y bring the claimant on the next trip of the Keystone State. The
authorities of Delaware manifest no disposition to deliver up a man
whose freedom has been so clearly proved; but every effort will be made
to reduce him again to slavery by the man who claims him, in which, it
seems, he has the hearty co-operation of Capt. Hardie. A trial will be
had before U.S. Commissioner Guthrie, and we have every reason to
suppose it will be a fair one. The friends of right and justice should
remember that such a trial will be attended with considerable expense,
and that the imprisoned man has been too long deprived of his liberty to
have money to pay for his own defence.
* * * * *
SAMUEL GREEN ALIAS WESLEY KINNARD, AUGUST 28th, 1854.
TEN YEARS IN THE PENITENTIARY FOR HAVING A COPY OF UNCLE TOM'S CABIN.
The passenger answering to the above name, left Indian Creek, Chester
Co., Md., where he had been held to service or labor, by Dr. James Muse.
One week had elapsed from the time he set out until his arrival in
Philadelphia. Although he had never enjoyed school privileges of any
kind, yet he was not devoid of intelligence. He had profited by his
daily experience as a slave, and withal, had managed to learn to read
and write a little, despite law and usage to the contrary. Sam was about
twenty-five years of age and by trade, a blacksmith. Before running
away, his general character for sobriety, industry, and religion, had
evidently been considered good, but in coveting his freedom and running
away to obtain it, he had sunk far below the utmost limit of forgiveness
or mercy in the estimation of the slave-holders of Indian Creek.
During his intercourse with the Vigilance Committee, while rejoicing
over his triumphant flight, he gave, with no appearance of excitement,
but calmly, and in a common-sense like manner, a brief description of
his master, which was entered on the record book substantially as
follows: "Dr. James Muse is thought by the servants to be the worst man
in Maryland, inflicting whipping and all manner of cruelties upon the
servants."
While Sam gave reasons for this sweeping charge, which left no room for
doubt, on the part of the Committee, of his sincerity and good judgment,
it was not deemed necessary to make a note of more of the doctor's
character than seemed actually needed, in order to show why "Sam" had
taken passage on the Underground Rail Road. For several yea
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