第79章 Chapter XXII.(1)

　　As the steamer glided on its way towards New-Orleans， perhaps I was not happy—perhaps there was nodifficulty in restraining myself from dancing round thedeck—perhaps I did not feel grateful to the man who hadcome so many hundred miles for me—perhaps I did notlight his pipe， and wait and watch his word， and run athis slightest bidding. If I didn’t—well， no matter.

　　We tarried at New-Orleans two days. During that timeI pointed out the locality of Freeman’s slave pen， andthe room in which Ford purchased me. We happened tomeet Theophilus in the street， but I did not think it worthwhile to renew acquaintance with him. From respectablecitizens we ascertained he had become a low， miserablerowdy—a broken-down， disreputable man.

　　We also visited the recorder， Mr. Genois， to whomSenator Soule’s letter was directed， and found him a manwell deserving the wide and honorable reputation thathe bears. He very generously furnished us with a sortof legal pass， over his signature and seal of office， andas it contains the recorder’s deion of my personalappearance， it may not be amiss to insert it here. Thefollowing is a copy：

　　“State of Louisiana—City of New-Orleans：

　　Recorder’s Office， Second District.

　　To all to whom these presents shall come：—

　　This is to certify that Henry B. Northup， Esquire， of thecounty of Washington， New-York， has produced before medue evidence of the freedom of Solomon， a mulatto man， agedabout forty-two years， five feet， seven inches and six lines，woolly hair， and chestnut eyes， who is a native born of the Stateof New-York. That the said Northup， being about bringing thesaid Solomon to his native place， through the southern routes，the civil authorities are requested to let the aforesaid coloredman Solomon pass unmolested， he demeaning well andproperly.

　　Given under my hand and the seal of the city of New-Orleans this 7th January， 1853.

　　[ L. S. ] “TH. GENOIS， Recorder.”

　　On the 8th we came to Lake Pontchartrain， by railroad， and， in due time， following the usual route，reached Charleston. After going on board the steamboat，and paying our passage at this city， Mr. Northup wascalled upon by a custom-house officer to explain whyhe had not registered his servant. He replied that hehad no servant—that， as the agent of New-York， he wasaccompanying a free citizen of that State from slaveryto freedom， and did not desire nor intend to make anyregistry whatever. I conceived from his conversation andmanner， though I may perhaps be entirely mistaken， thatno great pains would be taken to avoid whatever difficultythe Charleston officials. might deem proper to create.

　　At length， however， we were permitted to proceed， and，passing through Richmond， where I caught a glimpse ofGoodin’s pen， arrived in Washington January 17th， 1853.

　　We ascertained that both Burch and Radburn werestill residing in that city. Immediately a complaint wasentered with a police magistrate of Washington， againstJames H. Burch， for kidnapping and selling me intoslavery. He was arrested upon a warrant issued by JusticeGoddard， and returned before Justice Mansel， and heldto bail in the sum of three thousand dollars. When firstarrested， Burch was much excited， exhibiting the utmostfear and alarm， and before reaching the justice’s office onLouisiana Avenue， and before knowing the precise natureof the complaint， begged the police to permit him toconsult Benjamin O. Shekels， a slave trader of seventeenyears’ standing， and his former partner. The latterbecame his bail.

　　At ten o’clock， the 18th of January， both partiesappeared before the magistrate. Senator Chase， of Ohio，Hon. Orville Clark， of Sandy Hill， and Mr.Northup actedas counsel for the prosecution， and Joseph H. Bradley forthe defence.

　　Gen. Orville Clark was called and sworn as a witness，and testified that he had known me from childhood， andthat I was a free man， as was my father before me. Mr.

　　Northup then testified to the same， and proved the factsconnected with his mission to Avoyelles.

　　Ebenezer Radburn was then sworn for the prosecution， and testified he was forty-eight years old； that he was aresident of Washington， and had known Burch fourteenyears； that in 1841 he was keeper of Williams’ slavepen； that he remembered the fact of my confinementin the pen that year. At this point it was admitted bythe defendant’s counsel， that I had been placed in thepen by Burch in the spring of 1841， and hereupon theprosecution rested.

　　Benjamin O. Shekels was then offered as a witness bythe prisoner. Benjamin is a large， coarse-featured man，and the reader may perhaps get a somewhat correctconception of him by reading the exact language he usedin answer to the first question of defendant’s lawyer. Hewas asked the place of his nativity， and his reply， utteredin a sort of rowdyish way， was in these very words—“I was born in Ontario county， New-York， and weighedfourteen pounds！”

　　Benjamin was a prodigious baby！ He further testifiedthat he kept the Steamboat Hotel in Washington in1841， and saw me there in the spring of that year. Hewas proceeding to state what he had heard two men say，when Senator Chase raised a legal objection， to wit， thatthe sayings of third persons， being hearsay， was improperevidence. The objection was overruled by the Justice， andShekels continued， stating that two men came to his hoteland represented they had a colored man for sale； thatthey had an interview with Burch； that they stated theycame from Georgia， but he did not remember the county； that they gave a full history of the boy， saying he was abricklayer， and played on the violin； that Burch remarkedhe would purchase if they could agree； that they wentout and brought the boy in， and that I was the sameperson. He further testified， with as much unconcern asif it was the truth， that I represented I was born and bredin Georgia； that one of the young men with me was mymaster； that I exhibited a great deal of regret at partingwith him， and he believed “got into tears！”—nevertheless，that I insisted my master had a right to sell me； that heought to sell me； and the remarkable reason I gave was，according to Shekels， because he， my master， “had beengambling and on a spree！”