ok
place when Burns was captured. The fact of his presence became
known in the course of the day on Sunday, and a pretty angry
crowd began to gather in the streets in the neighborhood of
the American House. Butman learned his danger, and took refuge
in the City Marshal's office in the City Hall, where the police
force of the city were gathered for his protection. No attack
was made during the night, but it was not deemed prudent to
have Butman leave his shelter. I had been to Concord to spend
Sunday with my kindred there. I got to Worcester at nine
o'clock Monday morning, and was told at the station of the
condition of things. I went immediately to the City Hall,
made my way through the crowd to the building, and was admitted
to the police office by the City Marshal, who was my client,
and apt to depend on me for legal advice. I found Butman
in a state of great terror. It was evident that the crowd
was too large for any police force which the little city had
in its service. Unless it should be pacified, something was
likely to happen which we should all have much regretted.
I accordingly went out and addressed the crowd from the steps
of the City Hall. They listened to me respectfully enough.
I was pretty well known through the city as an earnest Free
Soiler, and as sharing the public feeling of indignation
against the delivering up of fugitives. I reminded the crowd
that my father and sister had been expelled from Charleston,
S. C., where he had gone at the risk of his life to defend
Massachusetts colored sailors who were imprisoned there, and
appealed to them not to give the people of South Carolina
the right to excuse their own conduct by citing the example
of Massachusetts. There were shouts from the crowd: "Will
he promise to leave Worcester and never come back?" Butman,
who was inside, terribly frightened, said he would promise
never to come to Worcester again as long as he lived. I did
not, however, repeat Butman's promise to the crowd. I thought
he ought to go without conditions. The time approached for
the train to pass through Worcester for Boston. It went from
a little wooden station near the site of the present Union
Depot, about half a mile from the City Hall. It was determined,
on consultation, to take advantage of an apparently pacific
mood of the crowd, and to start Butman at once for the station
in time to catch the train. I took one arm and I am quite
sure Colonel Higginson took t