Report of the Joint select committee appointed to inquire into the condition of affairs in the late insurrectionary states, so far as regards the execution of laws, and the safety of the lives and property of the citizens of the United States and Testimony taken.

ALABAMA-SUB-COMMITTEE. 1699
Answer. I do not know. I do not see any special reason on the moment why they
should not.
By the CHAIRMAN:
Question. Before the war, and while the negroes were generally slaves, if one became
a fugitive from his master and escaped into the Northern States, was it not usual,
almost universal, for pursuit, and successful pursuit, to be made, and the slave recaptured and brought back to his home?
4Answer. I have no knowledge on that point personally. I have a recollection of one
case, occurring a good many years ago, of an attempt of that kind; but one of his pursuers, or more than one, was killed in the pursuit. One I know was killed in the
attempt to recover. What was transpiring in this part of the country I know
nothing of.
Question. Do you not know, as a well-informed man, that as a general thing, slaves
escaping into the Northern States, though they had penetrated well toward the north
pole, were, in point of fact, recaptured and brought back to slavery, and the persons
engaged in harboring them were brought to justice?
Answer. My recollection is that that was not the case generally.
Question. Do you not know that the owner of the slave was in the habit of making
very diligent pursuit, and that he got on the track of the slave, and followed and
traced him to his hiding-place in the community in which he was harbored, as a
general thing?.Answer. Yes, sir; I believe that is the case.
Question. The point I make is this: If the same diligence and earnestness were
employed in tracking the murderers of these negroes, would there be any practical
difficulty in finding them?
A2ns2er. I think there would be more difficulty in finding them than there was then.
Qutestion. Why?
Answer. There are two reasons that present themselves to my mind at once. At that
time the owner of the negro had a direct personal interest entirely apart from his
social or humanitarian interest. He had a direct money interest in detecting. Again:
their most efficient method of detecting fugitives was by placing dogs on their track to
follow then where the men could not follow. Such means they have not at hand now,
and could not use them if they had them.
Question. They did not use the dogs in the free States?
Answer. No, sir; but they could till they came to the line; and if they had them
there it was not difficult to find out what had become of them.
Question. Not difficult after they crossed the Ohio?
Ansiver. Not difficult, I mean, to determine that they had got to the free territory.
Question. But after they got to the free territory, they tracked the negro to the cornmunnity where he was harbored, as a general thing, didn't they?
Answer. I think it is likely they did. I know from general information it was done
in a great many cases. I know very frequently they did.
Question. To return to the question: If the same instrumentalities were earnestly
employed now by the community for the purpose of ascertaining who the murderers
of a negro were, have you any doubt that one or more of them could be arrested and
brought to justice?
Ansiwer. I do consider it extremely doubtful. Where a number of men join together
for the purpose of perpetrating an outrage, it is, if anything, in my judgment, more
difficult to trace the perpetrators than if one engaged in it.
Question. Suppose a band of fifteen to twenty-five men came upon a particular road;
they would, as a general thing, ride after night, would they not?
Answer. I presume so.
Question. Very well, then; they could not ride more than fifteen or twenty or twentyfive miles after night to the place to be raided upon, could they?
Alswer. I do not know how far they could ride. I do not consider that material.
Questio). Say they would ride fifteen miles-they could not ride any very great distance-a night's ride would be according t tthe manner in which they were mounted
and the detentions they made. They would either own the horses, or hire, or borrow
them?
Answaer. I presume so.
Question. These horses would show evidences of fatigue if ridden all night?
Answver. They would usually.
Question. They would have to stop to refresh and water them?
Answer. Likely.
Question. They would have to procure arms and ammunition fc6i n enterprise of this
sort?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. And if they went disguised they would have to procure the disguises or
the materials for manufacturing them?