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: 441   Enlarge and print image (42K)

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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: 441   Enlarge and print image (42K)

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416 THE UNDERGROUND RAIL ROAD. ground Rail Road agent for a time. James was a young man, about twenty-five years of age, well made, and of a yellow complexion. Although none of this party experienced brutal treatment personally, they had seen the " elephant" quite to their satisfaction in Norfolk and vicinity. ARRIVAL FROM ARLINGTON, MD. 1857. JOHN ALEXANDER BUTLKR, WILLIAM HEKRY HII'KIXS, JOHN HENRY MOORE AND GEOBGE HILL. This part}' made, at first sight, a favorable impression; they represented the bone and sinew of the slave class of Arlington, and upon investigation the Committee felt assured that they would carry with them to Canada industry and determination such as would tell well for the race. JOH.\ ALEXANDER BUTLEU was about twenty-nine years of age, well made, dark color, and intelligent. He assured the Committee that he had been hamj»red bv Slavery from his birth, and that in consequence thereof he had suffered serious hardships. He said that a man by the name of Win. Ford, belonging to the Methodist Church at Arlington, had defrauded him of lus just rights, and h;id compelled him to work on his farm for nothing; also had deprived him of an education, and had kept him in poverty and ignorance all his life. In going over the manner in which he bad been treated, he added that not only was his master a. hard man, but that his wife and children partook of the same evil spirit; " they were all hard." True, they had but three slaves to oppress, but these they spared not. John was a married man, and spoke affectionately of his wife and children, whom lie bad to leave behind at Ooss-Koads. WILLIAM HEXRY, who was heart and soul in earnest with regard to reaching Canada, and was one of this party, was twenty-three years of age, and was a stout, yellow man with a remarkably large head, and looked as if he was capable of enjoying Canada and caring for himself. In speaking of the fettered condition from which he had cheaper), the name of Ephraim Swart, " a gambler and spree'r" was mentioned as the individual who had wronged him of his liberty most grievously. Against Swart he expressed himself with much manly feeling, and judging from his manner lie appeared to l« a dangerous customer for master Swart to encounter north of Mason and Dixon's line. "WILLIAM complained that Swart " would come home late at niglit drunk, and if he did not find us awake he would not attempt to wake us, but would begin cutting and slashing with a cowhide. He treated bis wife very bad