Still, William, Underground Rail Road:
A Record of Facts, Authentic Narratives, Letters, Etc.

Porter & Coales, Publishers, Philadelphia, PA, 1872
Call Number: 1400, MSA L1117

MSA L1117, Image No: 565   Enlarge and print image (51K)

 Jump to  
  << PREVIOUS   NEXT >>
clear space clear space clear space white space


 

Still, William, Underground Rail Road:
A Record of Facts, Authentic Narratives, Letters, Etc.

Porter & Coales, Publishers, Philadelphia, PA, 1872
Call Number: 1400, MSA L1117

MSA L1117, Image No: 565   Enlarge and print image (51K)

 Jump to  
  << PREVIOUS   NEXT >>
640 THE UNDERGROUND RAIL ROAD. At the corner of Fourth and Walnut streets Miles, in company with two other young men, Wallace and Marshall, one evening in a most orderly manner, entered the care and took their seats. The conductor ordered them on the front platform; they did not budge. He stopped the car and ordered them out; this did no good. He read rules, and was not a little embarrassed by these polite and well-dressed young men. Finally he called for the police, who arrested all three. Miles did not yield his scat without a struggle. In being pulled out his resistance was such that several window lights were broken in the car. The police being in strong force, however, succeeded in marching their prisoners to the Mayor's police station at the corner of Fifth and Chestnut streets where they were locked up to await further investigation. The prisoners thought they were back in " old Virginny" again. Miles gritted his teeth and felt very indignant, but what could he do ? The infamous prejudice against which they had borne testimony was controlling all the lines of city passenger railways in Philadelphia. While Miles and his friends were willing to suffer for a principle, the dirt, filth, cold, and dis-agrceableness of the quarters that they most likely would be compelled to occupy all night and the following day (Sunday) forbade submission. Added to this Miles felt that his young wife would hardly be able to contaiu herself while lie was locked up. They sent for the writer to intercede for them. At a late hour of the night, after going from the alderman's boarding-house to a fire engine house and other places, where it was supposed that he might probably be found, on going a third time to his hotel, a little before midnight, he was discovered to bo in bed, and it was then ascertained that he had not be«n out all the evening. The night was very stormy. \Ve could not tell whether or not the fruitless chase on which we had been sent in search of the alderman, was iu keeping with the spirit that had looked the men up, chsigned to mislead us; lie condescended at last to apj>ear, and accepted our offer to go bail for all of them, and finally issued a discharge. Tliis was hastily delivered at the station, and the prisoners were released. But Miles was not satisfied; he had breathed free air iu Massachusetts for four years, and being a man of high spirit he felt that he must further test the prejudices of the cars. Consequently one very cold night, when a deep sno\v covered the pavements, he was out with his wife, and thought that he would ride; his wife being fair, he put her on the car at the corner of Third and Pine streets, and walked to the corner of Fourth and Pine streets, where he stepped into the car and took his seat. The conductor straightway ordered him out, on the pica of color. God had shaded him a little too much. " How is this, my wife is in this car," spake Miles. All eyes gazed around to see who his wife was. By this time the car had been stopped, and the wrath of the conductor was kindled prodigiously. He did not, however, lay violent hands upon Miles. A late