This "article" reported himself as having been deprived of his liberty
by Dr. Ephraim Bell, of Baltimore County, Maryland. He had no fault to
find with the doctor, however; on the contrary, he spoke of him as a
"very clever and nice man, as much so as anybody need to live with;" but
of his wife he could not speak so favorably; indeed, he described her as
a most tyrannical woman. Said Elijah, "she would make a practice of
rapping the broomstick around the heads of either men, women, or
children when she got raised, which was pretty often. But she never
rapped me, for I wouldn't stand it; I shouldn't fared any better than
the rest if I hadn't been resolute. I declared over and over again to
her that I would scald her with the tea kettle if she ever took the
broomstick to me, and I meant it. She took good care to keep the
broomstick from about my head. She was as mischievous and stingy as she
could live; wouldn't give enough to eat or wear." These facts and many
more were elicited from Elijah, when in a calm state of mind and when
feeling much elated with the idea that his efforts in casting off the
yoke were met with favor by the Committee, and that the accommodations
and privileges on the road were so much greater than he had ever dreamed
of. Such luck on the road was indeed a matter of wonder and delight to
passengers generally. They were delighted to find that the Committee
received them and forwarded them on "without money and without price."
Elijah was capable of realizing the worth of such friendship. He was a
young man twenty-three years of age, spare made, yellow complexion, of
quick motion and decidedly collected in his bearing. In short, he was a
man well adapted to make a good British subject.