The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-09-25

was brought to Newport to elude her
pursuers. She rested at Levi Coffin's
for number of days, and her thrilling
and daring escape across the Ohio riv-
er near Ripley on the broken ice with
her two year old boy in her arms
touched the hearts of all who heard it,
The story told in Uncle Toms Cabin
is practically true and not exagger-
ated. and the man who watched her
daring feat from the Ohio side and
helped her up the bank and directed
her to a place of safety was VIM. La
cey, a brother of M. NJ. Lacey, the
president of Old Trails Read associa-
ton at Fountain City. VIM. Lacey was
engaged in some sort of secret service
work and happened to be at that place
in time to help the fleeing fugitive In
her desperate attempt to save herself
and child. When she reached the Cof-
fin home she was sick and exhausted
from the exposure and excitement
and quietly rested until fully recover.
ed and ready to continue her journey
to Canada and freedom.
Louis Talbert was another famous
slave to reach freedom. He was a very
intelligent negro with great physical
powers. After making his own escape
he would make an occasional trip
south and secretly organize a COM
pany of slaves and pilot them through
to liberty. He was finally captured at
the depot at Indianapolis by his mas
ter and was told that he had been the
means of losing his master $4,000
worth of slave property and he was
doomed to be sold away farther south
where 1t would be almost impossible
to escape. His old mistress plead so
earnestly for him that he was saved
from the physical tortures usually ad-
ministered in such cases, but to Tai
bert being sold to the far south was
a worse punishment. At one time or
another Louis Talbert went to school
at the Union Literary Seminary for
colored students taught for a number
of years by Ebenezer Tucker, a prom
inent educator and antfslavery man.
Tucker in his history of Randolph
county. very excellent county his
tory, speaks Of one time when the
Kentuckians were after Talbert. He
says, THE hunters came to Richmond,
got assistance and sixteen men came
on horse back in the night to Newport
Louis had been there. but had left
They found no fugitives. Three men
started at midnight on foot to come to
the institute to tell Louis to get out of
the way. They came just at daylight
and asked us Louis Talbert here"
mo. Why" IF he is he must make
himself scarce; they are after him.
Sixteen men came into Newport last
night and will be right up here"
Louis had already gone. They did not
find him a that time OF oil T,,okov in,
his history further says that after Tai
bert was captured at Indianapolis and
his friends supposed he was done for.
that his black face popped into the
door of the institute. why Louis, we
thought you were down to New Or
leans by this time" "Oh no, l was
never born to be sold down the river
One of my informants says she saw
Talbert one time at Cincinnati after
schools. He appeared at the Franklin
street school to see her brother whom
Talbert had known as friend in
need. After this" she says. 1--WE new
er heard of him again, supposing he
had been killed or sold into bondage"
And now my friends can you read
DSlWCcA Iuc llucS, Tic CHARACTER Oh the
early ancestors of Fountain City,?
Wouldn't you say that it was a noble
and proud heritage for the present
generation?
We want to say to you that Foun-
tain City is still the home of fair
women and brave men. of beautiful
girls and courageous boys all inter-
ested in everything which promotes
the betterment of mankind and make
worthy history for coming genera
lions.
We welcome you here tonight in the
interest of the Old Trails Road enter
price. The United States has been so
tremendously intent on the develop.
ment Of the country and the mad race
after the almighty dollar. that they
have already lost some golden oppor-
tunities to protect the coming people
in some of its vast resources.
We in America have been slow to
do things in public affairs which have
a proper regard for the beautiful. The
vast hard wood forests of the Ohio
and Mississippi valleys. the finest in
the world, have been nearly destroyed
without much reserve for a public do
main. We rejoice at this time in the
growing interest in the great public
highways to be managed and con-
trolled by the government We hope
to live to see more than one great
government highway built from ocean
to ocean, and from away down south
in Dixie" to the border of the British
possessions on the north. That many
historical matters and facts which
have well night been lost may yet be
preserved, and that our love for the
beautiful may grow and grow until in
years to come with all our great nat
ural resources and the work of skillful
hands. the United States may become
the mecca" of tourists from all over