USA > Indiana > Hamilton County > A history of the formation, settlement and development of Hamilton County, Indiana, from the year 1818 to the close of the Civil War > Part 14
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The next morning the case of Bridge, Sr., for shoot- ing a little girl at the Indian camp, was called. The pris- oner entered with the sheriff. A jury was impaneled. The proof was positive. The case was argued as in the
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case of Sawyer ; the jury was charged and after a few minutes' absence, returned a verdict of guilty of murder in the first degree.
The only remaining case, the one of the young Bridge for the shooting of the other Indian boy at the camp, came on next.
The trial was more brief, but the result was the same -verdict of murder in the first degree, but with a rec- ommendation to the Governor for a pardon in conse- quence of his youth, in which the Court and bar joined. The trials closed, motions for new trials overruled and court adjourned until the next day. The next morning the prisoners were brought into court and the sentence of death was pronounced. The time for the execution was fixed for a distant day, but it soon rolled around. The gallows were erected on the north bank of Fall Creek, just above the falls. When the hour for the execution had arrived, thousands surrounded the gal- lows. A Seneca chief, with his warriors, was posted near the brow of the hill. Sawyer and Bridge, Sr., ascended the scaffold together, and were executed in quick succession, and died without a struggle. The vast audience was in tears. The exclamation of the Senecas was interpreted, "We are satisfied." An hour expired, the bodies were taken down and laid in their coffins, when there was seen ascending the scaffold, Bridge, Jr., the last of the convicts. His step was fee- ble, requiring the aid of the sheriff; the rope was ad-
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justed. He threw his eyes around upon the audience and then down upon the coffins, where lay, exposed, the bodies of his father and his uncle. From that moment his wild gaze too clearly showed that the scene had been too much for his youthful mind. Reason had partially left her throne and he stood wildly looking at the crowd, apparently unconscious of his position. The last minute had come, when James B. Kay, Governor of the State, announced to the immense assemblage that the convict was pardoned. Perhaps never before did an audience more heartily respond, while there was a uni- versal regret that the executive mercy had been de- ferred to the last moment. Thus ended the first trials in the United States where convictions for murder were had and followed by the execution of white men for killing Indians.
Bridge. Sr., Bridge, Jr., and Sawyer resided in Fall Creek Township, Hamilton County, Indiana. Hudson lived in Hancock County, Indiana, very near Sawyer and Bridge, Sr. It was not known where Harper lived. It was evident that the conspiracy to murder these Indians was formed in Hamilton County, Indiana, and as three of the guilty parties resided therein, it is proper that the whole circumstance should be related in this work. The main facts in connection with the murders and the trials of murderers, I have taken from the re- ports of the murders and trials written by O. H. Smith and published in his work entitled, "Early Indiana
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Trials and Sketches." The other facts I learned from the old settlers.
The Old Ferry Boat.
In March, 1846, the Board of County Commission- ers granted William Carlin a license to erect and main- tain a ferry across White River at Noblesville. Under this authority Mr. Carlin constructed a flat boat sufficiently large to hold a wagon and four horses. He then procured a large rope which he fastened to a tree on the west bank of the river, and the other end to a windlass on the east bank. By means of the wind- lass the rope could be tightened or loosened as was re- quired. Two smaller ropes with pulleys connected the boat with the larger rope. These small ropes were so arranged that when the boat was crossing to the west bank the rope at the east end would allow that end to drift down stream further than the front. The pulleys ran along on the large rope so that when the boat was pushed from the shore the force of the current would send the pulleys forward on the rope. By this means the boat was sent across the stream. On the return trip the rope on the west end of the boat was lengthened and the one on the east taken up. On arriving at either bank an apron attached to the boat was thrown forward which made a passageway to the shore. For foot pas- sengers an old canoe was used. The toll for foot pas- sengers was five cents each, a man and one horse ten cents, for a wagon, driver and two horses twenty cents,
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for a one-horse vehicle fifteen cents, for wagon and three horses twenty-five cents, for wagon and four horses thirty-five cents, for each head of cattle two and one-half cents, for each hog or sheep one cent. Public messengers were ferried free. The writer was keeper of the ferry during the January flood of 1847, and had some thrilling experiences. At one time a man drove a two-horse wagon onto the boat, leaving the horses attached to the wagon. He had with him a woman and two children. The ropes were adjusted and the boat pushed from the shore. The river was very high and the current strong. The center of the stream had been passed going west when the rope at the east end of the boat broke letting it drift down stream, throwing the weight on the rope at the west end. It was a ques- tion whether that would hold the boat. If it should break all would be lost. The woman began to scream and the children to cry. A long pole was used to relieve the weight on the short rope and the opposite shore was reached in safety. This ferry was used in time of high water until a bridge was built; then it was dis- continued.
Muster Day.
For several years after the organization of this county an organization of the militia was kept up. . \t stated periods all able-bodied men of the age of twenty- one and under fifty were required to meet at certain places, designated, for drill and to learn military tactics.
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The militia of this county, except a portion in the west part of the county, met at Conner's mill, southwest of Noblesville. After the men had assembled at or near the muster ground, the colonel, or in his absence the next highest in rank, ordered the men to fall in line. Then the officer in command, superbly mounted, with his plume fastened to his hat and his sword at his side, would ride along the entire length of the line, lining up the men. Then the teaching of the manual of arms began ; then the marching and counter- marching until recess. After recess the practice con- tinued for some time, after which the men were dismissed.
Muster day was a gala day. It must not be sup- posed that none were present except the militia, for every body else were there also for the purpose of "seein' the fun," as they would say. All the athletes were there to exhibit themselves and to make matches. The men and boys who claimed to be fleet of foot were there to win races and wagers if possible. "Old scores" were settled in the manner customary at this time. The man with his jug or keg of whisky was there to pick up his 62 or 123 cent piece. If it happened to be in the water-melon season, the water-melon vender was there. Many instances of note happened on these oc- casions. If two men chanced to meet on muster day who were not on friendly terms, they were almost cer- tain to settle their difficulty by resorting to blows, or
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"fight it out" as the encounter would be termed, and the best man was voted to have had the honest or right side of the case. This was not right for the reason that might did not make right then any more than it does at the present time. But it was too often the case that the right or wrong of quarrels were determined in this way in those early times.
On one occasion a man drove a wagon load of melons near the muster grounds preparatory to selling them. This was early in the day. So he unhitched his horses from the wagon and tied them to the saplings near by, and then called his bull-dog and placed him in the wagon in charge of the load of melons, and started away to take a stroll around the grounds. He was told that he had better stay with his wagon if he wished to save his melons, but he stopped abruptly in his walk. and with all assurance possible said that he would give the entire load of melons to any man who would be able, in his absence, "to get on that wagon." Solomon Finch was present at the time and, although he was then one of the County Commissioners, determined to get possession of that load of melons. So he repaired to the mill-race that had just been constructed and filled his hat with stones of the proper size and walked to within a short distance of the wagon of melons. He then began throwing those stones against the wagon bed, taking good care not to hit the dog that was in the wagon. He kept up this throwing and pounding
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against the wagon, making all the noise he could with the stones, until the dog, not knowing what made the noise or where it came from, became frightened and ran away. Finch then took absolute possession of the wagon and melons and told the by-standers that when the original owner came back he would divide the melons among them. Shortly the original owner ap- peared and found Finch in possession and his dog absent. He was filled with astonishment, of course, and manifested a disposition to go back on his word, but it was neither the time nor the place for a man to attempt to do anything of that kind, so he gave up his melons and they were divided among the people present. -
The Story of John Rhoads.
The Underground Railway was the name given to the route over which the friends of slaves spirited these poor, oppressed people from the land of the slave- holder to the land of the free, the destination being, for the most part, in the Dominion of Canada. These friends of the slave gave their time, money and best thoughts to this humane but, at that time, illegal enter- prise, many of them risking their lives and liberty in this cause. They engaged in this work without hope of reward other than that of the consciousness that they had helped some poor soul escape from the lash of the cruel task-master to the land where he could enjoy the fruits of his own labor and to a land where there was
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no more separation of families at the auction block. Hamilton County bears the distinction and the proud honor of being the home of several depots, or stations, for one or more lines of these Underground Railways.
Referring to the life of George Boxley, as given in this work, it will be seen that the system of Under- ground Railway had its origin in the slave States. And. referring to our State Constitution and the laws passed pursuant thereto, it will also be observed that all per- sons in this State participating in the business of con- cealing or in any way aiding slaves in their efforts to escape from slavery took great risks upon themselves. But, notwithstanding this fact, many noble men and women in this county did render valuable aid to slaves who were making their escape from bondage. The late Hon. Fred Douglas, in his day one of the most eloquent men in our country, was once a slave and was brought to Westfield by means of the underground railway sys- tem on his way to freedom, and remained over night at the home of Ephraim Stout.
But while there were many good men in our county who gave assistance to run-away slaves, perhaps a very large majority of our people not only oppsosed any such aid to the slave, but were just as strongly opposed to the slave himself. This was shown in many ways. At one time Fred Douglas was advertised to speak in Noblesville, but when the time came for him to speak he was met by a mob that was determined that he
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should not speak, and his friends were obliged to spirit him away to preserve him from injury. Not far from the same time Douglas was billed to speak at Pendle- ton, and on that occasion he was actually mobbed and egged, and many men from this county participated in that disgraceful affair. But in the course of a few years the sentiment had wonderfully changed; for after the war he spoke in Noblesvillle to a very large and enthu- siastic audience, all of whom seemed to be glad to do honor to this great orator.
In 1837 John Rhoads and wife, Louan, and one child, all colored, were taken to the home of Joseph Bailey, west of Deming, in the night time, in a closely covered wagon, where they were to remain in hiding for a few days for the purpose of resting, when it was expected to proceed on their journey to Canada. At this time John and Louan were slaves and had been from the time of their birth. Here it was that they had toiled from year to year. day in and day out, for their lord and master, and frequently received brutal chas- tisement from a brutal overseer for trivial and possibly no offense whatever. Some have claimed that they were born in Kentucky, but, be that as it may, their early lives were probably spent in the cotton and to- bacco fields of Missouri.
Just why or how it happened I do not know, but from some reason John and Louan, who had become husband and wife and to whom had been born one child,
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were taken by their master into the state of Illinois for the purpose of working them as slaves upon the prairies of that State. They remained here, just how long I do not remember, working for their master, but it was fora longer time than six months, when the slave owner began to hear it whispered around that John and Louan had lived in a free State long enough to entitle them, by law, to their freedom. He then concluded that it was time for him to remove his human property from that free into a slave State, and this he did. He purchased a place in Missouri and to this plantation he took John and Louan. John had heard of Canada, and while he was in the great free State of Illinois he also had heard of people that were called abolitionists and of the under- ground railway, and it is possible that he and his wife had talked over these matters frequently and may be some of their conversations had been overheard by their master. John and Louan were ever on the alert. A
stranger from one of the slave States farther south did not do much talking around their master's house with- out being heard by these intelligent, liberty-loving slaves, and their watchfulness was at last rewarded. In one of these "overheard" conversations they learned that Louan was to be sold to a southern planter and separated from her husband and child. It was then that they began to review all that they had learned of Can- ada and the underground railway, and it was not long until they began to devise ways to test the worth to the slave of this peculiar railway.
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One who had never been a slave could not imagine the feelings of John Rhoads and his wife when they learned that she was to be sold like a dumb brute and separated from her husband and child. Although filled with grave apprehensions and fear, they did not despair. Carefully concealing and suppressing their grief and fears in the presence of the slave dealer and their master, they at once decided upon a desperate effort at escape, and with this idea in their minds they at once began thinking of the possibility, or rather plausibility, of an attempt at escape. They were in a slave State, and among those ready at any moment, should they attempt to escape, to pursue and capture them dead or alive. Unfortunately, also, for them, John was at this time quite lame from an accident, but he was, neverthe- less, strong and active. They at once began making preparations. John secured a saw, an ax and a hammer and packed them into a small bundle. John was to take charge of these and Louan was to take charge of the little boy. Thus prepared they stole out into the dark- ness from their little cabin in their race for liberty. They had traveled over a road from Illinois to their master's plantation in Missouri, and of course had some knowledge of the country through which they could pass, provided they should take the same route, and this they decided to do.
They left their cabin as early as possible in the even- ing and traveled all night, and about morning of the
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next day, providentially, as it appeared to them, came to a very large swamp. They entered into this swamp and, by accident or otherwise, found a place where they could lie down and rest during the day. They were not disturbed during this day, and at nightfall they again resumed their journey, continuing in the same direction in which they started. They traveled as far as they could on this second night and about the break of day found another safe hiding place, and of this they availed themselves for another day's rest, but before another night passed they were in a world of trouble.
As soon as the master discovered that John and his family had left, he knew they were on a runaway trip, but he did not know the course they had taken, and neither did he know their objective point. And after quite an amount of inquiry and search without becom- ing any the wiser, he resorted to the blood-hound theory which he proceeded to put into practice. The hounds were finally secured and placed upon the tracks of the runaways. It has been said that future events sometimes cast their shadows beforehand. Be this as it may, John Rhoads was much disturbed in his sleep on this last night, for he had what he called a vision. In his sleep he saw two fugitive slaves with a child fleeing from a brutal slave-owner and his hounds. He had the feelings of a husband and father that this awful scene meant that they might be torn to pieces by the savage blood-hounds, or that. what was worse. family ties
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broken, himself sent to one portion of the Gulf States, his wife to another, and still his little boy to another, where there was incessant toil with nothing but despair and unrequited service for unfeeling and inhuman tack- masters. John awoke in excitement. It was near
nightfall. They hastily partook of the little remnant of food they had taken with them. emerged from their hiding place and again began their journey. They con- tinued traveling in this way, sleeping and resting in day- time and traveling at night, and all the time subsisting upon corn, potatoes and such things as they could gather without being seen. They were conscious most of the time that they were being pursued by hounds. and this was the case; but they managed in some way to throw them off their trail. At last they came to the Mississippi River, and John at once began the construc- tion of a raft. This rude boat was made from logs and poles cut from the banks of the river. These were tied together with hickory bark and pliant saplings. At last all was ready. He cut a good pole for a paddle, placed the tools upon the raft with which it had been constructed, and after he, his wife and child had placed themselves upon this rude craft, John pushed for the opposite shore on the Illinois side. When about one- third of the way over his pursuers, with their dogs, reached the banks of the river, and they hastily pre- pared a raft, but before they could get it ready John and his family were safely on the opposite shore. They
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reached the shore at a point where no one lived and started for the interior of the country as fast as they could go, and before their pursuers could get their raft ready and had crossed to the Illinois side, John was far beyond them. The pursuers, however, did not give up the chase, but began hunting the trail, and offered large rewards for their capture, and advertised extensively for information. By these means they were able to learn the direction the fugitives took and at last found their trail. John, in the meantime, was going on his way for liberty as fast as he could travel, but at last he was caught and he and his family were placed in jail to await the procurement of the proper papers to enable him to remove slaves out of a free State back into a slave State.
The reflections of these poor people were anything but pleasant, for if this effort to escape should result in nothing but a return to slavery, their lot would be all the worse for having made the effort. But the news of their capture flew like "wild-fire," and as there were abolitionists in that section of the State, John's help was much nearer than he supposed. Meetings were held by these abolitionists and resolutions were adopted looking to the rescue of these liberty-loving people. Communications were soon opened up with John, and this resulted in a plan for the release of him and his little family. The time was fixed for the rescue, and so perfectly had all been planned that John and Louan and
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their child were taken from the jail and placed upon the underground railway. By this means they were spirited across the State of Illinois into Indiana, and finally into Hamilton County, landing as before stated at the home of Joseph Bailey, near the little town of Deming. John's pursuers had lost trace of him as completely as if he had been drowned in the river, and they finally returned to the State of Missouri.
John's purpose was to go on to Canada, but his many friends around Deming prevailed upon him to re- main there, assuring him that he could never be taken from there, so the counsel of his friends prevailed. He and his family were almost worn out and almost starved, but after resting a while they entered upon the career of freemen. Some one furnished them a home, and this neighbor gave them one thing and that one something else, until they were prepared to go to house- keeping and to work. They found plenty of work, which they performed willingly and well. At last John purchased a little patch of ground upon which he built a cabin and lived in his own home, but he slept as it were with one eye open. No window was ever placed in this cabin and there was but one door. John never did feel absolutely secure. He always had an ax at the head of his bed. He feared that under the laws as they then were he might yet be captured and taken back into slavery, and as after events proved, he had ample rea- sons for harboring such fears.
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A man by the name of Mr. Vaughn claimed to be the owner and master of the Rhoads family, and he it was that followed them so closely with his human hunters and blood-hounds. The slave name of John Rhoads was Sam Burk. On account of this assumed name it made it all the harder for Vaughn to get any trace of his former slaves, and the way he finally ob- tained information concerning them illustrates how an innocent remark may, at times, do an innocent party mtich wrong, or cause him a great deal of trouble.
A kind-hearted old Christian gentleman by the name of Abel Gibson moved from near Mooresville, Morgan County, this State, to Adams Township, this county, and learned of the history of the Rhoads family, and afterward, when making a visit back to his former home in Morgan County, stopped over night on his way with an acquaintance, near Bridgport, by the name of Mer- ritt, and to this man he innocently related the story of the Rhoads family up to that date. This man Merritt afterward moved to Missouri and, by chance, located near the Vaughn plantation and became a neighbor of Mr. Vaughn. Vaughn related his story of the loss of his former slaves to Mr. Merritt, and Merritt revealed the whereabouts of that unfortunate family and came all the way with the slave hunter to Indiana to help capture them. Merritt visited his old friend Abel Gib- son and pretended to be in the business of buying fur, and pretended to want to see John Rhoads for the pur-
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pose of buying fur of him, and so learned the way to his house. He called at the Rhoads cabin and, while pretending to talk business, examined the house inside and out, and learned all the approaches, and on that very night lead the slave-hunters to the cabin. Before that night, however, the slave-hunters procured the proper papers from 'Squire Tyson, a Justice of the Peace at Strawtown, which woukl enable him to place the Rhoads family under arrest. So, with Merritt as a guide, and with a proper officer, the slave-hunting party proceeded to the home of John Rhoads in the night time. John, as usual, had securely fastened the door and had his ax standing at the head of the bed. As stated be- fore. the cabin was purposely built without a window, so the only way to get in was either through the door or chimney. At last when the forces were properly dis- tributed around the cabin and all was ready, Rhoads was called upon to surrender himself and family and peaceably go with his old master back to Missouri, but this John emphatically refused to do. John had lived here a number of years by this time and his family had increased in size, and while preparations were going on on the outside, preparations were also going on on the inside of the house. John and his faithful wife hastily made a sort of breastworks out of the little furniture they had for the protection of their children, and then John took his station at the door with his ax and his wife at the fireplace, which had the ordinary pioneer
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