at the kidnappers had passed an hour before. The chase was
given up, but with saddened feelings. A fellow-being had been dragged
into hopeless bondage, and we, his comrades, held our liberty as
insecurely as he had done but a few short hours before! We asked
ourselves the question, "Whose turn will come next?" I was delegated to
find out, if possible, who had betrayed him, which I accordingly did.

Lynch law is a code familiar to the colored people of the Slave States.
It is of so diabolical a character as to be without justification,
except when enforced by men of pure motives, and then only in extreme
cases, as when the unpunished party has it in his power to barter away
the lives and liberties of those whose confidence he possesses, and who
would, by bringing him before a legal tribunal, expose themselves to the
same risks that they are liable to from him. The frequent attacks from
slaveholders and their tools, the peculiarity of our position, many
being escaped slaves, and the secrecy attending these kidnapping
exploits, all combined to make an appeal to the Lynch Code in our case
excusable, if not altogether justifiable. Ourselves, our wives, our
little ones, were insecure, and all we had was liable to seizure. We
felt that something must be done, for some one must be in our midst with
whom the slaveholders had communication. I inquired around, quietly, and
soon learned that Allen Williams, the very man in whose house the
fugitive was, had betrayed him. This information I communicated to our
men. They met at my house and talked the matter over, and, after most
solemnly weighing all the facts and evidence, we resolved that he should
die, and we set about executing our purpose that evening. The difficulty
was, how to punish him. Some were for shooting him, but this was not
feasible. I proposed another plan, which was agreed to.

Accordingly, we went to his house and asked if a man named Carter, who
lived with him, was at home, as rumor said that he had betrayed Henry
Williams. He denied it, and said that Carter had fought for Henry with
him, but the slaveholders being too strong for them, they had to give
him up. He kept beyond reach, and the men apologized for intruding upon
him, while I stepped up to the door and asked for a glass of water. He
gave it to me, and to the others. When he was giving water to one of the
party, I caught him by the throat, to prevent his giving the alarm, and
drew him over my head and sho