As soon as they were well out of sight, Jerry was taken to the woods and hidden in an old sugar house, where he remained for some days. Meanwhile time and perplexity began to soften the Deacon, and he finally concluded that three hundred and fifty dollars ($350) in hand would be worth more than “a nigger on foot,” which was raised and paid over, the original subscription being now in the hands of the writer. The money paid over and the freedom papers made out, the Deacon had no difficulty in obtaining an interview with Jerry, a meeting very satisfactory to the latter personage, now that he could meet “Ol’ Massa on perfec’ ’quality as gemen.” There were two things connected with this case which the sturdy old Austinburgers always regretted. The one was that as the work of purchase was completed late Saturday afternoon, the Deacon accepted the proffered hospitality of Mr. Austin for the Sabbath, and with him attended church in the old historic “meeting house” at the Center, where the Rev. Henry Cowles dispensed the gospel in the form of a red-hot anti-slavery sermon, to which the Deacon listened with great expressed satisfaction if not profit. During the evening service, some unprincipled persons shaved his horse’s main and tail, which, when known, led several of the first citizens of the town to save its reputation and show their appreciation of the gentlemanly qualities of their visitor, by giving him in exchange for his disfigured horse one equally good, thus sending him back to Dixie with a high regard for their honesty, as well as sincerity. The other was, Jerry, once a free man, went to Conneaut and established himself as a barber, but unable to bear prosperity, he soon fell into habits of drinking and dissipation, thus rendering worthless the investment philanthropy and generosity had made in him. The following is the subscription referred to above, together with the names of donors and the amount given so far as they can be deciphered: We whose names are hereto affixed, promise to pay to Eliphalet Austin the sums put to our names, for the purpose of liberating from slavery a colored man whose master is supposed to be in pursuit, and offers to free him for three hundred and fifty dollars. Austinburg, July 23, 1834. Eliphalet & Aaron E Austin. $50. J. Austin, $40.00. J. S. Mills, $2.00. A. A. Barr, $1.00. G. W. St. John, $25.00. Luman Whiting, $2.00. I. Hendry, $5.00. Amos Fisk, $5.00. Daniel Hubbard, $1.00. Mr. Sawtell, $2.00. L. M. Austin, $5.00. Dr. A. Hawley, $2.00. Ward, $5.00. Jefferson, $20.00. Orestes K. Hawley, $50. L. Bissell, $20.00. T. H. Wells, $3.00. Harvey Ladd, Jr., $2.00. James Sillak, $3.00. Benjamin Whiting, $1.00. Giddings & Wade, $10. Russell Clark, $2.00. Henry Harris, $1.00. E. Austin, Jr., $15.00. Ros. Austin, $5.00. W. Webb, Jr., $5.00. Henry, $5.00. A Friend, 50 cents. The $20.00 from Jefferson was a kind of _religious_ collection.