Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-03-12
HOW HE REACHED FREEDOM
Job Yancey from Columbia to PrOvI-
dsnCe as a Corpse.
From the Noa0 York Tribune

from tfle N6Lp YORK. IfiONhe.
BosToN, March 6.-"Do / remember
any incidents ofthe underground railroad
that haven't got into print? said an old
AbolitiOnist and slave-rescuer the other
night in response to a question. swell,
there is one story that l don't remember
TO have been In the books or the papers.
In 1853, just IN the height OF the agitation,
s., our agent at Columbia, S. c., had
occasion to ticket middle-age negro, JOD
Gancey by name, through to Providence,
K. l., by the underground. Job had shell
tered a runaway in mis- cabin and had
been betrayed by another negro. He
learned the situation and came into Co
lumbia in the middle OF the night. There
was no hope OF concealing him. Our
agent had thought of new means OF ship
ment, that he had never tried. This was
his opportunity to try il, for job was clear
grit. strong with the well knit strength of
middle age, and patient as his namesake.
Is got out large coffin that he had
kept for the emergency, and into this COT
fin he put poor Job, and with him guam
tity Of crackers. cheese, dried meat, and
rubber bag full of water. A few gimlet
holes admitted air. On the first train in
the morning Job Yancey went of, shipped
as corpse to a chosen address in Proyi-
dence. Trainmen were generally respect
full OF the dead in those days, and Job
Travelled comfortably for time, barring
the hours that he occasionally lay on some
depot platform in the broiling Southern
sun. Travel was slow, and sometimes
the treatment was little rough. Job
after day or so began to get
exceedingly lame with the con-
fnement aud pressure, his grim berth
grew irksOme, but it was when the loud
shouts and laughter of his own kind died
away around him, and when that and the
sickening chill came over him when they
dumped him one night on the stone floor
OF cold baggage room somewhere told
him that he was in the North, that he be-
gan to suffer. The mere consciousness
that he was In the North might have
buoyed him up, however, if it had not
been for one dreadful circumstance.
"There was sort of faint CLEAN around
him that told 1t was day, and he must
have been in New York, for he saws that
he had been carried across some water by
the sensation of rising and falling That he
had felt. He had felt himself ratified along
in a wagon, too, and the wagon had
brought up in place where he had heard
the CHATTER and the roar of trains again.
His coffin was dragged violently out of
the wagon, aud when his bearers put him
down they stood the coffin against a wall
on its head. Job began to feel the blood
rushing to his head. He felt that he was
lost and would die, but he dared not shout
for help. That would mean discovery, a
delivery to his owners, and worse than
death. Better die there; even horrible
death from torture, than be carried back
to his masters plantation. He chung to
his determination, but at last felt mis-
weakened senses give away. His con-
sciousness, after minutes OF agony, which
seemed hours, was lost.
When he recovered Job had actually
arrived at Providence and his neW-found
friends were using their best endeavors to
restore him. In few days he was able
to step ont into the world in home IN a
chosen village"