aned so badly that it laid me up for several
weeks. I am a little lame yet from the beating."

Such was William's story. He was twenty-three years of age, of a light
brown color, well-made. Judging from his expressions and apparent
feelings against his master and mistress, he would be willing to endure
many years of suffering in Canada snows, before he would apply to them
for care and protection.

* * * * *

A SLAVE CATCHER CAUGHT IN HIS OWN TRAP.

GEORGE F. ALBERTI PERSONATED BY A MEMBER OF THE VIGILANCE COMMITTEE--A
LADY FRIGHTENED BY A PLACARD.

One afternoon, the quiet of the Anti-Slavery Office was suddenly
agitated by the contents of a letter, privately placed in the hands of
J. Miller McKim by one of the clerks of the Philadelphia Ledger office.
Said letter it would seem, had been dropped into the box of the Ledger
office, instead of the U.S. box (one of which, was also in the Ledger
office), through a mistake, and seeing that it bore the name of a
well-known slave-catcher, Alberti, the clerk had a great desire to know
its import. Whether it was or was not sealed, the writer cannot say, it
certainly was not sealed when it reached the Anti-Slavery office. It
stated that a lady from Maryland was then in Philadelphia, stopping at a
boarding-house on Arch Street, and that she was very desirous of seeing
the above-mentioned Alberti, with a view of obtaining his services to
help catch an Underground Rail Road sojourner, whom she claimed as her
property. That she wrote the letter could not be proved, but that it was
sent by her consent, there was no doubt. In order to save the poor
fellow from his impending doom, it seemed that nothing would avail but a
bold strategical movement. Mr. McKim proposed to find some one who would
be willing to answer for Alberti. Cyrus Whitson, a member of the
Committee, in Mr. McKim's judgment, could manage the matter
successfully. At that time, C. Whitson was engaged in the Free Labor
store, at the corner of Fifth and Cherry streets, near the Anti-Slavery
office. On being sent for, he immediately answered the summons, and Mr.
McKim at once made known to him his plan, which was to save a fellow-man
from being dragged back to bondage, by visiting the lady, and
ascertaining from her in conversation the whereabouts of the fugitives,
the names of the witnesses, and all the particulars. Nothing could have
delighted the shrewd Whitson better; he saw