Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-03-04

soon a lot of small boats loaded with
niggers put ont and came alongside
the ship. They were unloaded and
dumped below, where everything
was ready to receive 'em. Well, to
make long story short, when they
got through we had nearly 600 niggers
below matches. They was all slowed
away like behring's in box. Then
we trimmed ship and sailed away
Our course lay for several days due
east, and the skipper kept sharp
lookout all the time, I can tell you I
don't exactly remember what attitude
we was in when we sighted sail far
astern, but I know it sent Skipper
Gordon aloft with his glass in hand.
He must have been up in the cross
tree for nearly an hour, and durin all
this time he never once shifted that
glass from the little black spot at sea.
When he did come down he called
his mates and hurried into the cabin,
They was all in there about half an
hour, when they came out and gave
orders to set every stitch of canvass.
All hands went to work and in short
time the ship was driven through the
water with studdin' sails, skyhils,
royal and skv-scrapers all bell1ed out
with the stiff breeze. But all the
same, the vessel astern was gainin' on
u.s.
"When the skipper seed this he
whispered to his mates, and the first
we knew orders were given to bring
the niggers up, from below. They
were brought up in squads and chain
ed together with heavy cables. When
the first squad was fixed Skipper Cor
don ordered the crew to toss 'em over
board. It went against the better
feelin's o the men, can tell you, but
it had to be done, 'cause if we'd re-
fused we'd likely as not been shot
down. Well, sir, squad after squad
of the poor niggers was chucked over
board in this way, until maybe there
warn't more than a hundred left be-
low. Then we seed that the vessel
astern was nearin' us rapidly. She
was chasin' us, and l knowed she was
revenue cutter. Jest then the skip
per had another talk with his mates,
and pretty soon the latter came ait
and ordered the small boats of'n their
davits and us sailors to take to them.
The mates took charge o. the two
boats. After putting provisions and
water in 'em we pulled away. I heard
the first mate Begin the skipper to 60
with him, but he wouldn't do it, and
SO when we pulled off IN open sea
there wasn't a sound aboard the SLAYER
but Skipper Gordon and the niggers
below.
cit was a good many years after
before I heard nything about the fate
of Skipper Gordon and the ship.
When we pulled away we could see
her until night set in, but the next
morning she was nowhere Our
small boats met a clipper ship on the
third day, bound for Liverpool, and
the mates told yarn about us bein'
wrecked, and we were taken on board.
At Liverpool we all parted company
but as [ say, SOME years afterward I
happened to ship ON vessel whose
skipper was the first mate Of the
SLAYER. He recognized me, and we
had long talk about that voyage to
| the Zanzibar coast for niggers. Then
he told me what had happened to
Skipper Gordon. 1t seems he stayed
aboard the ship till she was taken by
the other vessel, which proved to be a
government cutter. The SLAYER was
lconveyed to New York and the war
Twas goin' on then, and things was
shot. Gordon laid IA that there jail
for over two yaars. He was tried q
couple O. times and the jury disagseed
each time. They went to him and
told him they'd give hina his liberty if
he'd tell who fitted him out for the
African coast, but he kept his lips
closed and wouldn't tell anything.
There was some big men In New York
and Boston behind the skipper, and
they shook III their boots for fear he'd
squeal. The skipper had plenty of
money when he went to jail, but he
had to buy certain favors and paysshis
lawyers, so that in two years he was
broke.
He had a wife and little boy over
in Brooklyn. His wife never missed
a day that she didn't 60 over to the
jail and remain with her husband,
always, takin' the child when the
weather was right. But she'd go rain
or shine. She was brave little WON
an and fought like hero for her hus-
band. After a wAile the skipper
worked it SOS that deputy sheriff
used to take him over to his own house
on Saturday nights and stay with him
until just before daylight on Monday
mornin', when the two'd go back to
Jail.
"Along toward the last after the
second jury disagreed, they used to
let him go home alone. He had to
pay heavily for the privileges though.
Several times, while he was out on
his own hook, the hackers of the slav-
er urged him to quit the country, Of
ferin' him plenty O. money to go with
But he wouldn't break his parole. He
was in Jail when Lincoln's proclama-
ton freein' all the niggers was made.
Then his friends thought he'd get off.
When the third trial came off he was
convicted and sentenced to be publicly
hanged.
THAT was up to within six weeks
O. the time when ne used to have the
privilege to go home O. nights. His
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