New-York tribune., 1895-10-07
TWO "NIGGER-STEALERS."
ruEy WERE FAITHFUL SERVANTS Cf
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

.cainst the institution OF American slavery ie"
Years preceding the Civil War. the writer "o''e
vas IN the West. Therefore he cannot from per
.onaI knowledge say how far the 'hue' s,o"'i"
railroad was popularity understood OF resa ueu /"
the East Put from what he has since learned ne
- inclined to think that the East knew very httle
.hou, IT, the men concerned in 1t. their methous
ar us Importance as factor IN bringing ABOUT
the conditions that made emancipation OF 'he
saves inevitable Even good Aboh'oh's's III 'he
East favored words more than oeeos' ~ 'no'e
vIrI,e forcefulness animated the Western spirit.
Moral convictions in the East prouuVe" ora'o'S'
in the West heroes and martyrs
:, ,s ,o. strange that the Eastern public should
hev. known little about the Underground Rail-
road Pro-slavery newspapers habituaHy repre-
sen,ed the men engaged I'm II as rather worse IMAM
The road agents OF the western wilds or the mead
hunters Of Rorneo; and the few Journals that
s.od % manifest anti-slavery predictions either
. .c,octad 20 t~eAt the Underground Railroad as
mvth o. tnid;y deprecated the lawlessness OF the
,o,s ascribed TO its agents. And who might say
,.ss for himself than the Underground Railroad
man even had ne cared to set himself right IN
,onular estimation? Surrounded In the North by
,o,,,es eager 10 imprison him and In the South by
toes hot 10 XII him: conscious that he was. pfac
.,calv single handed fghting battle 10 the death
.gs,ns, the social. capitalistic religious. political
-, and military forces OF nation he was natu-
,uv diaident about inviting attention 10 his per-
o,olitv or telling what he might be doing.
A, no nojnt Oh the border line between the free
s,s slave States was the work Of the Underground
Rauroad better systematzed or more active than
n Cincinnati and the writer's associations. as one
=, a family Of conscientious Abol!tionisis. made
him to some extent a parucipator In IFS operations
and brought him into intimate acquaintance with
,r,ober OF Is most devoted. vigorous and daring
agents
Among those men were ;vo-one white the other
Nack-whom he recalls with sincere affection and
admiration for their heroic courage and self-abne-
rat,on. and now that tine has modified the re-
card IN which their deeds we're once held by the
unsv,nnathe,ic multitude. IT seems fitting that an
Effort should be made 10 save their memories from
oblivion.
GEORGE FAIRFIELD.
The white man known 10 tho Cincinnati Abo-
ut,onlsts as George Fairfield was V!rsnian. son
~ an old aristocratc family Of wealthy slave
owners and in his youth had been trained to
deem masterhood his birthright. He had already
been several years In the Underground Railroad
service when he came to Cincinnati but was still
young man or medium height, or. perhaps even
a little less he would not have been remarked by
casual observers as exceptionally strong man.
yet few professional athletes so perfect in their
physical development az he was His eyes were OF
a pa,e steel-blue tint. pleasant and even merry
when he was in a good humor. simply ferocious
when his temper WAS aroused Energy and de
termination We're Indicated by his broad square
Jaw. but as whole his features were regular
and their expression frank and pleasing. His hair
was brown. fine and naturally curly, and he habiu
ally kept it cropped short 20 accommodate Wig
which was often an important part OF the dls'
euises he assumed.
His original disposition-if orc might Judge from
his physlognomy-was probably impetuous and
her demcnstra;ive. but experience had schoo,ed
him to repression until he had become reserved
and retiring IN manner. It was very difficult to
draw from him any relation Of his exploits, and
simply impossible 10 get him 10 speak OF any cor
ternplaied undertaking. Necessity for caution had
given him a habit Of mystery When he was in
the city certain friends knew where TO find him at
almost any moment, but a stranger would have
been much puzzled to discover his address. which
was hardly ever the same two days together.
nd then he was likely disappear suddenly. and
be gone for a month more. When he returned
from those absences ne would often bring with
him handbills and pacards. printed at various
places In the South Offering rewards o. from $500
10 500 for "his head. dead alive. Those things
seemed to amuse him and he made collection
of them.
PENETRATING THE ENEMYS COUNTRY.
For most men the provisions Of the Fugitive
Slave law infused satisfying amount OF risk into
the carrying through the so-called free States Of
fugtlves who had managed 10 bring themselves
across the border from the South But that was
too tame for George Fairfield. who seemed TO love
danger for It's own sake. The greater part OF his
work was done south of Mason and Dixons Line;
often very much south, even as far down as Ala
bama. and most OF those rewards for his head
were mementos OF trips 10 Tennessee His sol
larry but highly effective invasions OF the sacred
soil were almost always at the instance OF some
former slave who. having himself escaped TO
freedom able TO pay al least part OF the actual
expenses Of a man daring enough TO go 10 his ola
home and bring away a wife. child or some beloved
relative or friend Few able TO themselves de-
fray the entire cos, Of such an enterprise. even
though 1t involved not dollar beyond actual eX-
penses but means We're never lacking, ana those
who provided them deemed themselves repaid by
the fact that George always brought away more
fugltivcs than the one two for whom he might
have been specially sent. Sometimes. when such
definite engagements were lacking. his desire for
excitement TO vary the nonotony OF existence would
start him off IN search of saves who might be
glad Of help 10 run away. and then ne always went
TO some place where his head had been in urgent
request and the results Of his recurrent visit would
surely exasperate slave-owners to frenzy.
George Fairfield possessed rare skin in conceal
ment OF his personality He not only made him
self up as the actors say. 70 look an assumed
character but seemed able TO submerge and Jose
his individuality in the role he played and was
EQUALLY at cas-, in either OF number Of carefully
:udied approximations. His moral perceptions.
mental processes modes OF expression and even in
iona tions OF voice and seemingly unconscious tricks
2f manner and gesture were In every case dis
tlnctive of the he pretended to be, and were
never by any accident transferred from one as
sumption to another. The wandering Campbellite
Raptist exhorter was his favorite Disguise and no
genuine one could preach a more moving sermon
than he surpass MIN in fervency Of prayer. or lead
the hymns with greater earnestness and vocal
ability Again and again he was the prime mover
In highly successful revival meetings. and many
sinners were called to repentance and caused 10
<neel at the mercy seat by his fervid appeals. And
upon each occasion the sudden disappearance Of the
s1horter a mysterious exodus Of human chattes
and great excitement ard rage among despoed
masters were inevitable results
Sometimes he Connemara man. looking FOR
work or a place 10 settle. and occasionaHy-when