Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-22
REMINDER OF SLAVERY DAYS.
Token Used on the "UnderSrouht
Railway" Up In Indiana.

r,di,,or.,,,s CORRESPONDENCE New York Tribune.
Garnett Todd of Upton, while spading in
his fathers garden on Monday, unearthed a
re nner piece which is a forcible reminder cl
the events which led to the war OF the re-
bellion and the consequent freedom OF 'he
colored race, and which connects the pres
ent with the past in this state OF more IMAM
three score and ten years ago. Inc copper
token is in the shape of coin, ana Is ABOUT
the size of a two-cent piece ana oI ABOUT
the same thickness. The rim Is un1h'iieo'
ard circIing inside of it on the face are the
words, United States of America. l'Sioe
Of this is a laurel wreath, and within this
is the inscription, Liberty, lS5s: On the
center of the reverse side IS the i'SutS u d
Woman shackled and kneallnS. hef naldS
raised appealingly and her face turned up
ward as though imploring sympathy ana
aid Ercirclirg the kneeling figure is the
inscription. Am L Not a woman anu DIS
ter2', and again the date, 1888. appears.
The kneeling figure on the coin is deslshed
to represent negress slave, ana the "if'ie
is symboical of the appeals that the ne.
groes were making to that sentiment o.
liberty in the north which afterWard leu 10
their freedom Until the copper piece was
unearthei by the Upton youth II was not
known that such representation FAD sur
vived the slavery days, ana mere are o,iiy
few persons now in Indiana who remember
The use to which such coins were put, ana
the magical effect that they had among
those who were active in helping runaway
slaves to place of safety whenever lney
found their way to Indiana sell Indeed, 1t
was only the few who knew that sdch cop
per pieces were in existence, Tor NOT many
of them were ever made. and these nad no
gpecial significance except TO those VINO I'M
derstood their meaning and had bound
themselves by solemn oaths to tlscnarse
every duty which their presentation placed
upan those to whom they were sent.
ceiyed a letter from the governor or Ken
lucky saying that many complains had
come to him of the harborng of runaway
slaves. and asking that the lesisia,ute pro-
vide means for bringing the violators OF the
law to punishment The letter from the
Kentucky executive was submitted 10 the
legislature, but that body ignored the SUD
ject, and though local officers recovered
many slaves who had escaped into Indiana,
it was well understood that they had no
lining for such work, ana the work OF
"sending them on to Canada went on
without molestation, except when the OIL
GERS were compelled to act. When the cop
per piece that was found at Upton on Mon
day was nodded in 1898 the managers of the
Underground railway were oecomhg Vesy
active in secre.ing and forwarding runaway
slaves. and it Is with this organization that
the copper talisman is connected.
1t was well understood among the slaves
IF Kentucky and among those even further
south that if they could reach Indiana soil
there were those there who would render
them assistance in reaching Canada. 1t
was usual for the runaway slaves to cross
the Ohio river in skiffs, and the objective
noints az a rule, was Madison, but fire.
ruently landings were made at other points.
and then the runaways made their way
either to Madison or some other point on
tho "underground railway" AS soon as an
escaped negro applied to any one for pro-
lection and assistance he was placed in
ccncealment till such time as he could be
ferwarded to another station. The travel
ing was always at night and as rule
large towns were avoided on account Of the
NJ essence of officers of the law. The con-
dpctor or person in charge of runaway
sIaye carried one of the copper pieces. and
before daylight of the morning following
the night on which he began his journey he
stopped at the home Of another man con-