The Portland daily press., 1896-01-04

~N0O~
slave in the cellar, who begged him so
piteously to buy him that he finally con-
sented, and paid Blow s4oO for him. He
did the act merely out OF compassion
for SCOTT, as he hold no other slaves, and
had NO particular need for one
DR.. Emerson employed SCOTT around
his office until, in 1884, having been ap-
pointed as an army surgeon, he took him
with him to Rock Island, ILL.,, where he
had been ordered. Although Scott had
ample opportunity in going into this
free country to leave his master, he took
no advantage of it, though he evidently
knew of his chance, and was, at one time
In particular. urged to accept it if he saw
lit This special opportunity came about
in this way: On being transferred to the
allurements of military life, bred did not
show any disposition to mend his ways,
but, on the contrary, allowed himself
more and more dissipation in the way of
his favorite sin of gambling. To correct
this disposition DR.. Emerson finally
threatened that he would whip him after
the next offense. Immediately after,
Scott went out and in one fell swoop lost
his shotgun, his watch and his suit of
clothes over the festive board. Compelled
by the necessities of the case to tell his
master, he was told by the latter to pre-
pare for his tiogging. 'sDr. Emerson,
said the negro. EFF yo' tech me with that
whip I'll run away" "All right" said
the doctor, ''you run, and he proceeded
with the ceremony. Then. taking the
negro to the door, he pointed across the
river and said: "There's the State of lii
nois; just step across there and you'll be
free When the doctor went to dinner,
SCOTT app 9ared as usual behind his chair.
II Thought you were going to run away"
said DR.. Emerson. Guess / know enough
not TO run away from home" replied
Scott, and he made no more threats of
doing SO.
But Dr. Emerson did mora than act as
a kind master to Scott; he provided him
with wife, and both this wife and her
child were included in Scott's suit for
freedom. This woman, known as Har-
riet, was the property of Major Taliaferro,
who was stationed at Fort Smelling, Oh
the west bank of the Mississippi, in the
territory which has now become the State
of Minnesota. Here DR.. Emerson was
transferred in 1886, and took bred Scott
with him. The latter. on meeting Har-
riet, desired to marry her, aud to satisfy
him, DIR. Emerson bou ght the woman,
although, still being bachelor, he had
no possible need of two slaves, and they
were married. In 1888 there was reduc-
tion in the number of staff officers in the
army. and those at Fort Smelling draw
ing lots to see who would remain in the
service, DR.. Emerson got a blank and
was compelled to leave. On the way
down the river daughter, Eliza, was
born to his slaves, while still north of the
Missouri line, their only other child,
Lizzie being born seven years later at
Jefferson Barracks. Mo. DIR. Emerson
staid in St.Louis awhile after leaving the
army. and then bought large farm in
Davenport, Ia, where he intended to
settle, but after he had owned it but
short time, in December, 1S43, he was
eelAou Suuuouiy III anu uloQ.
The property was left entirely to the
widow, and proved to be an ample one.
bred Scott, with his wife and child. we're
the only slaves, but there was considera-
Bile real estate, including the farm at
Davenport and some forty acres of lana
near st. Louis. The latter piece of prop
erty las been built over by St. Louis, and
if it had been held until today, would
have been worth at least 50, 000,O0C. The
estate was quickly settled up, however,
and both of these. holdings were sold, the
only property retained being town house
in Davenport, which Mrs. Chaffee held
until within few years, and the slayos.~
These were taken by Mrs. Chaffee's
brother in law, Col. cambridge, and kept
with him in his various stations on the
frontier for some three OF four years.
when they returned to ST. Louis. John
r. A. Sandfora, Mrs. Chaffee's brother,
was the executor of the estate, and it was
in this capacity that he acted as defen-
liant in Scott's suit, and not, as is gener-
lilly stated in the histories, as Scott's
owner.
On the negroes return to ST. Louis he
was practically his own master. In fact
Mrs. Chaffee, determining. on the death
If her father, to go East to live with her
sister, and considering that it would be
Impossible to bring the slaves with her
INTO Massachusetts,, told Scott that the
,nly thing she asked of him was that he
Jake care of the wife and family we'll.
Scott supported himself by odd jobs
around the city, and it was due to one of !
lis employers that his suit was brought
This man was a young lawyer, around
whose office SCOTT did some work and
who, on hearing the history of Soott's
,fe, thought he saw a chance of making
paying client out of him.
The suit for Scotts freedom was accord |
ngly brought in lS4s, based on some tech
1icality, but really to secure Soott's
freedom on the plea that when he had |
zone North of the Missouri line he had |
become free, and to secure pay for. his
services since that time.
Scott had some 5000 or $500 saved up,