The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1898-06-18

STORY or a SLAVE urRisrse IN OH
VIRGINIA.

oEOkt VI hLAvB Ufki8ING IN OLD
VIRGINIA.
Southampton, Va, the county
OF good bacon and old apple
brandy" has also been the scene Of
some remarkable men.
Down In the southwestern sec.
ton OF this county in the early
part of the century, lived Joseph
Travis, owner of . plantation and
q number of negro slaves.
Among Mr.. Travis slaves was .
man of remarkable character and
appearance. He was born in the
year 1901, the property of Benja-
min Turner; and being named in
infancy Nathaniel" went by the
name of 'Net Tuner"
At an early age he conceived the
idea that he was destined to be the
great hberator of his race from
slavery. Disliking the overseer
whom Mr.. Travis employed, he ran
away and stayed for weeks in the
woods. Later he returned, telling
the negroes that he had lived
without food, and that a vision
had appeared unto him. "I saw
white spirits and black spirits en-
gagged in battle" said he "and the
sun was darkened. The thunder
rolled in the heavens, and blood
flowed in streams" He began to
hold midnight meetings in the
woods to prepare them for q bloody
instruction. He told them that
an eclipse of the sun, which &C.
CURED in February of that year
(l83l was a sign unto them to
rise and slay those who held them
under bondage.
Stealthily, in the dark hours of
night, when the family were all
asleep, these desperate men crept
into the house, entered their mas
ters chamber, and with Ratchet
slew him, his wife and little
children, not even sparing the in
FAINT in the cradle.
Stealthily, in the direction of
Jerusalem, the county seat, they
went from house to house, MUIR
dering men, women and children
In their beds.
In one case, while they were
killing the man and the boys of .
family the woman fed. She was
pursued, overtaken and compelled
to get up behind one of the CON-
pany, who took her back. TheI,
after showing her the mangled
body of her husband, was told to
lie down by his side, when she was
at once murdered. The alarm was
spread about 8 or 10 O'Clock Mon
day morning. The whites fed
from their houses to the woods and
made their way to Jerusalem. The
men In the meantime we're ar
ranging for defense, with hearts
waxing faint at the "lurid blaze of
instruction" that had, when 90
| unlocked for, broken forth. As
soon as the whites could collect,
vigorous measures we're taken. The
advance guard of the whites and
the insurgents came up with each
other about two miles from Jeru-
salem.
Immediately on discovering the
whites Nat Turner ordered his
men to halt until they were within
so yards. When they were that
near he gave the order to 'fire and
rush on them" The whites re-
turned the fire. The main body Of
the whites quickly came up just in
| time to save their friends.
| As soon a. the negroes found
that the whites were armed and
| able to defend themselves (defeat-
ing them wherever metz they de-
serted and dispersed in every direc.
ton. Nat found himself left with
1.-TWO or three aids and soon gave NJ
al hope.
| He went back to Mr.. Trsvis's
supplied himself with provisions
and went to q small cave in thu
woods which he had used before q
the time he ran away from the
overseer. There he remained con
cealed for weeks, but was at Las
discovered by q gentleman on
hunting, whose dog was attractet
to the cave by the smell of meat
He was ut once captured and taker
to prison.
In the center of q la2ge field
Just to the northeast of the oil
country town of Jerusalem, q tire
Iwss nsed for the Oallows and or