The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-08
son OF A BLACK KING
Juan Monroe Taken From His
Home When Boy.
WAS SOLD INTO SLAVERY
The Thrilling Story of His Escape From
His owner and How He Saved the
Lives of a Frontiersman's Fam
lily in Bear Fight.

Great Falls, Feb T.-Over in the couH-
try, living not far from the town OIL
Iewistown, is an old colored man whose
life story is one which ante dates the
war of the rebellion by many years. anu
which is full of experiences which seem
strange to members of a younger seneI
alton, born during or since the war. his
name is Juan Monroe ard for many |
years he has been employed by the
Ryans who are extensive engaged IN /
the raising of sheep and cattle IN APP
pearance he is old and somewhat beh,, |
his face is ebony black and his haif
snow white.
According to his story, he was born IN
Africa the son of the king OF ms tribe.
He remembers as boy living in vii
lage of huts, conical mud-thatcned,
with walls of interviewer reeds. tiS
fathers hut occupied the center OF the
village and all the people OF the village
were accustomed to do him homage anu
to bring him gifts of goats, cassaVa-
bread fruit and the like. Then came
time of trouble The tribe went to war
with another There was butchefy,
horrible to hear, and even Juan, thousn
hut a child of 6 years, was so impressed
with the horror of that time ana the
naked corpses lying about, the clothing
torn from their black bodies ana even
the brass hoops twisted from the ears
that the picture is as VIVID TO MS ineii-
!
it occurred. The war ended with tue
defeat of his own tribe. Although ne
did not know it at the time, nor MS peo-
pie ii was but a slave traders raiu'
and the conquering tribe was uhuei
rude contract to deliver all OF It's prs
ouers to the Arab slave merchant WHO
had instigated the fight.
SO il happened that Juan and MS
mother, who was a buxom negress, We're
transferred to the coast ana there, With
49, .tAF rod
dark hold of vessel sailing to the west
Indies The sailors on board OF the boat
and the officers were the first whte hleil
Juan ever saw, but white faces We're 10
become familiar to him in after years.
During the voyage the slaves were treat
cd worse than so many beasts and when
at last they were unloaded at Cuba more
than half had died from exposure, as
ease, wounds, lack of food ana proper
cafe Juan and his mother were soid 70
a sugar planter and for several years
worked in the fields almost without a
knowledge of their condition or stand
ing 1t was only when they, with the
entire number of slaves on the planla-
ton. were sold to another trader ana
transferred to New Orleans that they
began to realize that they were indeed
slaves and subject to barter as any
other chattels. 1t was at New orleans
that Juan then IL years of age, had his
first experience on the auction block,
ever separated from his mother he was
sold to a Mississippi sugar planter, wnile
his mother, who was getting old, was
disposed of to some one else. Ihey We're
torn apart and have never met since. II
being almost certain that his mother mas
since died. Juan was taken up the river
and put to work, again on a sugar
plantation, and there he remained untli
he was 20 years old Reyerses OF FOR
tune Obliged his master to sell his slaves
again and another long journey, THIS
time to Missouri then frontier state,
and the scene of many and bloody
feuds.
That was the time that Juan became
imbued with a longing for liberty and
although his master was kind, partlcu-
larly when compared with the others
the desire to get away and to be his own
master was more than the slave coulo
resist In spite of the fact that he was
in a strange country, that escape seem
ed almost hopeless and the community
regarded slavery as divine institulloi
and the restoration of a runaway slave
to his master the common duty OF mar
10 man. Juan resolved to make the at
tempt, and one dark night stole away
going in whatever direction the fate'
should direct him. Travelling by nlgn
and during the day hiding away in tn
underbrush, he at length reached VIVA
seemed to him to be the end of civiliZa
ton. He had existed for a week in th
fashion. living on berries, with some
times a land turtle for change OF diet
when at length he came upon clearing
in the midst of dense woods Crawlin.
to the edge of the clearing he could Sc
by peering out of his shelter a rude hut
evidently that of a settler recently ar
rived. One side of the hut was opel
and that was the side toward Juan. Il
front was hanging the carcass of deer
hung out of the reach of dogs or othe
Tu3 debated
self whether he should present himsei
to the settler and ask for meal Q
should wait until later and try to stea
some of the deer. Hunger was stron
within him. but the desire OF freedom
was still stronger and it prevailed. ii
had concluded to wait until the moo
went down and then make try 10
some of that venison. Just then IN
dogs barked and before Juan coul
execute his half formed resolve to sc
away as quickly as possible he saw tina
it was not himself, but other intruder
which had aroused the family guardian!
Terrible growls were heard anu the
there appeared around the corner of tn
hut two large bears, drawn thlthef D
the scent of the hanging meat tnsid
the hut Juan could see in the moonllS.
the hunks in which the members OF In
settlers family presumably slept, nc
Vet walked by the din of the dogs or u
growls of the bears. The latter continue
to ambie along in their awkward, shu'
fling manner toward the dec. The DOG
made a rush for them and the nois
brought the settler to the door III
armed Outside the bears and the Nv
dogs Were engaged IN i!ta or dea
struggle, The settlers wife and CHI
dren, realizing their danger. began
scream. and the settler rushed to II
rescue of his dogs. One had already bee
knocked lifeless. and the bear turned !
attention to the master. The woma
and the children had climbed to the ro'
Of the rough shelter and from IN;
point watched the fight In a few NH
utes the bears had driven the man ar
his one remaining dog inside and II
fight proceeded there. Before long Il
struggle upset some of the supports ar
in a moment the whole structure WI