Evening star., 1900-04-21


T,u years previous to the outbreak of
III. late civil war and until the fall of Fort
S,rutrr | was u resident of the state of
Louisiana.
I'uriuE the last five years before the war
/ wt- an accredited agent of the then
u.-.-z1s~ underground railroad. a corpora
1i". whose history written and unwritten.
r''.t.,i4l- enough romantic adventures. hair
hf',"ith ESCAPES. examples Of patient endur-
st;"t' and pathetic scenes To furnish the an
l..- "i "a nation.
Th- D. .srndS IF this road are So inter-
woven with romance that ii is difficult to
extract the true from the false In this
story. however. | shall endeavor tn present
q trEs. narrative of events in which l was
P.r+1E#.ly interested. as they occurred in
ih. i1srh I:-Ii IF Louisiana in the days be
fuE. Ia, war
Fly yelrS of my life were passed in
1t- ~'rEiC- Of this Underground railroad.
az. wa~ a direct participant in many of
H." events h"re chrynicied- / had part
lrf. IT, /. WeSner. a young man about
~. ufy-five years If aga born leader of
In't-y'aI ana determined. with a warm
E'Hrt aHd open hand - the call Of the
trirH,!ls-s-hUt a. an enemy a man To be
feared for h. was It crack shot and rcck-
i"-S a. q river pirate. and To his cool cuur-
a2- and resi~tIe~s energy our success was
largely due He was my ideal then and
although forty years lie between then and
him now.
He was the son Of sugar planter. and
born a few miles from the Bayou Teche
parish 7t st. Mary's, La, in the Attakapas
country His father dead. but his
mother owned and worked about seventy
Negroes. and until the year before forming
my acquaintance George managed the plan
tatiJn.
He was well educated. spoke English,
German and French. and was an accom-
Pli~hrd musician, but he was so thoroughly
lmbutd with the love of adventure and
danger that it almost untitled him for busi-
Ness. and iHterfered with his popularity
among the conservative planters. who con-
stltuied the bulk of the Attakapas popula-
fion- But they evinced d wholesome re-
spect for him. founded l suspect upon his
physical as well as his intellectual uuali-
ti"~, for he stood six feet in his stockings
was well proportioned and an adept in all
athletic exercises
Contrary to the usual habits Of southern
Gentlemen. he Was abstainer from
liquors. but he was an inveterate cigarette
sin"ker-m much to my disgust. His hair
was black clustering in short c1lrls around
ms Suuhurned face, and his big blue ewes
hal habit IF looking straight at the ner-
Son with whom he was cOnversfng This is
a description of my partner as he appeared
In = ptember, 1885,. He resided on a pIan-
Ia 'i"it IN the SAM vicinity, where he and
myself operated for four years under the
auspices Of the Anti-Slavery Society and
as during that time detectives Without
nnmhsr We're searching for their agents
credit must be given for some boldness and
snr-wtnsS7 IN the enterprise. W. wer. well
aware that il was death to BE- discovered
ana W.. made cOnfidantS
On the 10th day of September 1917 7
Wa sitting IL my doorway quietly srnoL,i,e,
my cigarette and enjoying the beauty of a
september afternoon. The clear air Of the
pra.ri" WAS cool and fragrant and as | was
enjoying It's freshness. leaning back in NV
chair / imagined myself the happiesr of
mon ] was young, not thirty years Of age
fF-" from debt, and owned the pretty place
1 lived on My business of land surveying
brought me Il good income in additfon re
tn" profit Of my little plantation This I
worked with the assistance of one or two
bands hired from the neighboring planta-
~ my gaze wandered aimless,y around
away across the prairie l could family dis
GeFi. Il speck. just fieck of moving brown
background upon the sea of green that
rolled I" the edge of the horizon NV eyes
prdcticed 10 such scenes, assured me that
II WAS mounted man. and with the aid
of my field glass l saw that he was moving
down the trail that led to my home with
his horse at a break-neck gaIlop. 1t was
George Nesner, and as he came nearer
could see that he was excited. an unusual
state Tor him- He rode straight toward
th- h!tching post, was his wont slipped
the bride through the hole and over the
end and came toward me. biting savageIy
at the end Of his cigarette: he then threw
himself down under the shade of a large
liN"",tk that grew few yards from the
house. beCkoning to come out under
thr Tree; l did so and sat down beside him.
hdrlle said he. after We had smoked
a"hHe. Il want your assistance in an f.
fair that il is more than likely you will not
NEEDLE with. Because If you assist your
neck Will De In equal danger with NV own :.
was n little curious to know what the
rrerrvrd quiet George Wesner had in view
that Tnrnaced the anatomy of a person :
NJ k and laughingly inquired, What is it,
II',rSe-steal a mule rob a bank?''
St"r your chatting. Charlie, II is-steal
r-sr'-an1 that in our criminal calend Al
Is the greatest crime
;" i Is. So it is" / replied ''You had
belirr buy one If you are in want"
an do il, Charlie. I've tried and Cow
erly won't sell her"
"Coverly won't sell her, All, 1 under
stand. N''uei
Then the negro Is a woman and heIor.,.
10 CpVerly? I've got the whole story
M. You haven't. But you shall If va,
have patience TO listen. What ] have In teI
You happened before you came to Attaka.
pas. and when You have the story Won
shall be the judge whether | am right and
snail have your support.
In September 1880. / came home from
to be bad this side of the city. The disease
told me il was smallpox. That was enough
Every living soul fled in terror and | wa.
alone-no. not alone-although whites an(
negroes fled in terror. One bit of a chattel
one child. remained-Coyerly's Lucy! Yol
have seen her?'
nodded assent.
Massa George had been very good to he
and she refused to leave him.
This girl remained true, forgetting sell