t dinner; he left his dinner to come and see
if I was safe, and then went back again; while he was at dinner,
I saw a colored woman and told her I was a slave woman, that my
master had told me not to speak to colored people, and that if
any of them spoke to me to say that I was free; but I am not
free; but I want to be free; she said: 'poor thing, I pity you;'
after that I saw a colored man and said the same thing to him,
he said he would telegraph to New York, and two men would meet
me at 9 o'clock and take me with them; after that we went on
board the boat, Mr. Wheeler sat beside me on the deck; I saw a
colored gentleman come on board, he beckoned to me; I nodded my
head, and could not go; Mr. Wheeler was beside me and I was
afraid; a white gentleman then came and said to Mr. Wheeler, 'I
want to speak to your servant, and tell her of her rights;' Mr.
Wheeler rose and said, 'If you have anything to say, say it to
me--she knows her rights;' the white gentleman asked me if I
wanted to be free; I said 'I do, but I belong to this gentleman
and I can't have it;' he replied, 'Yes, you can, come with us,
you are as free as your master, if you want your freedom come
now; if you go back to Washington you may never get it;' I rose
to go, Mr. Wheeler spoke, and said, 'I will give you your
freedom,' but he had never promised it before, and I knew he
would never give it to me; the white gentleman held out his hand
and I went toward him; I was ready for the word before it was
given me; I took the children by the hands, who both cried, for
they were frightened, but both stopped when they got on shore; a
colored man carried the little one, I led the other by the hand.
We walked down the street till we got to a hack; nobody forced
me away; nobody pulled me, and nobody led me; I went away of my
own free will; I always wished to be free and meant to be free
when I came North; I hardly expected it in Philadelphia, but I
thought I should get free in New York; I have been comfortable
and happy since I left Mr. Wheeler, and so are the children; I
don't want to go back; I could have gone in Philadelphia if I
had wanted to; I could go now; but I had rather die than go
back. I wish to make this statement before a magistrate, because
I understand that Mr. Williamson is in prison on my account, and
I