ere instituted mounted patrols, who went
about at night and watched the movement of slaves. They were to
apprehend any servant who was caught away from his home plantation
without a pass from his master.[302] Such an institution was based on
good Negro psychology, for his fear of the spirits of night was well
known. Citizens of that time have told us many tales of the dread
which the slave had of meeting these night raiders whom they termed
"patter-rollers" and how they came to sing of them in true Negro
fashion:

Over the fence and through the paster,
Run, nigger, run, oh, run a little faster,
Run, nigger, run,
The patter-roller ketch you.

Such a system of county patrols did not prove to be sufficient as the
slave population grew and the towns became larger and more attractive
to the country slave. The legislature of 1834 in drawing up a law
concerning tavern keepers had this problem clearly in mind when they
provided that no person should sell, give or loan any spirituous
liquors to slaves, other than his own, under a penalty of $10 for
each offense. Furthermore, if the offender was a licensed liquor
dealer, he should have his license taken away from him for the term of
two years.[303] That even this measure did not prove effective enough
to curb the evil of Negroes congregating in the towns is shown by the
further provision passed March 6, 1850, to increase the fine to $50
for each offense.[304] A still further extension was that of February
27, 1856, which provided that free Negroes were to be included in the
restriction unless they presented a certificate from "some white
person of respectable character." No slaves or free Negroes were to be
employed in the selling or distribution of liquor nor were they to be
allowed to visit or even loaf around any place where intoxicants were
kept for sale.[305] The session of 1858 made the force of the law more
explicit by defining very clearly the jurisdiction in such cases.[306]

Not only the State authorities but the towns as well were active in
the measures adopted to meet the growing problem. The best available
sample of the many provisions which the town councils drew up is this
one which was passed by the trustees of Henderson in 1840:

It shall be and is hereby made, the duty of the Town Sergeant or
either of his assistants, to punish with any number of lashes not
exceeding ten, all or any negro slave or slaves who may be found