Fortunately, in this instance, man and wife succeeded in making their
way out of Slavery together. Robert was a man of small stature, and the
farthest shade from white. In appearance and intellect he represented
the ordinary Maryland slave, raised on a farm, surrounded with no
refining influences or sympathy. He stated that a man by the name of
William Cassey had claimed the right to his labor, and that he had been
kept in bondage on his farm.
For a year or more before setting out for freedom, Robert had watched
his master pretty closely, and came to the conclusion, that he was "a
monstrous blustery kind of a man; one of the old time fellows, very hard
and rash--not fit to own a dog." He owned twelve slaves; Robert resolved
that he would make one less in a short while. He laid the matter before
his wife, "Sue," who was said to be the property of Susan Flinthrew,
wife of John Flinthrew, of Cecil county, Maryland. "Sue" having suffered
severely, first from one and then another, sometimes from floggings, and
at other times from hunger, and again from not being half clothed in
cold weather, was prepared to consider any scheme that looked in the
direction of speedy deliverance. The way that they were to travel, and
the various points of danger to be passed on the road were fully
considered; but Robert and Sue were united and agreed that they could
not fare much worse than they had fared, should they be captured and
carried back. In this state of mind, as in the case of thousands of
others, they set out for a free State, and in due time reached
Pennsylvania and the Vigilance Committee, to whom they made known the
facts here recorded, and received aid and comfort in return.
Sue was a young woman of twenty-three, of a brown color, and somewhat
under medium size.