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old slave days, is a very steep winding stairway in the Wales homestead. It runs from tho basement to the second floor with no opening onto the first floor, and because of this peculiarity it has always been known as the secret stairway. The tradition In the Wales family is, that the runaway slaves were taken from the basement up this stairway, to tho second floor, and kept in a low room under the roof, until whoever was searching for them, had gone. The door of this attic room is half as high as an ordinary door, and when It was hidden by a barrel of sugar, as it was in those days, the entrance to the room was not visible and the slaves were comparatively safe from pursuers.Even before the time of the underground railway,M fugitive slaves found help at Spring Hill The story is told of how, In tho spring of 1820, a woman with two children came to the farm and asked the help of Thomas Rotch. When he was satisfied that they were fugitive slaves, he immediately showed them a safe hiding place. In the second story of a spring house almost adjoining his residence. The next morning a couple of strangers ode up to the door and asked if Mr.ney Powell at Roanoke.A fugitive shave named Henry Parker stayed at Roanoke a few years, and went to Detroit a short time before the Civil war began. Parker was a bright man naturally but had never had an opportunity to learn to read and write. Noticing how eager the man was for knowledge the oldest son of Judge Pease, who Is well known to all the Massillon people, by tho name of Dr. A, P. L. Pease, decided to teach him to read and write. This knowledge he acquired in a remarkable short time, and showed his appreciation of the kindness by doing very good work on the Pease farm along the Tuscarawas river.While Henry Parker was working at Roanake, a slave by the name of Griggs came there. This man was a giant in stature and strength, and he proved this to everyone’s satisfaction one night in the American hotel, which is now the Conrad on the corner of East Main-st, And North Mill. George Zielley was the owner of the hotel at that time and Griggs had him sit in a chair, while he seized tho back of it in his teeth and slowly raised the chair and theman from the floor, till both were at notch lived there. When they found U.,ffht angles to his body. Not eatis-out that he did and that they were fled with th„ amazement of the at that time speaking to him. they crowd he asked for tuft or tracetold him they were slave catchers.Mr. Rotch recognized one of the men as a man who was in tho habit of aiding slaves to escape, tolling them how to go, and then following them for the reward offered by their masters. The name of DeCamp, tho slave catcher, had become familiar to many households.Mr. Rotch heard him describe tho woman and children and say that ho had traced them to Spring Hill, he produced a warrant for their arrest and supposed his work wasof old harness. Mr. Zielley handed him a tug of new harness, remarking that he was welcome to demonstrate anything he liked on that. This Griggs speedily did when he took up the tug and bit off some of th© leather as though It were a piece of cheese. Ho next laid on his back and invited any man present to sit astride him and hold his arms. Cyrus Smith, one of the fugitive slaves at Roanoke, tried it first and was gently set aside, as though he had been a child, whereupon Henrydone that the Quakers being a law-i Parker said, let a real man getabiding people, the fugitives would be turned over to him at once.Dost thou think thee can take tho woman and her children from here If thou canst find them? said Mr. Rotch. Certainly, replied the Gave catcher. Well, said Mr. Rotch. “Thou may be mistaken. Thou hast not found them yet, and shouldst thou find them, thou might have trouble to take them away. The strangers had not been invited into the house, and while this dialogue was going on. tho farm hands of which there were a number. gathered around the group. Seeing this crowd tho strangers looked at each other and showed alarm, which Mr. Rotch was not slow to notice. Breaking the moa hold of him. But when he did the result was the same. Later Griggs astonished the men by telling them that the only person who had ever been able to throw him, was his sister.At this same time Ilenry Parker was calling frequently on a widow, Mrs. Hall, who lived in a email village named Genoa, on the Canton-rd. There was a large forest tree on her place that had fallen to the ground during a storm. Cyrus Smith and Henry Parker arranged to have some fun with Griggs by getting up a chopping bee on the fallen tree, arranging it in such a manner as to give themselves the advantage in the contest. Each one of the men had a carefully sharpened axe, butmentarv silence, he to the aiave they gave Griggs one that was notcatcher;so carefully sharpened. Also Griggn i
Newspaper Details
Canton Sunday News
Canton, Ohio, US
Sun, Jul 01, 1923
Page 32
Full Page
Clipped by
Massillon P.
OH, USA 23 Aug 2018
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