300 INDIANA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS 



and in pursuing runaways may shoot them. As evidence 

 that this is often done, we make extracts from advertise- 

 ments in southern papers. Similar advertisements may 

 be found in southern papers at any time. 



" 'Ranaway, a negro woman and two children ; a few 

 days before she went off, / burnt her tvith a hot iron, on 

 the left side of her face; I tried to make the letter M.' 



" 'Ranaway, a negro girl, called Mary ; has a small scar 

 over her eye, a good many teeth missing, the letter A. is 

 branded on her cheek and forehead.' 



" 'Was committed to jail, a negro man ; says his name 

 is Josiah; his back very much scarred by the whip, and 

 branded on the thigh and hips, in three or four places, 

 thus (J.M.), the rim of his right ear has been bit or 

 cut off.' 



" 'Fifty dollars reward, for my fellow Edward ; he has 

 a scar on the corner of his mouth, two cuts on and under 

 his arm, and the letter E. on his arm.' 



" 'Fifty dollars reward, for the negro Jim Blake ; has 

 a piece cut out of each ear, and the middle finger of the 

 left hand cut off to the second joint.' " 



"These are only a few of the pretended advertisements 

 the editor gives, which he says are so common in south- 

 ern papers. After giving a string of nearly a column, 

 he thus proceeds:" 



"A favorite method of marking slaves, so that they 

 may be recognized, is by knocking out their front teeth. 

 But this form of cruelty is mild in comparison with 

 others frequently resorted to." 



"And then continues a series of lies as black as were 

 ever fabricated, about the most unheard of cruelties — 

 burning slaves alive — cutting them to pieces with knives, 

 by inches — swinging them feet upward, and whipping 

 them to death, &c., which are stated to be common occur- 

 rences at the South, though it is graciously acknowledged 

 that all slaves are not treated precisely so bad. 



"Our readers may judge from such things as these the 

 sort of misrepresentations used by these fanatical scoun- 



