The Fugitive Slave Law and Its Victims: Anti-Slavery Tracts No. 18May, Samuel
History
The Fugitive Slave Law and Its Victims: Anti-Slavery Tracts No. 18
May, Samuel
Fugitive slaves -- United States; United States -- Fugitive slave law (1850)
On looking around, horrible was the sight which met the
officers' eyes. In one corner of the room was a nearly white
child, bleeding to death. Her throat was cut from ear to ear,
and the blood was spouting out profusely, showing that the
deed was but recently committed. Scarcely was this fact
noticed, when a scream issuing from an adjoining room drew
their attention thither. A glance into the apartment revealed
a negro woman holding in her hand a knife literally dripping
with gore, over the heads of two little negro children, who
were crouched to the floor, and uttering the cries whose
agonized peals had first startled them. Quickly the knife was
wrested from the hand of the excited woman, and a more close
investigation instituted as to the condition, of the infants.
They were discovered to be cut across the head and
shoulders, but not very seriously injured, although the blood
trickled down their backs and upon their clothes.
The woman avowed herself the mother of the children, and said
that she had killed one and would like to kill the three
others, rather than see them again reduced to slavery! By
this time the crowd about the premises had become prodigious,
and it was with no inconsiderable difficulty that the negroes
were secured in carriages, and brought to the United States
District Court-rooms, on Fourth Street. The populace followed
the vehicle closely, but evinced no active desire to effect a
rescue. Rumors of the story soon circulated all over the
city. Nor were they exaggerated, as is usually the case. For
once, reality surpassed the wildest thought of fiction.
The slaves, on reaching the marshal's office, seated
themselves around the stove with dejected countenances, and
preserved a moody silence, answering all questions propounded
to them in monosyllables, or refusing to answer at all. Simon
is apparently about fifty-five years of age, and Mary about
fifty. The son of Mr. Marshall, who is here, in order, if
possible, to recover the property of his father, says that
they have always been faithful servants, and have frequently
been on this side of the river. Simon, Jr., is a young man,
about twenty-two years old, of a very lithe and active form,
and rather a mild and pleasant countenance. Margaret is a
dark mulatto, twenty-three years of age; her countenance is
far from being vicious, and her senses, yesterday, appeared
partially stultified from the exciting trials she had
endured. After remaining about two hours at the marshal's
office, Commissioner Pendery announced that the slaves would
be removed to the custody of the United States Marshal until
nine o'clock Tuesday morning, when the case would come up for
examination.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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