The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1888-01-13

this at once won their commences. inoy
were Union men from various parts of
East Tennessee. Many Of them had been
In prison for six or eight months, and the
offenses charged varied from that of sim
ply prcferring the old government to the
new, slave built Confederacy, 10 that OF
bridge burning. or OF being helpers of the
Union army The latter were called spies.
Ono of them was blind, the Confedcratcs
accusing him OF only feigning blindness;
but from all 1 could observe, think it
was real.
was greatly interested in tho one negro
In this miserable place. He was very
frieadly and anxious To be of service to US
In any possible. way. Some days after my
arrival he was taken out and brought back
again after an hour or so, seeming to be in
good deal OF suffcrn;. His story, which
ho gave as IL it were the most ordinary
thing in tho world, moved me to indigna-
ton which would glnlly have expressed
il some way moro vigorous than words.
lie was arrested cnl imprisoned on sus-
piclon of being u fugitive slave. Tho law
in such cases did not put the burden Of
proof ON the person arrcSting but on tho
n.gro. Alcck had been treated as Law and
cu5tom provided. lie was first carefully
examined, and whipped till he made some
kind Of confessions; then he was put in
iii, and advertised in accordance with
That confession. IL n master appeared and
proved property, he was obliged to pay oil
jail and whipping fees, cosLs Of ndvertis-
il and q liberal reward to the person ar
resting; and then, usually logging the
f,,tl l,n
expense lie had caused, he could take his
property. But IL no answer came to the
advertisement, il was taken for granted
that the negro lied, and he was brought
out anil logged into n new confession,
after which he was remanded to Jail and
again advertised. Thus they continued,
If no master appeared, flogging and adver-
Using, for year, when the poor fellow
was sold at public auction, and the pro-
ceeds applied to pay the expenses of all
these barbarous infections! No trial was
allowed 10y which the negro might prove
himself free. When once arrested, unless
lie happened to have some powerful white
friend, his doom was sealed; and in this
way, in the old slavery times, many a
freed negro found his way back into bond
age.
No answer having been received to the
advertisement for Aleck. he had been
taken out for one of his periodical whip
pings. lie had now been in this prison
for seven months, and was to remain five
more, with no prospect but that ofebeing
sold into perpetual bondage. We pitied
him from the bottom Of our hearts, and
are glad to believe that, il he lived, the
triumph Of the Union armies relieved him
from his dreadful position. These things
were not all ascertancd on the same even
ing, though several OF them were, for did
all could to get complete mastery Of
my surroundings, that / might he ready
for any possibility of escape. Bnt the
chances were slight indeed. The floor
and the walls were Of solid oak, many
inches thick, q circle of guards was all
the time on duty outside: und the only
egress was by means of q ladder put down
in tho presence Of the jailer and strong
guard.
As we werc talking in the darkness, we
heard the tramp Of many feet on.the out
81 lie stairway, with the clank OF chains,
and listened TO learn what next was
coming to pass. The noise came over
head, and then the trap door opened and n
stream of comparatively cool air poured
down from the room above, and drew in
our narrow windows. We
brcathed with sense Of indcscribable re-
l.ef-drinking in the air as the desert
traveller drinks from the mountain broolzi
oh! what luxury it would be, il that
trap door could only be kept opcnl 1t
might have been if our life or comfort had
been valued by those in authority.
A number of men were seen above by
the feeble glimmer Of the jailcr's candle,
and tho long ladder was thrust down and
seized by man below to prevent it from
some head, and it was clear that
others were being sent down. The Ten
cried out: "Don't put any moro
down here. We're full Well die If any
moro are put down."