The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-03-24
Ottawa, H.. March -. 1855.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
A Few of the Points Concerning tho SEQ
ond Escapc Of the Negro Berkiey
Lisbon from slavery.
BERKLEy's TRIP TO Fixes PEAK.


A party of men In the township of Rut.
land fitted out some teams In the spring OF
1859 to go by land to the golden Eldorado.
The company was headed by Aaron Dan
ie,s. who had the honor Of being an old
,49er. He had crossed the wide plains
with teams In that year; upon arriving had
collected before his return quite an amount
OF gold and, In company with man who
had crossed the plains with him, by the
name of j ohm Halcrom, had, while hunting
In the mountains shot and killed grizzly
bear that weighed over 800 lbs. Such
man Berkeley thought would be the right
one TO go with across the plains to Pixies
Peak. This same man Daniels was the
one who made fuss because Berkeley was
10 school In his district, and was more than
particularly "down on niggers" The rest
of the crowd being Of the same mind, the
writer advised Berkeley, as did others, to
not 90 In that crowd, as they would be very
likely to get him into slavery, for the whole
crew believed In the institution The night
before they started the writer talked over
an hour with Berkeley to keep him from
going, telling him he would be very likely
not to get through Missouri. If he did,
and got to the Peak, the rag tag of every
locality were the principal ones going, and
among them the average niger would
stand poor show. He said in reply that
he wanted to get money. and If there was
gold out there to De had tor digging, he
could dig his share, and would run his
chances and go, One Of the last things
said to him was: you will never get
through Missouri; that crowd will sell you
into slavery"
When they arrived In st. Joe, Mo-, the
teams MADE Il halt on the streets. The men
struggled off, leaving Berkeley to watch one
of the teams. Presently a man stepped of
the sidewalk and wished 10 SEQ his pass.
He told him he had none, that he WAS u
free man from Illinois, which he could
prove by Mr.. Daniels. The man stood by
him until Mr.. ID. came. Mr. d., being
asked 1t he WAS free man, said he did not
know. The man then told Berkeley to come
along; but he then told him man by the
name OF Parker would tell him he was a
free man. But when Parker came be pu,
on the same air of didn't know anything
about II that Daniels had This finished
II, and Berkeley was taken TO jail. He was
advertised three months, and then sold. A
slave dealer bought him, and after making
up his lot put them on board steamboat
for southern state.
Berkeley had made a trip down the rive
once, and II fate would help him, wal
down south wouldn't get him again. T,
fool the trader he acted cheerful, but hi
did not feel 30. This would Incline tn,
trader TO not mistrust or watch him 81
sharply. The boat steamed on down. an,
Berkeley began to feel nervous Abou, thi
time he found horseshoe nail, and h
y Ucut ~ Win uis tcctu w ouSh !" Woy shn'
would unlock the lock that held the iro
shackles on his wrists The next place tn
boat stopped at was Memphis, Tenn. Tn
slave dealer came down on deck as usus
70 watch his niggers and see that non
slipped of. After the boat pulled out h
went up stairs again. Berkeley, after tn
boat got short distance below the cit,
tried the horseshoe nall; II worked a
right. Leisurely walking to the gangway
he sat down with his feet hanging of
The shackles were unlocked, but had tn
appearance Of not being SO. Sitting ther
he slipped them down into the water. an