The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-20
ESCAPE OF NEGRO SLAVE
EPISODE OF THE "UNDERGROUND
RAILWAY" AT SOUTH BEND.
Death of a Laporte Resident Revives
Interest In an Incident That Cost
the Abolitionists Dearly.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal.
LAPORTE. Ind. Sept. 4.-That Indiana
came into the Union as a free State in
1916, after a long and bitter struggle. is
known to students of history: that. not
withstanding the constitutional prohibition
OF that year. the institution fingered on In
diana soil until as late as 1880. is shown
by the reports of the United States census;
that there were fieeting glimpses Of en-
shaved negroes in the State even later is
attested by many interesting "reminiscences
o. the various lines OF underground rail-
road that led from the Ohio ~northward,
and were the scenes of many exciting mid
night pursuits. An episode of this char
acter. involving several prominent citizens
OF that period, had it's elimination in
South Bend about 1S43. and was described
on his deathbed by Thomas X. Houghton.
a northern indian pioneer, who died this
week at the home OF his son-in-law. r. Il.
Oglesbee. IN this city.
The Michigan road was a favorite line
OF escape for fugitive slaves for more than
twenty years. and at South Bend at the
date referred to in the incident described
there was maintained a station of the
underground in which a little knot of
local Abolftionists was interested, among
them being Ed II. Croker. Alex. La Pierre
and Solomon Palmer, all of whom are long
since dead. One morning there came into
the town a road-worn and hopeless col
ored man who had fled from bondage in
Kentucky. and had run all night in the
hope Of reaching a safe refuge in South
Bend before he could be caught by his
IN - + - g. A.
owner. accompanied by a United States
martial, made the negro a prisoner while
he was yet In the outskirts of the town.
The Abolitionists learned Of the circum-
stances at once. and Immediately consulted
about a rescue. Croker, a lawyer of re-
quite. proposed a plan that was carried out
and made the slave a free man, but cost
his deliverers dear.
A writ of habeas corpus was sued out,
ostensibly for the purpose of determining
the negro's status under the clause In the
State Constitution providing that inden-
lures Of negroes made without the State
should not be valid within the State, and
the case came up for hearing before Judge
Samue c. Sample. The office had two
doors, one entering from the side, and it
was arranged that La Pierre and Palmer
should establish a line of friends from the
front part OF the room to that door, and
that at a signal to be given by Croker
the prisoner should make a rush in that
direction and escape, il he could. At a
favorable point in the proceedings the
agreed signal was given, and the negro ran
toward the door and out of it at full speed,
while his friends rushed after him, pre-
tending to be in pursuit, but really hinder
Ing the officers in their efforts to follow.
In the excitement and confusion the slave
eluded his hunters, swan the st. Joseph
lost to sight.
The owner of the slave had employed as
ms attorney In the habeas corpus proceed
iiSs Lawyer Jernegan, one of the pioneer
practitioners at the bar. and before return
Ing TO his Southern home he instructed his
attorney to investigate the affair and find
ouL VINO We're at the bottom of the con-
spiracy TO hustle the negro out of sight. for
IL was perfectly clear that the escape was
the result OF a prearranged plan. The out
come was a suit In damages against the
three principals handkerchief, La Pierre
and Palmer-and a Judgment for the plain
tin Tor the value of the slave. Appeals
were taken from court to court. but about
1852 the judgment was finally affirmed and
had to be paid, for the defendants were all
men Of means. La Pierre had made q trim
through the East soliciting aid for the de-
4ousc kron negro sympatnfZerS and had OBJ
tairsd some money in that manner this
money he kept. and with the proceeds of
sales or personal property he went to Niles,
Mich, and abandoned his real estate to the
kentuckian. He lived in Niles until his
death some years ago. Alex. La Pierre. now
a resident of South Bend, is his nephew
Palmer had a small piece of realty that was
taken on the Judgment, which, with the
heavy costs, amounted to- a considerable
sum.
Croker owned a tract of eleven acres
this was seized under the execution. His
brother. Clark Crocker, the youngest of the
three Croker boys. Ed being the oldest
came from California about that time and
bid the nursery In at the sale. owning IL for
some time afterward. Charles Crocker had
sold out his interests in the iron manufac-
turing enterprises I'm Mishawaka and Mar
snail county n had entered on the pic.
turesque career in California which made
him a railroad magnate and a m~ulti-million
aire. and he wanted his brother Ed to join
him. The disaster following the slave incl
dent was keenly felt by its victims and Ed
deemed the time %propitious for a new start
In the West, so he accepted the offer opened
10 MIN py Charles and removed &c Sacra-
mento- he acquired a very large fortune
before he died, not many years ago.
In South Bend about the time OF the judg-
ment sales there lived a young woman
named Eliza Rhoades. a dressmaker by oc-
cupation. She possessed a fine alto voice
and sang regularly in the PRESBYTERIAN
choir; being a devout member of that
- tdiAg nillcS she met I'd
Crocker In New York by appointment and
they were married by Henry Ward Beecher.
Mr. Crocker's first wife had been dead some
years. leaving a daughter. who subsequent
ly became the wife of Lucky Baldwin,
After the death OF her husband Eliza
Rhodes Croker established I'm Sacramento
the city OF her home through married life
a beautiful home for aged women costino
a quarter OF a million dollars. and n hons
Tor working girls costing nearly as much,
Lnese ana otner noble charities have made
her name "A hOuSQhOld word Il, ~ 49,
her adoption and constitute a monument
more enduring than marble or granite.
Among the citizens who We're greatly I'm.
terested In the proceedings connected with
the escape or the negro was Col. Lathror
NJ Taylor, who came to South Bend as ar
Indian trader In September. 1897. and whe
for many years was one Of the foremnst
business men OF northern Indiana. He vs.
careful not to implicate himself. Anothe,
Indian trader who was there at the tinne
ard who succeeded in eluding the investiga.
ton of Lawyer Jernegan was a Frenchmar
called Coquillard by Mr., Houghton, a mar
or much prominence.