UNCLE TOM'S CABIN

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[Thegovernment
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prices
KEY TO UNCLE TOM S CABIN.
ment in the expression, might be called melancholy.
His frame was strong, and in youth he
had evidently been powerful, bat he was not ro-
Yet there was a calm, cruel look,a power
of will and a quickness of muscular action,which
bust.
stillrender him a terror in his vocation.
In the manner of giving in his testimony was no bluster or outward show of insolence. His
of the audience
flogged, in all,women and children included?
contemptfor the humane feelings
A. [Lookingcalmlyround the room.] I don't
and community about him was too true to requireknow how many niggers you have gothere in Mas-
but I should think I had flogged as many
any assumption of that kind. He neither paradedchusetts,
nor attempted to conceal the worst features of his as
you 've gotin the state.
callingḤe treated it as a matter of business [Thesame man testifiedthat he was often employed
which he knew the community shuddered at, but
to pursue fugitive slaves. His reply to
the moral nature of which ho was utterly indifferent
the question was, " I never refuse a goodjobin
to,beyond a certain secret pleasure in thus that line."]
indirectly inflicting a littletorture on his hearers. Q. Don't theysometimes turn out bad jobs?
I am not,however, altogether clearțo do John A. Never,iff can help it.
Caphart justicețhat he is entirelyconscienceproof.
There was somethingin his anxious look you get them ?
Q. Are they not sometimes dischargedafter
which leaves one not without hope.
A. Not often. I don't know that they ever are,
At the firsttrial we did not know of his pursuits,
exceptthose Portuguese the counsel read about.
and he passedmerely a police-manof [I had found,in a Virginiareport, a case of
Norfolk,VirginiaḄut, at the second trial, some some two hundred Portuguese negroes, whom this
one in the room
gave me a hint of the occupations John Capharthad seized from a vessel,and endeavored
many of these police-men take to,which led to to
my
getcondemned as slaves,but whom
cross-examination.
the court discharged.]
From the Examination of John Caphart,in the
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Rescue Trials,'''1-
at Boston,in June and Nov.,
1851,and October,1852.
to take up colored persons who are out after
hours in the streets'?
Why, gentlemen, he sells agony! Torture is
Answer. Yes,sir.
his stock-in-trade! He is a walkingscourge !
Q. What is done with them?
He hawks,peddles, retails, groans and tears about
and in the the streets of Norfolk !
A. We put them in the lock-up,
morningthey are broughtinto court and ordered
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those to be punished,
that are to be
punished.
Q. What punishmentdo theyget?
A. Not exceedingthirty-nine
Q. Who givesthem these lashes ?
lashes.
A. Any of the officers. I do,sometimes.
extra for this ? How much?
Q. Are you paid
A. Fifty cents a head. It used to be sixty-two
cents. Now it is fifty.Fiftycents for each one
we arrest,and fifty more for each one we flog.
Q. Are these persons you flog men and boys
only,or are they women and girlsalso?
A. Men, women, boys and girls, just as it happens.
. . .
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6.
interfered, and tried to prevent
any further examination ; and said, among
475.00
475.00
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5. Emeline Pollock,
Averit, Delia
.
.
...
other thingsțhat he onlyperformed his duty
Solice-officer
as The two girls that
under the law. After a discussion,
and $625 were
bought
udge Curtis allowed it to proceed.]
shippedmy first. I have a great
many negroes
Q. Is your flogging
me, but I will not pay the
confined to these cases ?
pricestheyask,for I know theywill come down.
Do you not flogslaves at the requestof their I have no opposition,^ market. I will wait until
masters ?
I hear from you before I buy, and then I can
A. Sometimes I do. Certainly, when I am
called upon.
Q. In these cases of privateflogging, are the
negroes sent to you? Have you a placefor
flogging ?
A. No. I go round,as I am sent for.
Q. Is this partof your dutyas an officer?
A. No, sir.
Q. In these cases of privateflogging, do
you
inquireinto the circumstances, to see what the
fault has been,or ifthere is any ?
A. That 's none of my business. I do as I am
requested.The master
isresponsible.
Q. In these cases, too,I suppose you flogwomen
and girls, as well as men.
A. Women and men.
Q. Mr. Caphart, how longhave you been engaged
in this business ?
A. Ever since 1836.
Q. How
many negroes do you suppose you have
Hon. John P. Hale,associatedwith Mr.
Dana,as counsel for the defence, in the
Rescue Trials, said of him,
QuestionỊs it a part of your duty, as a policeman,
in his closing
argument :.
See also the followingcorrespondence
traders, one in North Carolina,
between two
the other in New Orleans ; with a word of
comment, by Hon. William Jay, of New
York:
Halifax, N. C, Nov. 16,1839.
Dear Sir : I have shipped in the brigAddison,
are below :
. . .
625.00
. . .
. . .
No. 1. Caroline Ennis, $650 00
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2. SilvyHolland,
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3. SilvyBooth, ....
487.50
475.00
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4. Maria Pollock,
judgewhat I must pay. Goodwin will send you
the billof lading for my negroes, as he shipped
them with his own. Write often,as the- times
are critical, and it depends on the pricesyou get
to govern me in buying. Yours,"c,
G. W. Barnes.
Mr. Theophilus Freeman,"
New Orleans. "
The above was a small but choice invoice of
wives and mothers. Nine days before,namely,
7th Nov., Mr. Barnes advised Mr. Freeman of
and
havingshipped a lot of forty-three
men