58
—2.

“Joe oould read axid write and was a good meohanie and wheelright.

These acooz~lp1i8h1nent8 made him very valuable to Rogers‘ fana, as wagons, buggies, carriages, plows and other vehicles and tools had to be made and repaired.

	“~Vhon I was about eight or nine years old Joe ran away, everybody say— Ing to join the Union arniy • Joe Nick drove a pair of ‚ hitched to a covered wagon, to Ellicott City. The horses were found, but no Nick. Rogers offered a reward of 4100.00 for the return of iUok. This offer drew to Ellicott City a munber of people who had blooChounds that were trained to hunt Negroes some coming from Aime a.rundel, Baltimore, Howard and counties of southern Mary— land, each owner priding hie pack as being the beat pack in the town. They all stopped at the Howard House, naturally drinking, treating their friends and each other ‚ they aU discussed among the~1iee1ves the reward and their pao]~ of hounds, each one saying that his pack was the best. This boasting was backed by cash. Soins cash, plus the reward on their hounds. In the meantime Old Joe was thinkbig, not boasting, but was riding the rail.

	“Old Joe left Ellicott City on a freight train, going west, which he hopped when it was stalled on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad a short distance from the railroad station at Ellioott City. Old Joe could not leave on the passenger .traina, as no Negro would be allowed on the trains unless he had a pass signed by his masterj or a free Negr~, and had his papers.

	“At dßwn the hunters left the Howard House with the packs, aocoxapanied by n~.ny friends and people who joined up for the sport of the chase. They went to Rogers‘ farm where the dogs were taken in paoks to Nick‘ ~ quarters so they could get the odor and scent of 1~Iick. They had a twofold purpose, one to get the natural scent ‚ the other was ‚ if Old Nick had run away, he might come baok

at night to get some personal belongings, in that way the direction he had taken would be indioated by the scent and the hounds would soon track him dowa. The hounds were unleashed, each bunter going in a different direction without result.