This letter only served to intensify the deep interest which had already
been awakened for the safety of all concerned. At the same time also it
made the duty of the Committee clear with regard to forwarding them to
N.Y. Immediately, therefore, the Doctor's brother and sons were
furnished with free tickets and were as carefully cautioned as possible
with regard to slave-hunters, if encountered on the road. In company
with several other Underground Rail Road passengers, under the care of
an intelligent guide, all were sent off in due order, looking quite as
well as the most respectable of their race from any part of the country.
The Committee in New York, with the Doctor, were on the look out of
course; thus without difficulty all arrived safely in the Empire City.
It would seem that the coming of his brother and sons so overpowered the
Doctor that he forgot how imminent their danger was. The meeting and
interview was doubtless very joyous. Few perhaps could realize, even in
imagination, the feelings that filled their hearts, as the Doctor and
his brother reverted to their boyhood, when they were both slaves
together in Maryland; the separation--the escape of the former many
years previous--the contrast, one elevated to the dignity of a Doctor of
Divinity, a scholar and noted clergyman, and as such well known in the
United States, and Great Britain, whilst, at the same time, his brother
and kin were held in chains, compelled to do unrequited labor, to come
and go at the bidding of another. Were not these reflections enough to
incapacitate the Doctor for the time being, for cool thought as to how
he should best guard against the enemy? Indeed, in view of Slavery and
its horrid features, the wonder is, not that more was not done, but that
any thing was done, that the victims were not driven almost out of their
senses. But time rolled on until nearly twenty-four hours had passed,
and while reposing their fatigued and weary limbs in bed, just before
day-break, hyena-like the slave-hunters pounced upon all three of them,
and soon had them hand-cuffed and hurried off to a United States'
Commissioner's office. Armed with the Fugitive Law, and a strong guard
of officers to carry it out, resistance would have been simply useless.
Ere the morning sun arose the sad news was borne by the telegraph wires
to all parts of the country of this awful calamity on the Underground
Rail Road.
Scarcely less painful to the Committee was the news of this accident,
than the news of a disaster, resulting in the loss of several lives, on
the Camden and Amboy Road, would have been to its managers. This was the
first accident that had ever taken place on the road after passengers
had reached the Philadelphia Committee, although, in various instances,
slave-hunters had been within a hair's breadth of their prey.
All that was reported respecting the arrest and return of the Doctor's
kin, so disgraceful to Christianity and civilization, is taken from the
Liberator, as follows:
THREE FUGITIVE SLAVES ARRESTED IN NEW YORK, AND GIVEN UP TO
THEIR OWNERS.
NEW YORK, May 25th.
About three o'clock this morning, three colored men, father and
two sons, known as Jake, Bob, and Stephen Pennington, were
arrested at the instance of David Smith and Jacob Grove, of
Washington Co., Md., who claimed them as their slaves. They were
taken before Commissioner Morton, of the United States Court,
and it was understood that they would be examined at 11 o'clock;
instead of that, however, the case was heard at once, no persons
being present, when the claimnants testified that they were the
owners of said slaves and that they escaped from their service
at Baltimore, on Sunday last.
From what we can gather of the proceedings, the fugitives
acknowledged themselves to be slaves of Smith and Grove. The
commissioner considering the testimony sufficient, ordered their
surrender, and they were accordingly given up to their
claimants, who hurried them off at once, and they are now on
their way to Baltimore. A telegraph despatch has been sent to
Philadelphia, as it is understood an attempt will be made to
rescue the parties, when the cars arrive. There was no
excitement around the commissioner's office, owing to a
misunderstanding as to the time of examination. The men were
traced to this city by the claimants, who made application to
the United States Court, when officers Horton and De Angeles
were deputied by the marshal to effect their arrest, and those
officers, with deputy Marshal Thompson scoured the city, and
finally found them secreted in a house in Broome St. They were
brought before Commissioner Morton this morning. No counsel
appeared for the fugitives. The case being made out, the usual
affidavits of fear of rescue were made, and the warrants
thereupon issued, and the three fugitives were delivered over to
the U.S. Marshal, and hurried off to Maryland. They were a
father and his two sons, father about forty-five and sons
eighteen or nineteen. The evidence shows them to have recently
escaped. The father is the brother of the Rev. Dr. Pennington, a
highly respected colored preacher of this city.
NEW YORK, May 28.
Last evening the church at the corner of Prince and Marion
streets was filled with an intelligent audience of white and
colored people, to hear Dr. Pennington relate the circumstance
connected with the arrest of his brother and nephews. He showed,
that he attempted to afford his brother the assistance of
counsel, but was unable to do so, the officers at the Marshal's
office having deceived him in relation to the time the trial was
to take place before the Commissioners. Hon. E.F. Culver next
addressed the audience, showing, that a great injustice had been
done to the brother of Dr. Pennington, and though he, up to that
time, had advocated peace, he now had the spirit to tear down
the building over the Marshal's head. Intense interest was
manifested during the proceedings, and much sympathy in behalf
of Dr. Pennington.