The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-02-27
SLAVE DAY HORRORS IN WATER
 FORD.
Cruelty of Masters-Several Incidents
 Recalled.


 l Cruelty of Masters-Several Incidents Recalled.
 1 Back in the vernal years of the last century, while slavery was yet an in- stitution of Waterford, many of the well-to-do farmers of Great Neck had numbers of black men who titled their fields and made beautiful the landscape toward the waters of Jordan Cove and along the sandy beaches of Long Is- land Sound. The wall of forest sank beneath their sturdy arms, the rockl meadows were cleared of their undesir- able features, and the refuse taken therefrom filled great cavities in the surface, or was applied to make the strong boundary lines between the meadows. Great drains were dug and swamps were cleared to better the face of nature; and thus engaged in thank less toll, without recompence or reward, the silent workers spent their lives in thraldom, and when death released them from the white mans bondage they found resting place in some rock of the farms, which was not fruitful of husbandry, so irreclaimable it's condi- ton. If perchance, some slaveholder desired to have the body of his black servant rest In the cemetery, 1t was placed along the wall and away from those of white skin. In life that poor mortal learned the distinction of asso- citation and in death the same line was drawn, as much so in Waterford as in the southland.
 And cruelties, grave cruelties, were perpetrated on slaves along this sea- girt portion of Waterford, and vicious wrongs were inflicted that were never answered for before any earthly court of justice-wrongs that cried out ill the light and in the darkness and the law of the land stepped not in, nor needed the piteous vail, The slaveholder was the law so far as the poor wretch was concerned, and his verdict was never challenged
 Tradition has many tales to justify the assertion while fact Is also in evil dence for much that can be said, The following tale was told by an ex-slave who survived the period of thraldom In Connecticut for many years; and there are to this day people living on Great Neck who heard it from the lips, and who have a keen recollection of old Scipio Rogers, who long lived in hovel near the vicinity of his early labors. They remember him as he appeared in his wretched deformity of person, hav- ing to maintain a sitting posture with his head between his knees, his legs contracted, the result of an awful pun ishment inflicted on him by his former master In the days of his early man. hood.
 It seems that at the time of Scipios' punishment, 1t had long been custom of the Mohegan Indians to make year. ly visits to the shores of Long Island Sound and pitch tents or build their wigwams along the beach from Ma gonk to Milstone The summer months was the portion of the year selected by them for their annual outing and this season they would pass in hunting and fishing, as had been their wont for of moons before the pale face made his appearance. The 1ndi- ans at the time when Scipio mentions them were emi-civilized, yet he re- membered to have seen them practicing their war dance which always took place a little while before they set out to return to their winter abode at Mo began. They were very jealous of the secrecy of these dances, and if they knew the whites were watching them, It would be signal to stop the exercises and wait for more desirable opportu- nity. But the whites played Indian on those occasions and when their red brethren considered themselves safe