weep away his "refuge of lies," with regard
to her being "abducted," and her unwillingness to "leave her master,"
etc. So Mr. McKim and the friends very privately arranged to have Jane
Johnson on hand at the opening of the defense.

Mrs. Lucretia Mott, Mrs. McKim, Miss Sarah Pugh and Mrs. Plumly,
volunteered to accompany this poor slave mother to the court-house and
to occupy seats by her side, while she should face her master, and
boldly, on oath, contradict all his hard swearing. A better subject for
the occasion than Jane, could not have been desired. She entered the
court room veiled, and of course was not known by the crowd, as pains
had been taken to keep the public in ignorance of the fact, that she was
to be brought on to bear witness. So that, at the conclusion of the
second witness on the part of the defense, "Jane Johnson" was called
for, in a shrill voice. Deliberately, Jane arose and answered, in a
lady-like manner to her name, and was then the observed of all
observers. Never before had such a scene been witnessed in Philadelphia.
It was indescribable. Substantially, her testimony on this occasion, was
in keeping with the subjoined affidavit, which was as follows--

"_State of New York, City and County of New York_.

"Jane Johnson being sworn, makes oath and says--

"My name is Jane--Jane Johnson; I was the slave of Mr. Wheeler
of Washington; he bought me and my two children, about two years
ago, of Mr. Cornelius Crew, of Richmond, Va.; my youngest child
is between six and seven years old, the other between ten and
eleven; I have one other child only, and he is in Richmond; I
have not seen him for about two years; never expect to see him
again; Mr. Wheeler brought me and my two children to
Philadelphia, on the way to Nicaragua, to wait on his wife; I
didn't want to go without my two children, and he consented to
take them; we came to Philadelphia by the cars; stopped at Mr.
Sully's, Mr. Wheeler's father-in-law, a few moments; then went
to the steamboat for New York at 2 o'clock, but were too late;
we went into Bloodgood's Hotel; Mr. Wheeler went to dinner; Mr.
Wheeler had told me in Washington to have nothing to say to
colored persons, and if any of them spoke to me, to say I was a
free woman traveling with a minister; we staid at Bloodgood's
till 5 o'clock; Mr. Wheeler kept his eye on me all the time
except when he was a