was pronounced, and did not understand what was to be done with him until told by his deliverer, who had known him in Ohio. The boy little knew that while he had so narrowly escaped a vile punishment in Missouri, in free Illinois he had been but little better off. That boy's name was Joseph Pleasants, and our informant says he is now an industrious citizen of Peoria.

LAST ATTEMPT TO RETURN A SLAVE.

About the last effort to return a slave from this State to his master, under the fugitive slave law, was made at Shawneetown in the latter part of 1862. It was reported that there was a fugitive from labor harbored at the house of Stephen R. Rowan, a prominent citizen, but who was then known as a Black Republican, whereupon a few proslavery men were called together for the purpose of determining upon measures for the return of the fugitive at any cost. At that time the Confederates had possession of that part of Kentucky near Shawneetown, and frequent threats had been made to sack and burn the town. Under these circumstances, this meeting was not altogether harmonious, there being one spirit among the number bold enough to protest against the return of the slave, and strong enough to deter the others from molesting Mr. Rowan in the possession of the supposed fugitive slave.

TRIALS OF CONTRABANDS.

The reader has been made aware that prior to the emancipation proclamation colored persons could not permanently settle in Illinois without first giving bond that they would not become charges upon the State. Here is, perhaps, the last instrument of the kind executed in Illinois. It was made at the time slaves were known as "contrabands of war," and the colored person in question was brought from Cairo to Shawneetown to be employed in the family of her bondsman, as a servant:

"Know all men by these presents, that we, Caroline Sanders' and James B. Turner, of Shawneetown, Illinois, are held and firmly bound unto the People of the State of Illinois, for the use of Gallatin county, in the sum of one thousand dollars, good and lawful money of the United States, to be paid to said State for the use of said county, to which payment well and truly to be made we bind ourselves, our heirs and administrators firmly by these presents. Sealed with our seals, and dated this 1st day of September, 1862.

"The condition of this is such, that whereas, the above bounden Caroline Sanders is a free person of color, at least she asserts herself to be free, and is desirous of settling in Gallatin county, Illinois: Now if the said Caroline Sanders shall not at any time become a charge to said county, or to any other county in the State, as a poor person, and shall at all times demean herself in strict conformity of the laws now enacted and that may hereafter be enacted in this State, then this obligation to be void, otherwise to be and remain in full force and effect.

mark.

"JAMES B. TURNER, (SEAL.)

"Signed and sealed in the presence of

"MARY A. RICHESON."

"I, Silas Cook, county clerk of the county and State aforesaid, do hereby certify that the above and foregoing is a true and correct copy of the original bond now on file in my office. Given under my hand and official seal, this 20th day of April, A. D. 1883.

"SILAS COOK,
"County Clerk."

Many of our readers will be surprised to learn that the prejudice of the times was so great against the mere idea of taking slave property under any circumstances, as to compel the return of this contraband to the official from whom she was received.

Another case, something similar in character, occurred at Harrisburg, Saline county, in the same year. Dr.

John W. Mitchell, one of the earliest Republicans in the State, had brought two families of contrabands from Cairo, and put them upon his farm, a few miles distant from Harrisburg. They had hardly located in their new home before the news spread like wild-fire among the proslavery men, "that the laws of Illinois were being set at defiance by the introduction of negroes into the county," and a large mass-meeting was soon held at the court house in Harrisburg, to cause their removal. Several violent speeches were made, in which Dr. Mitchell was bitterly denounced, and resolutions were passed strongly condemning him for bringing the contrabands into the community, and a committee was appointed to notify him to return them to Cairo within a given time, or suffer the consequences. In the meantime, Mitchell, being advised of the action of the meeting, had taken the precaution to prepare himself for any emergency, which, coming to the ears of the committee, they refrained from carrying out the instructions of the meeting. As the contrabands were not removed, a second meeting was held-and a similar performance gone through with-and the threat was boldly made that if Mitchell did not return the contrabands his life and property would be destroyed. But time passed, and Mitchell bravely stood his ground. This second failure to drive him into measures caused better counsels to prevail, and when the Circuit Court convened he was simply indicted under the "black laws" of the State; and that indictment remained upon the records of the Circuit Court of Saline county long after the war, notwithstanding the repeal of the black laws in 1865. In fact it was not disposed of until the present State Constitution, which omitted the word "white," came into effect, when it was stricken from the docket. We apprehend that many of the persons who took part in the

ill-advised proceedings would be ashamed to see their names in these pages, and we therefore spare them that mortification. But such is history.

MOBBED ON ACCOUNT OF HIS VOTE.

The intolerance of certain pro-slavery men in the south part of the State was very great during the war, and they therefore committed many acts of folly. In the proposed Constitution, which was formed in 1862, was an Article which prohibited the emigration of free negroes or mulattoes into the State. It was submitted to a separate vote of the people. Rev. W. V. Eldridge, of Golconda, cast the only vote polled in Pope county against this Article. This greatly incensed his pro-slavery neighbors, and on the following Sunday they assembled in the form of a mob at a church in the country, where Eldridge had an appointment, and attempted to prevent him from preaching; but the men and women of his congregation rallied to his support, and put the mob to flight. But a marvelous change in political sentiment has taken place in that community. Mr. Eldridge has had the honor to represent the district in the General Assembly, and at this time is County Judge of Pope county.

FIRST COLORED SCHOOL.

The first attempt to establish a school for colored children in this State was made at Shawneetown, after the proclamation of freedom, by Miss Sarah Curtis, of Evansville, Ind. After a hard struggle she obtained a small room in which to open her school, and for a time she taught with great energy and apparent satisfaction, but she was so ostracised by white women that after a few months she gave up the work in utter disgust, and returned to her former home.

BLOOD-HOUNDS.

Many of our readers will learn with surprise that before the war colored men, attempting to escape into free territory, were hunted down by the aid of blood-hounds; but such is the fact. William Belford, of Golconda, was one of many men, in Illinois, who made their living by catching and returning runaway slaves. He kept a favorite blood-hound for this purpose, and was often seen upon the highway, on horseback, with it sitting in his lap. It is said by those who knew him well, that he thought more of this hound than he did of his own children. During the war he was, naturally, a violent rebel, and was often embroiled in quarrels with his neighbors, in regard to the conduct of the war, as waged by the National authorities, and in one of these met his death, at the hands of Wm. Whiteside, of Golconda, in 1864.

COLORED JURORS.

It has been a difficult matter for the white people along the Ohio river to overcome their prejudice against allowing colored people equal civil rights with themselves. As late as 1880, James A. Rose, County Attorney of Pope county, was assaulted in the streets of Golconda, for allowing a colored person to sit on a jury. The person who assailed him was one of the jurors, and was not aware that a colored man had sat with him until after the case had been decided and the jury discharged. The colored juror was a bright mulatto, and had not infrequently been mistaken for a white man.

ADOPTION OF AMENDMENTS.

The Thirteenth amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which declared that "neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime,