THE
ANTI-SLAVERY RECORD.
VOL. I. JULY, 1835 NO. 7.
[See page 63.]
SCENES IN THE CITY PRISON OF NEW YORK.
STEPHEN DOWNING.
This man was arrested as a fugitive, by a Virginia planter, and imprisonedin Bridewell, where he remained eighteen months. The inmatesof the prison knew him well, and they were always ready tospeak a good word for Downing. After the planter had got his legalright allowed, either because his lawyer’s bill was so heavy, or becausehe hoped Downing’s friends would buy him, he neglected to take himaway for three months. By this delay he forfeited his right to do so,as was decided by Judge Edwards. But Downing’s release was referredto the Supreme Court, which was to meet in two weeks. To thedisappointment of every body, this was prevented by anotherJudge,[1]who, contrary to his promise, secretly wrote for, and by a partialstatement, obtained from the Supreme Court, at Albany, an order forthe removal of poor Downing, and, before his friends were aware ofthe plot, he was shipped for Virginia.
Here we see intrigue and perfidy used with impunity to deprivethis poor man of his liberty, which, had it been used in the case of adog, would have consigned its perpetrators to remediless disgrace.—Suchis the strength of a pro-slavery public sentiment!
[1] See Emancipator for November 4, 1834.
FRANCIS SMITH
Was a young man of small stature, but of keen eye and intelligentcountenance. While a lad, in the time of the last war, heand his master were taken prisoners at sea and carried to NovaScotia. His servile condition becoming known to the British officers,they compelled his master to give him free papers. But whenthe prisoners were exchanged, his master persuaded him to returnwith him to Virginia, by the promise that he should still be free.But he was sold. In Richmond he for some years had hired histime, and kept a well known fruit shop. At last he became themarriage portion of his master’s daughter, and was speedily to beremoved as part and parcel of the set out of the bride. To this hedemurred, threw himself upon his inalienable rights, and came toNew York. Here he occupied himself for some months as a waiter,much to the satisfaction of his employer. The object of hisaffections, a very worthy and industrious free colored girl, hadfound her way to New Haven, Connecticut. Thither it was fixedthat Francis should follow, and after their marriage they shouldproceed with their united means to a place of greater safety. Butthe kind Christian white bridegroom had come on from Virginia tosearch for his runaway property, and by the aid of a professed slavetaker in the city, discovered the retreat of Francis and his intendedmovements. At the appointed hour for the steamboat to start, thecolored young man came quietly on board with his little bundle.The fell tigers were in ambush—the slave-taker Boudinot, aconstable, and the