The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-04-14

New York Evening Post: Harriet
Tubman Davis. an e~X-slave, known as
the Moses Of her people" and regard
ed as one of the most remarkable wo-
men Of the age, died Monday night at
the Harriet Tubman home for INDECENT
aged negroes at Auburn, n. Y. AS nearly
as she could tell she was 9S years Of
age. For the past year she had been
confined to her room. Recently she
contracted pneumonia, which caused
her death.
Harriet Tubman Davis, or Harriet
Tubman as she was better known, was
known inc held in high esteem by
Ralph Waldo Emerson, William Lloyd
Garrison. Phillips Brooks. Horace
Mann, Frederick Douglas, Gerrit Smith
and John Brown. CT pure Ashantee
blood, she was born on a plantation in
Dorchester county, Maryland. At the
early age of 10 her instructive antag-
onism against the tyranny Of master
over slave caused her to protest at the
brutality of an OVersecr who pursued
a slave with a club. The overseer
knocked her down.
Freed Other Slaves.
The injuries she received on that oc-
CasiOn brought on fits of s0mnOlenCy
with which she suffered until long aft
er the war, when she obtained relief
at the Massachusetts general hospital.
While confined to her cabin, she be-
came very religious. developing an al
most fanatic faith that carried her
through dangers where strong men of
her race faltered.
Her master died, and word went
round the quarters that the slaves
were to be sold SOUTH the thing
most dreaded by negroes of the upper
tier of southern states. Harriet coun-
Selled the negroes to run away, but
none had the courage to follow her.
She knew only that If she followed
the north star it would lead her to
freedom, and one night she stole away.
OF the terrible journey north she re-
membered little; her instinct guided
her n her great strength enabled
her to stand the prfV&tiOn.
She obtained employment and saved
all she earned. Thea she disappeared
and was not seen for months. She had
dared to go back to the land of bond
G to show others the path to free
dom.
1t wasn't long before throughout the
plantations of Maryland and Virginia
were spread rewards for a negro wo-
mar who was Turing the slaves away
from their masters. The price for the
capture, dead or alive. of Harriet Tub
man rose to owe $40, 1000, but she was
never taken. She made over nineteen
trips into the very heart of the coun-
try where the head money was offered.
She continued this work until the be-
ginning of the civil war.
q When the abolition movement be-
came active she went into it heart and
soul. Whenever she could get to A.
meeting she went and inspired others
with her great faith. it was while
on her way to attend a meeting in
Boston at the invitation Of Gerrit
Smith that she fought the greatest
single battle of her career.
Led Crowd at Troy.
She had stopped off at Troy. and
while there had learned that a fugitive
slave, Charles Nalle, d half-brother Of
the master who followed him, and as
white as his owner, had been taken and
was in the hands Of the officers, hav-
ing been remanded back to Virginia.
She went at once to the office of the.
United States commissioner, collecting
on the way a large crowd.
The CROWD held back tae officers,
who were about to convey the slave tn
a wagon, and bids for tho slaves pur-
chase began. The owner offered to sell
for $1,000, but when that was bid he
raised his price to $500. A man
across the street raised a window and
shouted:
=H- Il wv IlutiuI6u QOIdES IOF his rescue
but not | cent to his master"
That fired the crowd. and when the
officers tried to bring the slave out the
crowd surged around the wagon. Har-
riet, who had kept her position at the
door of the commissioners office
shouted, Here he comest Take hint"
and led the assault.
Her enormous physical strength has
been spoken of. Breaking through the
police line she seized the prisoner un-
der the arrnpits and began to drag him
down the street.
Drag us out!" she shouted to her
friends. "Drag him to the river!
Drown him, but don't let dem have
him!s
A policeman hit her on the head
With his club. and, freeing one hand,
she knocked him aa@ck into the crowd.
Another jumped for her, but she caught
him about the neck, throttied him. and