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: 712   Enlarge and print image (50K)

 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: 712   Enlarge and print image (50K)

 Jump to  
  << PREVIOUS   NEXT >>
684 THE UNDERGROUND SAIL ROAD. city, and direct them to escape from tlieir pursuer, within one hour after I left my house in Brooklyn. I felt it to be an answer to prayer. 4. One day, when I lived in New York City, a colored man came running to my hou.se, and in a hurried manner, said: " Is this Mr. Tappan ?" On replying in the affirmative, he said: "I have driven my master from Baltimore, yx: has just arHved, and the servants are taking off the baggage at the Astor House. I inquired of a person passing by, where you lived. He said, 80, White Street, and I have run here, to tell you that you may give notice to a man who lias.escaped from my master, to this city, that the object of this journey is to find him and take him back to Slavery." The man hurried back, so that he need not be missed by his master, who believed that this coachman, who had lived years with him, was his confidential servant, and would be (rue to his interest. I went immediately to the house of a colored friend, to describe the fugitive and see if we could not concert measures to protect him. " I think," said he, " that I know the man, by your description, and that he boards in this house. He will soon come in from South Street, where he has worked to-day." While we were consulting together, sure enough, the man came in, and was most glad to have the opportunity thus affordcxl, of secreting himself. I have not strength to dictate much more, although many other instances occur to me of most remarkable providential occurrences, of the escape of fugitives within my knowledge. I used to say that I was the owner of holf-a-horse that was in active service, near the Susquchanna River. This horse I owned jointly with another friend of the slave, dedicating the animal to the service of the Underground Rail Road. It was customary for the agcut at Havre de Grace, bringing a fugitive to the river, to kindle a fire (as it was generally in the night), to give notice to a person living on the opposite side of the river. This person, well understood the signal, and would come across in his boat and receive the fugitive. 5. An aged colored couple, residing in Brooklyn, came over to my office, in ^vew York City, and said that they had just heard from "VVilmington, N. C., that their two sons (about twenty-five or twenty-six years of age)t who were slaves, were about to be sold, for one thousand dollars each ; and they hoped I should be able and willing to assist them in raising the money. I told them that I bad scruples about putting money into the bauds of slave-holders, but I would give them something that might be of as much value. I then pointed out a way by which their sons might reach the city. In about three weeks, one of the young men came to my office. Give me, said I, some particulars of your escape. " I am," said he, " a builder, and planned and erected the hotel at Wilmington, and some other houses. I used to hire my time of 017 master, and was accustomed to ride about the