"From the Signal of Liberty:

Slave Catching In Michigan"

In all the free States, the difficulty of retaking fugitives escaped from slavery, [is] perpetually increasing. The fugitive is almost sure of finding friends as soon as he crosses the boundary line of a free State. Canada is a sure refuge, and any slave, by the help of a few friends, can be landed there in a few days. In addition to this, public sentiment is also changing, and setting in strongly in behalf of liberty. Among the respectable portion of the community, it is no credit to a man, that he has been instrumental in returning the helpless slave to hopeless bondage.

A few evenings since, I had the pleasure of taking by the hand a robust, fine looking fellow, named Sylvester, who was born and educated in the land of "the patriarchs." He was about twenty-seven years of age. I learned the following particulars concerning his history.

He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and leaned the trade of a blacksmith. He has also served as a steward on board of steamboats on the Mississippi and its branches. In this capacity, he has often visited the free States, without knowing that slaves could not be held within their boundaries. He earned as a steward from $35 to $45 per month, and his owner had been offered $1,600 for him. Sylvester, however, began to think he might be worth something to himself, and came to Detroit. While residing there, another fugitive was apprehended, and the colored people determined to rescue him from the officer by force. The attempt failed, and Sylvester was lodged in jail, and an indictment preferred against him for an attempt to kill, by snapping a pistol at a white man during the affray. On this charge he was convicted, and sentenced to State prison for five years. Some time after, satisfactory proof was made to the Governor that it was not Sylvester, but another colored man who had attempted to [kill] with the pistol. The Governor forwarded a pardon for Sylvester, to the proper officer at the State prison.

In the mean time, through some unknown channel, information that Sylvester was about too be pardoned and released, had been conveyed to Missouri, and three slave catchers came on from that State to Jackson, ready to seize him and take him to Missouri. While they attended church on the Sabbath, listening to a sermon on the death of President Harrison, Sylvester walked out of prison, and departed from Jackson. The next morning, upon presenting themselves to obtain their victim, they were much astonished to learn that he was probably many miles distant. Sylvester has probably reached Queen Victoria's land of liberty, where he doubts not he shall be able to "take care of himself.

K.

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Updated 06/12/2007

Michigan Historical Center, Department of History, Arts and Libraries
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