44; he died in the latter part of the
Spring of 1844; Mr. Bowen made a mistake in saying it was eighteen years
ago; if you recall him he will rectify the mistake, I think; several
slaves escaped from Dr. Purnell; a boy, that lived with my brother, ran
away in 1827; the others were not hired to my brother; I don't know that
I could tell the exact time, nor the year; the doctor used to say to us,
there is another of my niggers ran away; the reason that I can tell when
Mahala ran away, is because she took a husband and ran away; I was
married that year; the reason I cannot tell about the others is, because
they went at different times in five years; the first who ran away
before Mahala, was named Grace; she went in 1827; I don't know when the
last went, or who it was."

* * * * *

Gloucester said they had raised a mob on him, on account of this case,
and he would have to leave the city; the case of this woman or these
proceedings was not spoken of there; he staid but a short time; he said
one of the witnesses had betrayed him in court, yesterday, and they
attacked him last night; I asked him how he escaped from so many; he
said very few were in the city who could outrun him; I asked him where
he was going, he replied he had a notion to put for Canada; some of the
gentlemen proposed his going to Baltimore; he said that would not do, as
the laws of Maryland would catch him; he was going to get a boat and go
to New Jersey, and then to New York; Mr. Purnell gave him just
thirty-five dollars last night; he paused a while, and Mr. P. told him
to hand it back; he then took out his money and put some more to it, and
said: "Here is fifty dollars." Mr. P. said that if he got the slave he
would leave fifty dollars more with a person in the city.

* * * * *

Question by the judge.--"You have spoken of a conversation in which Mr.
P. told you of certain letters or correspondence, and that they had
reference to this alleged fugitive. I want you to give me, to the best
of your recollection, everything he said the letters contained."

_Witness_.--Mr. P. told me when he first mentioned it to me, he said
that he was going to mention something to me, that he did not want
anything said, in regard to some negroes that had run away from his
father; he said he wanted me to come on here, and he did not want me to
tell any person before we left our county; that if the negroes