the next day, and when Char
ley appeared hardly knew him. He
had been dressed up in 4 new plantation
suit, and had a smart cap on his head
His sleeves and trousers were turned up.
The bidding WAS lively, and you can i'm
agine my feelings, perhaps, As I saw a
human being sold like horse, and know
ing / was responsible for it. The auction
eers would run Charley up and down the
street like horse, and the planters
would feel Of his legs and ankles 10 see if
there were any blemishes When 81 100
was bid the man was declared sold to a
prominent planter, who gave me sIO0Oin
cash, and a mortgage for the rest. tell
you il was not with the pleasantest feel
ings that started on the return trip. af-
ter having sold 4 fellow creature into
slavery
Well. 70 make long story short, on
the third or fourth trip after that was
awakened one night by a tap on my state
room door. and was astonlshed to find
Charley waiting on the outside. took
him down the river with me and again
sold him at Yicks5arg. A month later
he turned up again. and I sold him at
private sale Oh the boat Mont s rolled
on. and I had sold Charley at nearly eve
~ port on the river. and then COM
menced to trade MIN OF and get boot
money. I would then sell the slaves
trided fo-, or gave them their liberty,
whichever they preferred, but Is my
slaves were nearly all old men they chose
to he resold I was doing thriving busi-
ness in the slave line, and bad quite a
name on the river At the end Of the
year the mortgages began 70 Esll due, and
I collected them with grea regularity.
1 sold Charley ff;een times in all, and
we divided S25,00J or $4,000 between Us
as the result Of our business
As selling an escaped slave was against
the law. and I had sold Charley fifteen
times, We had to end Our profitable in
vestment."
What became Of Charley?'' asked his
friend
He went to Canada for awhile, was
married and had quite a family His
name is Charles Fields, and he Is now
living at Lafayette, Ind, ora town near
there. and Is a barber by occupation.
What he did with his money I do not
knos. but there are no times now like
the ol5 ones," and the speaker softly
chtukIeI o. himself and the story was