He
went off with his wife, DAFFNEY, a negro woman belonging to
Reuben E. Phillips. I will give the above reward if taken out of
the county, and $200 if taken in the county; in either case to
be lodged in Cambridge Jail.
[Illustration: Runaway]
October 25, 1857.
Levi D. Traverse.
To fully understand the Rev. Mr. Traverse's authority for taking the
liberty he did with Aaron's good name, it may not be amiss to give
briefly a paragraph of private information from Aaron, relative to his
master. The Rev. Mr. Traverse belonged to the Methodist Church, and was
described by Aaron as a "bad young man; rattle-brained; with the
appearance of not having good sense,--not enough to manage the great
amount of property (he had been left wealthy) in his possession."
Aaron's servitude commenced under this spiritual protector in May prior
to the escape, immediately after the death of his old master. His
deceased master, William D. Traverse, by the way, was the father-in-law,
and at the same time own uncle of Aaron's reverend owner. Though the
young master, for marrying his own cousin and uncle's daughter, had been
for years the subject of the old gentleman's wrath, and was not allowed
to come near his house, or to entertain any reasonable hope of getting
any of his father-in-law's estate, nevertheless, scarcely had the old
man breathed his last, ere the young preacher seized upon the
inheritance, slaves and all; at least he claimed two-thirds, allowing
for the widow one-third.
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