Important as these provisions were in the interest of the servant, the
law protected the master even more carefully and specifically. The
great danger to him was in the loss of servants through their escaping
from service and being harbored by friendly sympathizers or rival
employers. The law dealt rigorously with both classes of offenders. In
South Carolina stubborn, refractory, and discontented servants, who ran
away before their term of service expired, were obliged to serve their
masters three times the period of their absence.[92] In Pennsylvania
every servant absenting himself without leave for one day or more was
to serve, at the expiration of his time, five days for every day’s
absence, and in addition, to give satisfaction to his master for any
damages or charges incurred through his absence.[93] In East New Jersey
runaways were to serve double the time of their absence, and also to
give satisfaction for the costs and damages caused by their absence.[94]
In North Carolina runaways who would not tell the name of their master,
either because unable to speak English or through obstinacy, were to
be committed to jail and advertised for two months. Servants absenting
themselves were to serve double time.[95] In South Carolina a servant who
ran away was to serve one week for every day’s absence, but the whole
time was not to exceed two years.[96] Servants running away with slaves
were to be considered felons. In Maryland absenting servants were to
serve additional time at the discretion of the Court, ten days, or not
exceeding that, for every day’s absence, and to give satisfaction for
costs incurred.[97]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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