The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-02-01
LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

Oberlin, o., Jan 28.-"Colonel'
John Ramsey, familiarly called "Un-
Gle john" and close to 140 years old,
died Wednesday in the county iniirm-
ary in Elyrla. Many of the aged me-
groes, once slaves, who fed to this
town were underground" "Uncle
John" was one of the most prolific in
tales of slavery days. He liked moth
| ing better than to tell of the escape
| Of negroes 60 Canada by means Of the
underground railroad, of which a
Station" was in Oberlin. He was
well versed in the details of the fam
Gus Oberlin-Wellington rescue case,
by means of which negro boy was
taken from his captors in tavnrr
in Wellington, o., by Oberlin men and
assisted to escape. Fer this disre-
gard of fugitive slave law the Ober-
lin offenders were incarcerated in the
Cleveland jail for several months.
AS nearly as can be calculated,
Colonel Ramsey was 1873 or 139
years old. He often recalled an ex
cursion from Buffalo to Cleveland
by boat on which he was working, ,n
1874, in the campaign of James X
Polk for the presidency. BY his own
statement, "Uncle John" at that tim.
was seventy-four or seventy-fve
years old.
He was more than six feet In
height, and in his younger days
weighed more than 200 pounds. IL
possessed a wonderful physiqu..
which is believed to account for his
long lease of life. He was born n
Salem, KY, the slave of Samuel
Hawkins who owned many negroes
About 1890 Wednesday morning
Chief of Police Conrad and officers
Hide brand and Davis raided gamb-
ling hall in the Arlington hotel on
West Main street, in rooms leased by
under surveillance for some time and
the officers received tip that the
time was ripe for raid.
1t appears that one man had gone
out to neighboring restaurant to
get some sandwiches and in his alb
sence the officers entered the hotel
and proceeded to the room where
the gambling was going on. IN re-
sponse to a knock on the door it
was opened and the officers entered. |
Eight men were in the room and |
were arrested, being caught red hand
ed at the card tables. All were taken
to the city prison and locked up.
Willard Dove and Joe Hinkle were
charged with running a gambling |
house and required to put up SlOO
for their appearance before Mayor
Minamyer Wednesday afternoon, in
default of which they were locked up
for the night. Howard Masters, viii.
liam Kurtz, Charles Hockensmith
George Ferguson, Frank Hinkle and
George Yourns were charged with
gambling house. Each put
up $40 for his appearance before
the mayor and was released.
After the man had been locked up
the officers went back to the room
and there found about 80 decks of
cards. quantity of poker chips and
other gambling paraphernalia which
was taken to the police station to be
used as evidence in the trial of the
Press.
Lima, Jan. 2S.-Because he had
missed three words, 11-year-old
Freddie Hubbard, son of J. B. Hub
bard, a wealthy farmer, was kept
n school until darkness last night
md to reach his home was forced
% cross a footbridge over Ottawa
liver. His father started to search
or the lad and reached the river,
which Is at food stage, just in time
o see his boy struggling in the wa
er. Plunsing into the stream the
parent dragged the boy to the bank,
md the youngster is now bedfast
through exposure.
o.
Springfield, Jan. 2S.-John Smith,
' city fireman, was shaving himself
When a gas explosion occurred, and
IN alarm of the gong caused him
O cut himself in the nose. The incis-
on was little more than a scratch