The Washington critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1889-1889, 1889-06-22
A SLAVE GIRL.

your many readers who have grown to
adult age since the great rebellion
closed, and who know but little, IL any.
thing, Of that system of "incurable in
justice" that existed so long In our
country, A series of articles from the
pen OF Mr.. Fairbank, who passed many
years of his life in Kentucky prisons,
would be read with great interest at the
present day, and would excite as much
curiosity as did the narrative of Messrs
Robins and Riley, who were captured
and held by the Algerines. The 81 900
check handed by Mr.. N. Longworth,
one Of the earliest millionaires OF the
West, tells how easy II Is for us TO err
In our estimate Of the character of men.
j remember, few years before 1860. a
wonderfully beautiful slave girl was
sold on an auction block In New Or
leans and bid off by . gambler for the
sum of $1,000. Thank God! the world
moves. Where once stood the auction
block OF the slave Is now the school
house, and where the slave pen Is now
The church. Let us educated educated
JAMES A. BRfe0s
Brooklyn, June z, 1880.
EPISODE IN An ABoLrT1oNrsT's CAREER
When n just and adequate history of
The abolition movement shall be written
a prominent place must be given to the
life OF Calvin Fairbank, who, though he
still lives In an unpretentious farm
house In the outskirts OF Angelica, N.
", was as true martyr TO the cause of
human liberty as Elijah Parrish Love.
Joy or John Brown. The following IL
a thrilling incident Of his remarkable
career, as told by him TO q correspondent
Of the Philadelphia Press.
'One day in March, 1913, while look.
ing through the Jail at Lexin gton, Ky,
my attention was attracted to one of
the prisoners. young woman of ex.
quisiie figure and singular beauty
asked the jailer who she was, and, to
my surprise, for she was rs white MS a
lily, he told me she was slave girl
named Eliza, the daughter of her mas
ter, who q few. days later was to sell her
upon the block of the New Orleans
market, impelled by the jealousy of his
wife, because the slave girl was su-
perior TO her own daughters. Then
talked to the girl. ] found that she was
intelligent as well MS beautiful, and /
resolved TO exert every effort to save so
magnificent creature from so sad q
fate. told her that | would 20 to
Cincinnati and do my best to raise the
money with which to purchase her
freedom.
/ hurried away and sought that old
hero and apostle Of freedom, Levi
Coffin. He gave me prompt and gen
erous assistance, and In a short time we
raised 5000. ] then laid the case be.
fore Salmon p. Chase, afterward Sena.
tor, Secretary Of the Treasury and
Chief Justice, who gave me 5000 more
and went with me TO see Nicholas Long
worth, The latter was worth millions,
but he was never known to give dol
lar for anything. We feared nothing
would come of our appeal to him, but
decided to appeal TO him, as II cost us
nothing.
:" Mr.. ,Lopgworth,' said Chase, after
we were seated in the little crib which
the millionaire called his office, do you
consider yourself Christian
=" j am not avery good one, was the
reply; :, ~p"
wen, we nave got case mere that
appeals to both humanity and Chris.
tianity. Mr.. Fairbank will tell you
aboutitS 'f .&s t7.g
II told the story. Longworth listened
In silence, and, when was through,
hitched nervously in his chair, drew
his check book from a drawer and be-
gan filling out check. While he was
writing Chase whispered:
1--WE willg about $50 from him.
"A moment later Longworth wheeled
around and handed me the check; il
was 81 900. You see the miser, as they
called him, hadn't such q stinted nature
after all. A number of free colored
people raised and gave me 5000 more,
and, when ] went back to Lexington
the day before the time appointed for
the sale, carried S2,275. Moreover,
in my pocketbook was an agreement
signed by Chase, Longworth and
William Howard, another rich Gin
cinnatian, empowering me to draw
upon them, II necessary, to the extent
of $25, 600. The sale took place In the
public square and was attended by fully
1000 people, drawn there by desorip.
tions of the girls comeliness and ru-
mors of the effort that was to be made
to save her.
The best people Of the town were
there, and a number Of strangers from
Boston, New York and Philadelphia
were also present, curious and horror
stricken. But one man appeared to bid
against me, squat-fgured, broad.
sllouldered, thick.necked, bullet headed
Frenchman from New Orleans, who, /
was told, made it his business to attend
the sales of young girls and purchase
them for n fate worse than death.
Eliza, when placed upon the block,
seemed ready to drop for fear and
shame. The auctioneer began his
work by pointing out her beauties. con.
Guiding with:
"'What am ] offered for hery
Five hundred, l cried.
THE New Orleans man raised my
bid 800. bid 300; he $500; I 5000
he 81 900; i 81, 100; he 81, 200. When
] raised his last bid to $1,000 the
Louisianian turned to me with an ugly
look and said
How high are you going to bidT
Higher than you, monsieur | re.
pHeu,
HE turned away and bid 81 1895. |
raised the bid to 81 $50. He, after
few moments hesitation, made It 81
875. again went him one better and
made 1t : 400 Once more he turned
TO me and said
" How high are you goingy'
" None Of your business, sir, but you
haven't money enough TO buy this
girl
After my bid of 81 400 both the
Frenchman and | bid slower, both be-
Ing resolved TO have the call when the
hammer fell. The auctioneer grew i'm.
patient and raved and cursed, crying;
"fGive, give
Finally, he dropped his hammer and
tearing open ELIAS waist.
Look, gentlemen he cried. Who