Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-09-21
STORIES ABOUT L0VEJOY.
How the Great Abolitionist Aided Fugi.
tive Slaves to Escape,

/
tive Slaves to Escape.
| From the Cornhill Msgazine.l
He was of massive frame and stood
upon the ground with a firmness calculated
to resist all the pressure that could be
| brought to bear on one man. He ives of
medium hight, with a broad chest and
shoulders that gave him the appearance of
an athlete; his head fit to crown this
frame-broad forehead, brown hair, blue
eyes that could smile or fash, straight
nose, large mouth and jaw that had the
decision of a Court of last appeal. This
was the man who, from lS40-64, in Con-
gress and in the West, lived and worked
for the abolition cause. Yet he had the
gentle, winning manners of woman, and
was cordial alike to friend and foe, to
young and old. He had learned we'll the
lesson of self-control, for he says: "When
/ was boy used to strike back at every
dog who barked at me as | rode along the
highway, but have ceased doing so long
since, and let them bite the iron that en-
circles the wheel" 1t was in his family
he was best and greatest; there he gave all
the love of warm and generous heart,
and no member ever heard from him even
a reproving word; look was all that was
ever inflicted.
During his long stay at Princeton his
house was the station where all trains on
the Underground railway" stopped for
dinner, and that road did a large passenger
business. His house and barn were full of
fugitive negroes from year to year. Late
one Saturday night twelve stalwart blacks
came crouching into the house fleeing from
pursuit. He gave them shelter, took the
round dozen to church the next morning,
and used them in his sermon as an illustra-
tion of the iniquities of slavery. He was
| frequently arrested for violation of the
| fugitive slave law, paid his fines and al
WAYS announced to the Court where the
| next anti-slsvery meeting was to be held.
A fugitive slave was once captured in
the harvest field and taken to the Court
house for preliminary trial before being
returned South. The affair created great
excitement in the neighborhood The
anti-slavery members of the district were
soon summoned, and leaving their plows
in the burrows, climbed on their harnessed
horses and came galloping to town. Love-
| Joy lived about three-quarters of mile
from the village. He was at once notified
and his feet Kentucky mare was soon in
front of the Courthouse where he pre-
sented himself in his slippers. He entered
| the Courthouse, walked straight up to
the negro and cut the rope, put the knife
in his hand, and with the assistance of a
few friends rushed him out of the room,
and then pointing out the mare told him
to ride for his life The frantic negro
| ., IaA ,r.1Jf,, Io holtar .o,,araI -
and gashed the shoulder of the mare, but
managed to mount, and was off like the
wind. What a race was that The
crazy, frightened fugitive far ahead, dig
ging with his heels the sides and beating
with his black fists the shoulders of the
flying race-horse The "embattled Aboli-
tion farmers" galloping madly after him,
the jangling chains of the harness striking
the legs of their clumsy horses, rushed to
what they knew would be the asylum of
the fugitive.
| The negro, trembling with fright, rushed
| into the house and was concealed by Mrs.
Loveioy Her husband was among the first
to arrive, having lost both slippers on the
way, followed by officers, slave-catchers,
and howling mob. He planted himself
just inside the gate, and in quiet voice,
but with intense fury, warned any man
against putting a foot inside the gate.
There stood Lovejoy, and there stood the
crowd, both wrought to the highest pitch
of anger. The aspect of the crowd was
frightening, but the face of Lovejoy was SO
terrible that not man dared approach
him. While this was happened in front of
the house, man with a black face was
seen to emerge from window and go sour
rying off across the fields. He was fol-
lowed by the entire pack of blood-hounds,
and when caught proved to be deacon in
Mr.. Lovejoy's church. While the mob
were chasing the deacon, man under
broad -brimmed straw hat walked quietly
to the barn. This was the fugitive, and
he was soon in the bottom Of wagon
filled with wool, and on his way to Canada
and to freedom.