The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-26
A RUNAWAY SLAVES TALE.
FOR FORTP TEARS KEPT 4 SECRET
III 4 PENNSFLVANIA FARMER.

init, and the Final Crime That Thought
swift Punishment with It-mis Flight from
Louisiana and Long Drcud or Pursuit..
'In one corner OF a farm burying ground in
Fulton county, Pa, near the Maryland border
said n resident of that county, is a grave with
a small hosdstono, bearing tho simple inscrip-
ton, 10: 1893 Jo was a negro. For forty
years he worked on the farm where he died and
was buried In 1893. Every one In the vicinity
knew that he had come TO the farm n run
away slave, but not until after he was dead did
any one except tho farmer with whom he had
lived so long, and the farmers wife, know his
strange and dramatic story.
Early ono morning In tho fall of 1853 the
owner Of the farm. as he went out TO begin his
chores, saw n negro sitting on the bottom step of
the back stoop with his head in his hands. His
checks and eyes were sunken. The whites of
his eyes were bloudshot. His clothing was in
tattcrs. Without waiting for tho farmer TO
speak, the wrctChcd- looking negro said:
81 am u runaway slave
"Thc remark was unnecessary. The farmer
knew well what the negro was the moment he
saw him. Like most OF the residents in that
part of Pennsylvania, this farmer was n States
Rights Democrat and approved of the Fugi-
tive Slave law. He asked the negro where he
had come from.
Louisiana, was the reply.
This rather amazed the farmer, for such a
thing as "A fugitive slave from tho PARKWAY
sugar or cotton plantations was all unheard.o of
thing in that locality, the runaways being invar.
iably from the Maryland or Virginia planta.
tions, and the farmer ut once suspected this
forlorn fugitive OF lying to him, "a suspicion
that was not dispelled when the negro said he
was not only from distant Louisiana, but that
he had been two years making his way to where
he was. Seeing that tho farmer mistrusted him,
the runaway said:
"'lf | belong to any one in this ncighborhood
he will soon be after me. Let me stay here
until no comes and claims me. l will work for
you until he comes
This seemed reasonable to the farmer. While
he was opposed TO harboring or aiding runaway
slaves on principle, no did not think that he
vas called upon to make 1t his business to look
up slave owners who had lost slaves and notify
them Of the whereabouts of their missing prop
erty, SO he went into the house and laid the case
of this fugitive before his wife and asked her
what they had best do. She went out, talked
with the runaway awhile, and then said:
I'VE will keep him here
this wrolched fugitive, and that night he told
his benefactOrS his story. His name was 10.
lie was born on tho Hopkins plantation in vir-
ginia. When he grew up he became the prop
erty OF his masters son John, who was a doctor,
and a wicked. desperate man. 10 was the doc
tors body servant. One day his master he,
came incenscd at one of his female slaves and
ordered her to 10 TO her cabin. Then he handed
a pistol to 10, and, taking one himself. ordered
10 to follow him. They went to the cabin o; the
offending slave, The doctor ordered her to
ordered 10 TO shoot her. The woman begged
Tor her life and 10 begged his master not to
make him murder her. HOPKINS placed the
TO shoot or he have his own brains blown out.
10 fired at the woman's shoulder and she fell.
That seemed to satisfy the master.
las 10 discovered afterward, or as he had
reason TO believe, his master, IN ordering him to
to more serious business. DR.. Hopkins was a
single man, but he was anxious to marry the
She refused his hand and accented as her sutton
u rival of the doctor, u young man named Wis
well. a member of an old Virginia family. One
night shortly after DR.. Hopkins had forced 10
to shoot the slave woman in her cabin, his
master handed him a shotgun, and taking a re-
yolver and a dirk. ordered 10 to follow him.
The Wiswcll plantation was two miles from
The home Of q the Young woman who rejected
nabit of riding to the home OF his intended once
or twice n week in the evening, and returning
DIR. Hopkins led 10 to that road and II milo mp it.
There he ordered him to hide behind some
bushes, and took a place;by his side. by and by
the sound of n horse g%alloping down the road
was beard. As the sound drew nearer Hop,
kins placed his revolver at JOS head and
"'lf tho rider of that horse passes here you
are a dead niger
knew that his master would surely blow out
his brains if the implied order was not carried
out, Inc horse ana IT'S. rider came opposite
The rider was young Wiswcll. 10 fired. The
horse leaped to one side, and its rider tpm;
j, to follow him, made his way through the
woods by a roundabout course back home.
10 had saved his own life and believed he had
done II by taking that of young Wiswell. al
though he had fired at random. The horse ar,
irving at the Wiswell plantation riderlcss. slaves
were hurried back to see what had befallcn
their young master. They found him uncon-
when it was discovered that wiswell had
been shot a variety OF circumstances fastened
guilty OF the crime. He was arrested, but per
united, 10 give bail pending the result Of Wis
tai. This action caused great Indignation in
the community; where Hopkins was most un-
c~erstion were demanded. In the meantime he
Louisiana. lie was never followed.
Louisiana Hopkins formed the acquaintance of
q, young woman. the daughter of a sugar
year. a sister OF hers married a planter named
Moore; The father OF the two girls died soon
and Hopkins was dissatisfied with the ~disposi.
ton OF the property. lie quarrened with Moore
and GmI IS S~ ore f tast 81 he s WpT Hdn h ! I rSyen y One
gun. ordered the negro to follow him. He
mounted his horse and rode to Moore's house.
10 knew that he was being taken on another
GRAND OF murder and he made a mental vow
lliul II liz was lbIt't " clOOl any Ouf luhI GAY
IL would be his master.
Moore was at home when Hopkins and Jo
arrived there. He was unarmcd, and, con,
scious Of the purpose. Hopkins had in coming,
he sprang upon Hopkins and threw him to the
floor, graphing him so that he could use neither
pistol nor knife. Hopkins shouted TO 10 tC
shoot. 10 could not fire without endungering
the life OF Moore, but no replied that If he fired
he was afraid lie might hit his master. Moore
OF course, did not know that 10 had resolved tt
kill,no one unless it was hisJmaatcr, and so whci
Lac heard what 10 SAID he sprang from The floor
and threw himself upon The negro TO secure Tho
gun. 10 made no attempt to hold 1t, and Moore
after securing 1t. ran out OF the house.
"Moore's wife had come into the room by thi,
time. Hopkins got to his feet. seized her, ant
demanded tho, money that was in the hous,
belonging to the estate of Planter Lyon. ShC
gave him a bunch OF keys and told him TO nnt
the money. He did so. and then shot his sister
in.law as she knelt on the floor begging for hcl
life. His first bullet cut all the fingers from ont
OF her upraised hands and lodged In her breast
I, A second bullet entered her right eye, and sh,
fell over dead. Hopkins emplied his revolver
into her dead body, and mounted his horse ant
fled, followed by 10.
They had ridden several milos into tn,
swamp country when they heard pursuers oI
their trail. Jodroppcd from his horse and CAV,
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