The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1889-04-11
A STORY OF TWO SLAVES.
THE "RUNAWAYSn THE BEST MEN
UNDER FREE CONDITIONS

Men Who Eiudrd Their Master foi Ihrr"
Years Are Now w+II-to-Do Citizens.
| A few DAYS ago a gentleman in Haw-
4 kinsyllc. Ga, said:
1T is a strange fact, vet II is true, that
/ the negroes who were most persistent in
1 their efforts To eltldc masters whom they
hated and " ho were commonly called
runaway niggers, are the very h"et
citizens We uo~ have. | have watched
many Of them. and it has always turned
out that way. Negroes usually did not
run away from their masters on acc cunt
OF work, but because OF I'll treatment or
of natural dislike. and when they once
took an aversion to their master he
might as well make up his mind to sell
them To some one whom they liked, or
TO keep pack of hounds for The pur
pose of capturing them every time he
gave them chance Ia get away.
Not AFRAID OF THE DOCS.
do YOU see that old coiorcd man III
that buggy driving around the corner:
Well, that is old Dempsey Clarke, and
he is today one of the richest negroes in
swanps OF Georgia because he hated his
master and suffered untold hardship>
fighting for existence, yet he never did
give himself up until his master ia de-
spair, sold him to a neighbor named
Brown, who was good to h, slaves.
Then Dempsey and his brother came out
of the woods and went to work ON Mr.
Browns plantation, where they worked
until the war was over
81 remember the day that Dempsey
and his brother Bristow were brought
into liawkinsville. There was a big
sale that day and several thousand
slaves were brought in by the slave
traders. When Dempsey and Bristow
were put upon the block they we're bid
in by Mr. Coley, AN old planter who
was rich in land and slaves When Mr..
Coley bid them in, Dempsey said; we
don't lack yer. Mr.. Colcy. an Yer needil
buy us, 'kase We ain'l er gwiue ter live
wild We.
"'oh. we'll, Mr. Coley replied, I've
got plenty of dogs which meant that if
they ran away lie would capture them
with the keen scented hounds kept for
that purpose.
'''ie trade was consummated and
Dempsey and Brstow We're sent To Mi.
Coley's plantation. True to their word.
the third day after their arrival at the
plantation Dempsey and Bristow took to
the woods. They were captured once,
but before they were brought back to the
plantation they again made their escape,
AL tt...
that they would die before they would
ever he taken back TO Coleys plantation.
SOLD IN THE WOODS.
~ remember on one occasion Il party
of negro hunters struck the trail of Bris-
tow and Dempsey and chased them into
the cypress Jungle, and among the la
goons Just below Big Creek, near where
the creek runs into the Okmulgee. The
swamp was almost impenetrable, but the
hunters followed their dogs and app
preached within fifty yards of the run
away niggers.
"Whcn they were cornered the two
slaves opened fire upon their pursuers.
and as it was getting late in the evening
there was nothing left for them to do
but To retreat, which they did. After
trying To recapture his slaves for three
years Mr.. Coley finally gave up in de
spair and sold them in the woods to
"a Mr. Brown. of Houston county, Mr.
Brown WAS much liked by his slaves, and
as soon as it became generally known
that he had bought Dempsey and Bris-
tow the two slaves made their appear
ance in the village and gave themselves
up TO Mr.. Brown,
Il will never forget how they looked
when they came out Of that swamp.
Their hair and whiskers had not been
cut until they fairly met. and it seemed
to me that nothing was visible of the
face except two black eyes that looked
wildly at me- | never saw two men so
nearly like wild men ia my life, and
their clothing served to strengthen the
impression made by the first glance at
their faces. Mr.. Brown gave them
clothes and cared for them. and in IA
short while they were perfectly at home
on his plantation, where they remained
until after the war.
II do not know where Bristow is. but
am told that he is in Colorado, where
he went after the war, and that he OWLS
large mining interests there. He was "a
very bright negro. and always would
accumulate even as a slave. Dempsey