The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-26

bdflnS nanu known as the
L. Downies. which just before the
civil war engaged in beguil-
ing negroes from New York and is
vicinity and sending them to the South
to he sold into slavery ON the sugar
plantations of Louisiana and Mississippi
The last survivor Of the band is now
more than so, bur is hale and clear of
mind. II is his estimate that in the ten
years Immediately preceding the civil
war there were shipped from New York
20 New orleans more than 1900 able
bodied negroes, and he declares the
pruff of the organization exceeded
$3.50 600 annually.
ON both riverfronts the Downies main
tanned dcpots, which externally were
mere sheds on the wharves. but within
were fitted with cells and the SEM
hlanCe of court rooms. and in these their
Victims were imprisoned until oppor-
luni;y offered to ship them away. Then
they were rescued" by confederates of
the gang put aboard freghters bound
for New Orleans and sent To market.
This fate, dreadful as It was seemed to
the negroes preferable 10 the gallows
which they believed awaited them here.
Confined in these cells" said the last
survivor OF the Downies. the negroes
accused of murders committed while
they We're so drunk that they could re-
member nothing about them. From time
to time a mock execution was held to
terrur!ze them still further.
The 'resCuers' were all members Of
the organization, and they approached
the cells in boats which were rOwed I'M
derneath the wharves. Through trap
doors they took the negroes out of the
cells one at time and carried them 10
the ships, always at night. At New Or
leans the negroes were told that II was
best for them TO go through the form of
n sale at the slave rooms TO prevent any
suspicion on the part of the authorities.
The sale was made and the negroes We're
assured that ii would be a matter of
short time only before they would be
jaken away from the plantation and re-
cover their freedom.
The negroes sent from here all came
from nearby towns, many from Newark,
Paterson and the other cities of north
,In New Jersey, others from the Hud-
son Valley and the rest from Connecti-
cut. The decoys were all negroes.
Under the pretence of obtaining employ
ment for them or even OF bringing them
to the city for a good time the negroes
49, ~, - ~ - -
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the term went, but the practice Of taxi
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!" 'H' S',"S' ""'ls at Ne" dreams
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'H0" "'-'" was ''"""''u i'' ny "'''
81 san N"''" was UTE" "'l'' S't an
SN'''" '"' PURPOSE very wei more
'SPe''"HE as 'he negroes u'u d" III 'ht'r
power !" "'u III '"' "'''P'"h III "i"e'
tld' .H'E h''E"' 'S'"ie 'le Ed'I""S III
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~" l"th negro ma apSoluteIE II"
'"""'' I'll 'S'dP'' ne ana not |" "cE'h
"itH' hl"N ''dIE NH'rt II" was ne
was "l'"'u an" "''"'lr l" communicate
WIN "'S 'I''""S III 'H' N"l'h ana ne
hdu II" means "l d'lhG :" had ne WIshcd
TO- request Tor Ni''IhS paper or the
"'""P' l" ""H Il p"sl"S' stamp ny q
htEI" on a sugar Plantation would nave
h"'h as d'SuId as u ne had asked Tor a
h"''' "i champagne.