Thomas is also one of the brave eight who broke out of Dover Jail. He
was about twenty-three years of age, well made, wide awake, and of a
superb black complexion. He too had been owned by Richard Meredith.
Against the betrayer, who was a black man, he had vengeance in store if
the opportunity should ever offer. Thomas left only one brother living;
his "father and mother were dead."
The excitement over the escape spread very rapidly next morning, and
desperate efforts were made to recapture the fugitives, but a few
friends there were who had sympathy and immediately rendered them the
needed assistance.
The appended note from the faithful Garrett to Samuel Rhoads, may throw
light upon the occurrence to some extent.
WILMINGTON, 3d mo. 13th, 1857.
DEAR COUSIN, SAMUEL RHOADS:--I have a letter this day from an
agent of the Underground Rail Road, near Dover, in this state,
saying I must be on the look out for six brothers and two
sisters, they were decoyed and betrayed, he says by a colored
man named Thomas Otwell, who pretended to be their friend, and
sent a _white scamp_ ahead to wait for them at Dover till they
arrived; they were arrested and put in Jail there, with Tom's
assistance, and some officers. On third day morning about four
o'clock, they broke jail; six of them are secreted in the
neighborhood, and the writer has not known what became of the
other two. The six were to start last night for this place. I
hear that their owners have persons stationed at several places
on the road watching. I fear they will be taken. If they could
lay quiet for ten days or two weeks, they might then get up
safe. I shall have two men sent this evening some four or five
miles below to keep them away from this town, and send them (if
found to Chester County). Thee may show this to Still and McKim,
and oblige thy cousin,