The morning times., 1896-07-19
to Nashville. and tile best way to travel

to Nashville. and tile best way TO travel
was by boat.
Conck In planned to bring off his pro-
tegrs by steamboat from Florence, but
found upon reaching the place that he
could not rely on the date the steamer
would touch there. She was frequently
from three to four days off her schedule
time. Ir they should start and be delayed
waiting for the boat even one day the
effort would end in disaster to all.
ARRANGED THE DETAILS.
He therefore went back TO Cincinnati,
after his arrival in Florence and bought
a skiff there. With this he returned. He
met "Vina," Stills WIFE. and her two
sons, Levin and Peter several times after
dark in out-of-the- way places on the plan
ta,ion and arranged the details OF their
escape. They got away safely, rowed
down the Tennessee, passing a number OF
towns where they We're looked for.
At the mouth Of the Tennessee they
turned up the Ohio. CoDcklin ga ys, in u
letter written Mt the time, that Southern
Illinois. opposite PaducaiI, at the mouth
OF the Tennessee, was fun of .hu-
man wolves ready To betray them and send
them back to slavery.
They rowed up he liver some eighty miles,
to the mouth OF the Wabash near Shawnee
town, ILL.,. and there turned up that river and
landed at New Harmony, about forty miles
ABOVE the mouth. Concklin had previously
arranged with Charles Grier, q colored
s'ore-keepcr, and with David Storm on, II
sympathizer, for eoncealment and safe
conduct OF his charges across the line to
Canada. StormoDt had helped liberate
large number OF slaves and il was said
that no one had ever been lost between
his house and the line. He managed so
skilfully that he WAS never suspected.
When they reached Ne W Harmony n friend
wrote to the Philadelphia society and the
Stills that the victory was Won There
was great rejoicing and Peter Still was
preparing to 20 to Canada to join his fam
lily, when there came another letter with
bad news.
The marshal OF Evansville, Ind. had been
notifiedto look out for the fugitives and n
reward would be. paid. He got word In
some way OF their landing at New Ha rlnony.
and with posse wept over and arrested
the entire party. He took them 10 Evans
vile, put them on Il boat. and started back
to Florence. The colored men said they had
not wanted to run away, and put the blame
on Concklin. who. they said, had enticed
them from home.
CHAINS DROWNED HIM.
Concklin was put in chains on the voyage.
report came Il day or two after the boat
left Evansville that Concklin had escaped
by jumping from the boa Just above Smith
land at the mouth Of the Cumberland. II
WAS found a few days later that he had
leaped with the Irons still On him and had
heen drowned. His body, partly devoured
by the fish, was picked up on the shore.
or those interested in The underground
railroad in Washington were +. L. Stevens
and ]. Bigelow. They wrote letters 10 the
Philadelphia office, in which they told how
they had shipped two and three and ten
PA ckages,' meaning slaves, and they
were active in many cases OF culored pco-
pie escaping not only from this city but from
Virginia.
One of the agents of this line who was
located at Lynchburg, Va, always wrote OF
sending 50 many hams, and signed his com
munications Ham & Eggs" Many OF
these came tn rough Washington
One OF the most notable men among those
who escaped to freedom was James Handle
ton Christian. who was a household servant
of President Tyler. He was born on the
Glen plantation Of Ma 10 r Christiani in Charles