Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1901-01-25
MOSES DANIEL.
A True Story from Life.
by Virginia Lynch

| 1864 Moses accompanied the family in a
| visit to South Newfane, and he will be
remembered by many of the older resi-
dents of that section Prof. ~ c.
Morse, who had many friends in Wind
ham county, died in 1861
Moses was only a negro, black as
COAL but his heart was white, if by white
| is meant honest. gentle and true. 1t
seems but yesterday that l saw him at
| Rye Beach" swimming i'm old Atlantic,
with three small urchins astride his shin
| ing back cresting the waves in gallant
style, to the delight of the fond mother,
watching from the shore, with no
thought of fear for her boys, for Moses
Moses was really one of the family, and
when away from Miss Min would be-
come home-sick and cry like the other
Ills life is but a leaf i'm the family rec
ord, a bright page which eternity cannot
mar.
lie was the only slave col Charles Per-
rim ever owned Would YOU like to know
his story and how he found his name?
Here ii Isl
1t was "a beautiful day in the summer
of lS5- that Colonel Charles Perrin, step
observed a crowd of men who had con-
gregated upon the wharf of the steam
landed; and, attracted by the shouting
and laughter, the colonel joined the
throng, and, edging his way through the
outer circle, soon discovered the centre
of attraction.
Upon a box, his wrists bound with
handouts stood a tall, strong, well pro-
porLioned negro about % years of age.
His head bowed upon his breast the
tears coursing down his coal black
CHeShs, ne presented lnueed the picture
OF despair Ana no wonder his heart
seemed broken, for he had been arrested
only a few days before by the sheriff, Just
~ ne WIS ABOUT 10 s'1P upon the SOIL
Col. PERKINS, sympathies were at once
aroused, and, impressed by. the honest
laGS OF me negro ne stepped forward and
auuIeNSeu ihS Sherln. " NAT mas inns
negro zone: Nhat CRIME mas ne commit
lcuE why Is ne under arrest!
Nothing, sir, only runaway niger"
answered the sheriff, and by request of
the owner ana by order of the magistrate,
am ABOUT TO otler MN TO the highest
nluGiSSr 70 pay COSTS IN the case Hope
you'll stay and buy him, sir, for he's a
fine niger
Without further delay the sheriff began
What is your name, and whore are you
from asked Col. Perrin, speaking to the
wise feel so powerful bad 1 jes' can't
talk. ! amt no, bad niger tho, ole
Miss she q say dat, sure, sab. Ole Mars
skeered me so l Jes hab to run away,
My name is Moses sab, jes' Moses. We
hbbed in Tennessee, sab, an dars where
Use frum. | ruined away an cotched de
boat down de rbber an worked my way
up heah. De nggers on de boat dey all
say Use free sho', but dey help'd rest
Col. Charles Perrin was tall, finely
proportioned, handsome man, with snow
white hair and beard, Born in old Yer
mont he was naturally a strong aboli-
zionist, and this traffic in human beings
was perfectly abhorrent to him.
Broad minded. strong and aggressive in
a child, he was deeply touched by the
sorrow Of the negro. Hence. without a
Thought of how II would appear to others,
or care for the consequences, he found
nmself actually bidding for the posses
sion of this runaway darkey. He was
impressed with the sole idea. that, for a
paltry sum, he could remove the letters
from human being The taunts and
ieers of the hearness, crowd but urged
him on, and he realized what he had done
only when the sheriff announced in a
. , voice 500, sold to-whats the
name: mares spne Perrin OF CoNlngton' Ken
tuGTkky' i9r 700;
Inc ming OF a check, the order for re-
moNaI' with a bill of sale from the sher-
Mos oecHP as s put foiio FEW minutes and
master,
arriving at ms once, CoL Perm was in
IlT Tns say Say Nhat should ne do with
MOSES hat could nave possessed him
20 r ppuE 'ne 1egro, anyway
Ihese ana numerous other questions
perpleNed and ANNOYED him: one, thing
was sure Moses should be Tree. Inc ac-
o"uht tr "I tne SAFE must be suppressed,
OF nus own IamllS, would ever near OF II.
As 10 what Moses couid 90 or where he
80 - ~ ii"5 w ~ HIllStIl'
ana WIN ms emo IN NieW' Moses was
'diltd 5hto Ihe private once.
ASKED 70 give a truthtuI account OF
himself Moses story was as follows;
aa stis eH bab 40 90 "ie Mss san
to M b",,sd nan 70 MI On ue 'apl5 tend
ria ge vbsn sb "'e MSS III ue car
Mars 80 l,.', S,ii"' ' ~ ~ lu Gie
49,, ~ -, -, t'l"iIt SlleNI1diIS
w r,nst n II j I'm, men pears IKE
sab When de- % oder npgrs W v1 ouSS me
go ~ u' Tuel Mu% 70 p'aInt,
Gcrsaif - t. H fiS, MS s ~ Mss
Sb, y,,,, sra,tin, s, ~ We in9 Luss'
an f"tnbcd SOW N oi oi Hr El'H !o"hs;
sa1s ,Niosas NM 80, ~. 4, ., 4, ~ -. p al
wbita shirt ~ Puo ~ U'st man man wa ue
H. 49, ,, a., -, ~ I,uiai' an "'h
~ ri,,. III. ,,,,,!,5 -,
.cbamnan,, Vii mn w. "a" IU''ieu sun
-, IL" a.. ~, WIZ I'M an puHI II on &c
san'e "@I w l ue d" ustS5s' SUN eoer ana
lii, oIn NJ, "S tHrk CISail up 10 le
flted do co., ,bisl,,, IN aG'i'e' ~ ~
"ifv f"U,lts snd ~ ~ he Zen ue
vnHH Ioi~ ~ ~" So So i MI "tttSI WITH i
Az mn, nitN I'm I'm 90 olG Aiars nap 10 Try
COS d ioU NM, ne ~ ne Mn4t WIZ cuillih
Moses take an de- Ijlxer ont oh a. ronrc
Dat made ole Mare nou-erfrI mo ~, he
got crazy like an; swnre he VIZ r az,
e hons bissef d" sW3f f ne f TgZ ruhIlp
an hab lost of fun. iii ole Mars got 70
frowin' de chairs an dishes Dan deI, al
run out oh de room PuttV soon Ole Mrs!
come out TOO an saw :C0me 0 one hors
les hang dat niger dots cot nv, ciG;s
on De CITY 'fovvks sod Iii ritot '' Wv
Ole Miss she tried to Sion EN- bu+ olo
Mars wouldn't iissen: den ole Miss saws.
Run. Moses. run for YOUR life I was
awful skeered an run'd away. COS a Mig
ger amt no more dan dog to ole Mars
when he is drunk no how"
so Won have been a boi,se sar,,art
have vou and lsnov. nov, 10 dri,,. WI
that's lucky said mo cnlonai NJ
Moses Min Itbat u,as NIrs Pm -, a., ~,
wants lust such a servant: So listen to