The Washington herald., 1906-11-11

|
Of Marks. the lawyer. wept at the bedside
Of the dying Little Eva, and suffered in
their own hearts the agonies Of Eliza
Harris, fleeing before the hounds across
the icy Ohio, in Uncle Toms Cabin"
But 1t is not widely known that there
lives in Fountain City, Wayne County to-
day. a venerable man who witnessed some
of the dramatic incidents attending the
real escape Of the real Eliza.
Most people who have read Uncle
Toms Cabin" or have witnessed the
stage production Of it, believed Eliza
Harris to be only a character In fiction
That she lived and suffered as depicted
by Mrs. Stowe, there Is not the least
doubt. for Mrs. Stowe obtained the real
story Of Eliza Harris in this little town
of Fountain City, known before the war
as Newport. The village Of Newport was
founded in the early twenties by COM
pany OF Quakers from North Carolina
who had come into Indiana to escape an
environment Of slavery.
In 1876 there came 20 Fountain City
devout Quaker named Levi Coffin. min
lister in that church With him came bis
! in after years as Aunt Katie, a name
also dear 70 the hearts Of many a
/ fugitive slave. The Rev. Mr.. Collins po-
litical ideas ali centered one wayne was
strong abolitionist When the famous
underground railroad. Of which hundreds
OF stories have been told and written,
was created for the transportation Of
slaves from bondage TO freedom, the Rev.
| Levi Coffin was among the first to be-
come associated with the movement. and
was for years secretly known as its presi-
dent.
Was an Underground Station.
His home. which still stanGs at cor
ner Of Main street. Fountain City. was
/ a Union station" for the underground.
Lines running from Cincinnati. Jefferson
vile. and Madison centered at his home.
From there the fugitive negroes from the
South were carried nortbward to Can
ada, where they would be safe in the
arms Of liberty.
/ 1t was in the Coffin homestead that
( Eliza Harris. the octoroon, was sheltered.
( The old house Is IN "a remarkably fine
! state Of preservation and bids fair 10
outlive many str Tctures Of far more mod
ern construction. Il Is of brick, two stor-
/ les high. and has every feature OF the
lOld-fashiOned homestead. II is stnl a
/ private dwelling. and is as cozy as any
heart could desire.
/ Fountain City feels great pride in the
/ old Coffin homestead. and there is no
citizen who points TO it with greater
pride than the Rev. John Wright John
son. for he knows it's story
The Rev. Mr.. Johnson came to Foun-
l Hart ~. T.
/ eighty-seventh year, and as active as
many men twenty years his junior He
takes daily walks about the town and is
welcome at every fireside. He was a
nephew OF the Rev. Levi Coffin. and.
after coming from North Carolina. made
his home with his Uncle Levi and
Aunt Katie" as ne calls them to-day.
Inc young Mr.. Johnson helped to build
his uncle's home, and enjoys telling Of
the experience.
When the house was built il was said
TO contain secret chambers for the Sc
clusiOn Of fugitive slaves That was de-
MED time and again by the Quakers who
helped 70 build the house. but it is and
was admitted that there were many pc
cUliarities about its architecture, partic-
ularly in the placing Of a long, low room
Immediately under the roof and over the
.
was very small and could be easily hid
/ den from view by the headboard OF a
/ bed And il is not denied that in this
room hundreds Of fugitive negroes found
place 10 rest. sleep. and eat while
awaiting transportation nOTthward to
ward Canada, their Mecca Of freedom.
Heard Eliza Tell Her Story.
It was while the Coffins lived In the
I hpr Ra-
I Harris and her two-year-old babe were
/ brought there for shelter and transporta-
I ton nOrthward via the underground rail-
road. Il was during her stay there that
the then young Mr. johnson heard her.
in the shadow Of night, relate how she
escaped from her master. and. pursued.
decided 10 try the floating ice OF the
Ohio River as an avenue Of escape rather
than be caught and manned by her pur-
suers. The young Mr.. Johnson is now
the aged minister OF Fountain City Re
clining In an easy chair. he told the story
Of Eliza Harris to-day with such fervor
that 1t made the hearts of his auditors
I thrill with enjoyment Of his word drama
X seemed almost like a narrative Of ages
gone, but he told IL as though il were
q story Of to-day.
My Uncle Levi and my Aunt Katie. as
the slaves called her. lived in the old
homestead I'D the street here when Eliza
Harris. poor girl, came to find refuge from
her pUrsUeTs." He began placing his cane
between his feet and resting his hands
and chin on its head. Il was his favorite
reminiscent attitude His face frightened
as the story proceeded. indicating that.
though he had told it often. it had not lost
its interest to him.
The home Of the Coffins Afforded shell
ter TO hundreds Of slaves who sought to be
free from bondage. One night In 1910 a
young negro woman came to our house
She carried baby In her arms She had
been sent to Uncle Lewis house by the
underground railroad plan. When my
Aunt Katie asked her name she told her
her slave name, but that would not do
under the circumstances. She had to have
another name, and Aunt Katie called her
Eliza Harris, and she kept it until sne
died.
Happy TIL Baby Was TO Be Sold.
The poor girls story was pathetic. She
had been the slave of a man living in
Kentucky, a few miles back from the
Ohio River and not far from Ripley. Ohio.
She said that she was contented with her
master and mistress. and was as happy
as could be until one day her master an
nounced that. in order to liquidate debt.
he would have to sell her baby The poor
woman was grief-stricken. for the baby
was her only earthly possession. She had
lost two children by death When the
news Of the intended sale of her child
was broken to her she at once made up
her mind to attempt to escape.
The shadows OF night had scarcely
fallen before she began her flight. AS
soon as the slave quarters had been closed
for the night she with her child in her