The morning times., 1896-10-21
HID FOR YEARS IN A GARRETT
Linda Brent's Story of Her
Escape From Slavery.
SHE NOW LIVES IN THIS CITY
Ran Away and Was Concealed by
Feet by Seven-Stayed There Over
Seven y ears Before Finally Es-
Gaping Into the Free States.

Seven years n runaway slave, shut
up in Il little cell where she could
see her children but dared not speak to
them; thirty years u resident of New York
and vicinity, great part of the time
fugitive, but, nevertheless, the friend and
protege Of the family OF N. T.. Willis;
twenty years a resident of Washington
| such is the record OF an old colored woman
| who is passing cheeriiy the closing days
| OF life at the residence of her daughter, on
| Pierce Place northwest, in this city. Her
name was Linda Brent. She was seen by
| Times reporter Il few days ago, and talked
| inteliigenly and interestingly of her al
| most Incredible trials and sufferings while
| she was striving TO secure her own liberty
| and that OF her children, the Senator's son
| ami daughter.
She is now eighty four years of age,
| but still retains most OF her mental vieur.
| She met with an accident recently which
| has rendered her cripple, for a time, mt
| least, and she is just now unable to move
about, except in an invalid's chair.
This is, however, as nothing TO the
| tortures, mental and physical, which she
| has undergone, and she bears it with
| equanimity, even with smiles and tears
| of joy, in comparison with the life ( ON
which she escaped so long ago, but which
| made So VIVID an impression upon her that
| she will continue to feel the sensations
| when she talks OF those days as long as
| she lives
Her story, as told by herself, begins
rs n six year-old child in a South Carolina
| town. Sne was the daughter OF slave
carpenter, who bought measure of free
| dom by supporting himself and paying
| his mistress $500 IA year from his earnings.
| Her mother was the foster-siStcr of her
mistress, and her grandmother was IA
woman OF that frequent type among intel
igcnt mulattoes who prove SO valuable as
nurses and housekeepcrs that at the death
| of the old master they are set free Linda
| Brent belonged at first TO the kindest of
| mlSirrsscs, hut by the changes OF time
fell into the control of DR. Flint, most
| unteeiing tyrant, who accepted all the
| rights of ownership To their uttcrmost as
| a mattcr of course and as guaranteed by
| divine sanction.
An episode OF slavery not familiar even
To many VINO were brought mp in the South
| of which she tells. was the terror inspired
| by danger of rebellion OF the slaves and
| the precautions taken to keep them i'll
| check. Itishcr experience atthe time ofthe
| Nat Turner rebellion.
The time OF the year for the annual
| .nuSter, which has been replaced by our
| National Guard drills ami encampuents had
| passed. But when the word wen, abouttha
| slave leaders had something on foot and
| danger WIS III the air, another muster was
ordered, and q search for powder and
| shot of all the slave houses and the houses
| OF free negroes also was made.
| 'By SutrlSe, Ss.id til" uiG lady, people
Were pouring in from every quarter within
| twenty miles OF the town. Some of the
| colored people thought it was to he an
| other holiday and We Were TO have n
| good time They Were in high gIce
| .snew better, for my grandmother had
seen the same sort of thing before. l
| knew The houses were to he searched
| aud expected ii would be done by coupiry
| huiiies and poor whites l knew neLbing
| annoyed them so much as to see colorcd
| people living in comfort and respecta-
| Eidty, so | arranged everything in my
/, grandmothcr'S house as neat as possible
l put white quilts on the bed and deco
| rated some Of the rooms with flowers.
| CROWDS OF SOLDIERS.
When AL was arranged l sat down by
the window to watch. Far as my eye
| could reach it rested on a motley crowd OF
sol'!lcrs. Drums and flies were making
| music, and the men were divided into
| companies of sixteen each, headed by Il
| captain Orders were finally gwen To search
| the houses of colored people, and wild
| rush was made in every direction, wher-
| ever q culored PERSONS house was TO be
found.
| 'Cnpred people and slaves who lived in
remote parts of the place were made to
suffer most. In some cases the searchers
scattered powder and shot in the chests
and dra awers. and then sent others to find
lem. Men, women and children We're
brutally whipped, in some cases as many as
500 lashes beng given. ami other Crueltics
We're practiced, even harder to bear.
| AT our house the door was pushed ruGcly
open, and the men came tunlbling in. They
snatched at everything within reach. Box
trunk. closet and corner were all ransackesl.
We were in the midst of the residences of
white people who were our friends. and
did not fear SO much. When one Of the
men took a box of silver we had in the
house and seemed about to make off with
it,, recovered ii and asked one of our white
nelghbors to come and stay in the house
till the search WAS over. He was an old
friend and readily consented. They found
some of my grandnlothers table linen and
linen sheets, and cursed and swore over it,
| 81 ying 'nggers had no business with such
things, and it AL ought to be taken away
| Sron them and given to the white people,
my ylettcrs, and in a chorus sang out. We've
got 'em. We've got 'em. The yaler gals
got letters They were sure they had evi-
dence OF a plan for an uprising of the
negroes. When the supposed letters were
| examined they were found TO he only copy
OF verses sent me by a friend"
THE SLAVES AT CHURCH.
The slave church and it's meetings are
| also well remembered by Linda THE col
ored people prayed fcrvently," she said
land sang as though they were free as
birds. This meeting for worship on Sunda y
was one of their oases in their dreary ex-
isience. One of their songs, which re
member is weirdly impressive. 1t runs:
"Ole satan thought he had mighty aim
He missed my soul, and caught my sins.
Cry, amen; cry amen: cry, amen; to God
| H. took my sins upon his back.
Went multering and grumbling down t.
he'll.
Cry, amen; cry, amen; cry, amen; to Gcd' u
Finally they were about to take both her
children down to the plantation to live
and she was sure they would fare hard
She determined TO run away. She had
charge OF the house, and upon a prctext
OF completing ller work for the day KEPT
itopen Till midnight.
"At half past 12," she said, / stole
softly down stairs. / stopped on the second
floor, thinking 1 heard Il noise. felt
my way down to the parIor window and
looked out. The night was SO intensely
dark that could see nothing. l RAISED
the window very carefully and jumped out
Large drops OF rain were falling ant
the darkness DewilQercd me. I drODDpi