This was an exceptional case, as this passenger did not reach the
Vigilance Committee of Philadelphia, yet to exclude him on this account,
would be doing an injustice to history.
The facts in his case were incontestably established in the Philadelphia
Register in April, 1854, from which the following thrilling account is
taken:
The steamship, Keystone State, which arrived at this port on
Saturday morning, had just entered Delaware Bay, when a man was
discovered secreted outside of the vessel and under the guards.
When brought from his hiding-place, he was found to be a
Fugitive Slave, who had secreted himself there before the vessel
left Savannah on Wednesday, and had remained in that place from
the time of starting!
His position was such, that the water swept over and around him
almost constantly. He had some bread in his pocket, which he had
intended for subsistence until he could reach a land of liberty.
It was saturated with sea-water and dissolved to a pulp.
When our readers remember the high winds of Friday, and the
sudden change to cold during that night, and the fact that the
fugitive had remained in that situation for three days and
nights, we think it will be conceded that he fully earned his
liberty, and that the "institution," which was so intolerable
that he was willing to run the risk of almost certain death to
escape from it had no very great attractions for him. But the
poor man was doomed to disappointment. The captain ordered the
vessel to put into Newcastle, where, the fugitive, hardly able
to stand, was taken on shore and incarcerated, and where he now
awaits the order of his owner in Savannah. The following
additional particulars are from the same paper of the 21st.
The Keystone State case.--Our article yesterday morning brought
us several letters of inquiry and offers of contributions to aid
in the purchase from his master of the unfortunate inmate of
Newcastle jail. In answer to the former, we would say, that the
steamer Keystone State, left Savannah, at 9 A.M., last
Wednesday. It was about the same hour next morning that the men
engaged in heaving lead, heard a voice from under the guards
imploring help. A rope was procured, and the man relieved from
his dangerous and suffering situation. He was well cared for
immediately; a suit of dry clothes was furnished him, and he was
given his share of the contents of the boat pantry. On arriving
at Newcastle, the captain had him placed in jail, for the
purpose, as we are informed, of taking him back to Savannah.
To those who have offered contributions so liberally, we answer,
that the prospect is, that only a small amount will be
needed--enough to fee a lawyer to sue out a writ of habeas
corpus. The salt water fugitive claims to be a free man, and a
native of Philadelphia. He gives his name as Edward Davis, and
says that he formerly lived at No. 5 Steel's court, that he was
a pupil in Bird's school, on Sixth St. above Lombard, and that
he has a sister living at Mr. Diamond's, a distiller, on South
St. We are not informed why he was in Georgia, from which he
took such an extraordinary means to effect his escape. If the
above assertion be true, we apprehend little trouble in
restoring the man to his former home. The claim of the captain
to take him back to Savannah, will not be listened to for a
moment by any court. The only claim the owners of the "Keystone
State" or the captain can have on salt water Davis, is for half
passenger fare; he came half the way as a fish. A gentleman who
came from Wilmington yesterday, assures us that the case is in
good hands at Newcastle.
FULL PARTICULARS OF THE ABDUCTION, ENSLAVING AND ESCAPE OF DAVIS.
ATTEMPT TO SEDUCE HIM TO SLAVERY AGAIN.
The case of the colored man Davis, who made such a bold stroke
to regain his liberty, by periling his life on board the steamer
Keystone State, has excited very general attention. He has given
a detailed account of his abduction and sale as a slave in the
State of Maryland and Georgia, and some of his adventures up to
the time of reaching Delaware. His own story is substantially as
follows:
He left Philadelphia on the 15th of September, 1851, and went to
Harrisburg, intending to go to Hollidaysburg; took a canal boat
for Havre de Grace, where he arrived next day. There he hired on
board the schooner Thomas and Edward (oyster boat), of
Baltimore. Went from Havre de Grace to St. Michael's, for
oysters, thence to Baltimore, and thence to Havre de Grace
again.
He then hired to a Mr. Sullivan, who kept a grocery store, to do
jobs. While there, a constable, named Smith, took him before a
magistrate named Graham, who fined him fifteen or twenty dollars
for violating the law in relation to free negroes coming into
the State. This fine he was not able to pay, and Smith took him
to Bell Air prison. Sheriff Gaw wrote to Mr. Maitland in
Philadelphia, to whom he referred, and received an answer that
Mr. Maitland was dead and none of the family knew him. He
remained in that prison nearly two months. He then had a trial
in court before a Judge Grier (most unfortunate name), who
sentenced him to be sold to pay his fine and expenses, amounting
to fifty dollars.
After a few days and _without being offered at public sale_, he
was taken out of jail at two o'clock in the morning and carried
to Campbell's slave pen, in Baltimore, where he remained several
months. While there, he was employed to cook for some fifty or
sixty slaves, being told that he was working out his fine and
jail fees. After being there about six months, he was taken out
of prison, handcuffed by one Winters, who took him and two or
three others to Washington and thence to Charleston, S.C. Here
Winters left them, and they were taken by steamboat to Savannah.
While on board the boat, he learned that himself and the other
two had been sold to Mr. William Dean, of Macon, where he stayed
two days, and was taken from that place to the East Valley
Railroad.
Subsequently he was sent to work on the Possum Tail Railroad.
Here he was worked so hard, that in one month he lost his
health. The other two men taken on with him, failed before he
did. He was then sent to Macon, and thence to the cotton
plantation again.
During the time he worked on the railroad he had allowed him for
food, one peck of corn meal, four pounds of bacon, and one quart
of molasses per week. He cooked it himself at night, for the
next day's use. He worked at packing cotton for four or five
months, and in the middle of November, 1852, was sent back to
the railroad, where he was again set to wheeling.
He worked at "task work" two months, being obliged to wheel
_sixteen_ square yards per day. At the end of two months he
broke down again, and was sick. They tried one month to cure
him, but did not succeed. In July, 1853, he was taken to an
infirmary in Macon. Dr. Nottinghan and Dr. Harris, of that
institution, both stated that his was the worst case of the kind
they ever had. He remained at the infirmary two months and
partially recovered. He told the story of his wrongs to these
physicians, who tried to buy him. One of his legs was drawn up
so that he could not walk well, and they offered four hundred
dollars for him, which his master refused. The doctors wanted
him to attend their patients, (mostly slaves). While in Georgia
he was frequently asked where he came from, being found more
intelligent than the common run of slaves.
On the 12th of March he ran away from Macon and went to
Savannah. There he hid in a stable until Tuesday afternoon at
six o'clock, when he secreted himself on board the Keystone
State. At 9 o'clock the next morning the Keystone State left
with Davis secreted, as we have before stated. With his
imprisonment in Newcastle, after being pronounced free, our
readers are already familiar. We subjoin the documents on which
he was discharged from his imprisonment in Newcastle, and his
subsequent re-committal on the oath of Capt. Hardie.