St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1958-05-09
Heart Of The
Stranger h.


supported the cause Of the south
ern states The Republicans OPP
posed 1t. But there were incidents
which showed that the sentiment
so obvious In the war days was
not so definitely formed in the
years before the war.
In August 1860, a Negro wom-
an came 10 the Falls Of st. An
thony She was a slave Of a
southern master. She was persuad-
ed 10 run away. Brought into
court, she was set free.
This action, perhaps because It
tempered with that which had
been considered a property right,
was not well received. A crowd
assembled to restore the Negro
slave TO her master. There was
agitation that the Abolitionists be
tarred and feathered.
Two things deferred the mob
One was a very heavy rain storm.
The other was a shot from the
house about which the mobsters
assembled. II was soon after this
incident that Minnesota was in
war 10 a degree that caused no
further speculation as to the opin-
ions Of the people"
Investigation Of the details Of
this small item revealed a much
more lucid story.
Colonel Christmas land he was
colonel" only because he was
a plantation owner and lived in
Misslssippi) came up the Mississ-
ippi River by steamboat to spend
the summer in Minneapolis. He
brought with him his invalid wife
his children, and several Negro
servants. The group put up at the
Winslow House, st, Anthony's
popular hotel Minneapolis and st.
Anthony enjoyed this southern
tourist trade and did everything
possible to encourage II.
A story OF the incident was
written by Curtis Chivers in the
SPOKESMAN and RECORDER
newspapers on June 20, 1855, after
reading an old newspaper account
found by Tom Moore, sr., in the
cornerstone of the old Winslow
House when II was being wrecked.
Eliza winston" wrote Chivers,
came TO Minneapolis in 1860 with
her masters family. She was the
widow Of a free Negro who had
gone to Liberia on a mission, and
had died there. Her husband had
owned house and a lot in Mem
phis, Tennessee. Eliza could not
become owner Of the property be-
cause she was a slave, and ac-
cording 10 Tennessee law, the
property went to her master.
"The widow Eliza, was collateral
for a mortgage loan owed by
a man named Gholson 10 colonel"
Christmas. The mortgage was
never paid, and Eliza became the
property of the rich planter"
After a few days, the Christmas
family, servants ct al, moved to
cottage at Lake Harriet to en-
10y the cool SIMMER temperatures
so famous near Minnesota lakes.
one day, Eliza Winston met
Mrs. Gates, the wife Of a free
Negro barber, and complained that
her husband had left her property
but that she could neither reside
there nor collect rent from those
who live there. The rich Colonel
enjoyed the gains from her hus-
bands investment.
Mrs. Gates told the story to a
white woman who In turn related
lit to W. d. Babbitt, a pioneer cit-
zen and an Aboutionist. Babbitt
enlisted the help Of william S
King, editor Of the Minneapolis
Atlas, radical newspaper which
passed up the opportunity to as.
sail the institution Of slavery, and
II. II. f. Cornell, a lawyer,
The three men began work or
! Eliza's freedom. A complaint FLEE
by Mr.. Babbitt and Mrs, Gate.
charged that Eliza Winston wa,
unlawfuny held by the Colonel.
Judge c. r. Vanderburgh issue,
writ Of habeas corpus to fore
Christmas to allow the woman q
appear in court Christmas wa
warned Immediately by som
d friends that there was a movement
b on foot TO take Eliza from m
, household. The Colonel" with IN
idea that Eliza, who was only 3
, years Of age, did not want he
r freedom, her property inhcrtanc,
. or rentals, told her that when sh
b saw any strange men around Sh
? must hide in the wooded area nel
: the cottage. Several times sh
0 found Il necessary TO follow he
masters advice. Finally a Shcl
e ifrs deputy and volunteer Poss
e OF Abontionists went 10 the Chris
! mas cottage, and without resis'
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