He then met, at New Castle, a man, woman, and six children, from down on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.  The man was free, the woman had, been a slave, and while in Slavery had had by her husband, two children.  She was then set free, and afterwards had four children.  The whole party ran away.  They traveled several days, and finally reached Middletown, late at night, where they were taken in, fed and cared for, by John Hunn, a wealthy Quaker, there.  They were watched, however, by some persons in that section, who followed them, arrested them, and sent them to New Castle to jail.  The sheriff and his daughter were Anti-slavery people, and wrote to Mr. Garrett to come over.  He went over, had an interview, found from their statement, that four of the party were undoubtedly free, and returned to this city.  On the following day, he and U.S.  Senator Wales, went over and had the party taken before Judge Booth, on a writ of habeas corpus.  Judge Booth decided that there was no evidence on which to hold them, that in the absence of evidence the presumption was always in favor of freedom and discharged them.

Mr. Garrett then said, here is this woman with a babe at her breast, the child suffering from a white swelling on its leg, is there any impropriety in my getting a carriage and helping them over to Wilmington?  Judge Booth responded certainly not.

Mr. Garrett then hired the carriage, but gave the driver distinctly to understand that he only paid for the woman and the young children; the rest might walk.  They all got in, however, and finally escaped, of course the two children born in slavery amongst the rest.

Six weeks afterwards the slave-holders followed them, and incited, it is said, by the Cochrans and James A. Bayard, commenced a suit against Mr. Garrett, claiming all the fugitives as slaves.  Mr. Garrett’s friends claim that the jury was packed to secure an adverse verdict.  The trial came on before Chief Justice Taney and Judge Hall, in the May term (1848) of the U.S.  Court, sitting at New Castle, Bayard representing the prosecutors, and Wales the defendant.  There were four trials in all, lasting three days.  We have not room here for the details of the trial, but the juries awarded even heavier damages than the plaintiffs claimed, and the judgments swept away every dollar of his property.

When the trials were concluded, Mr. Garrett arose, the court being adjourned, made a speech of an hour to the large crowd in the court-room, in the course of which he declared his intention to redouble his exertions, so help him God.  His bold assertion was greeted with mingled cheers and hisses, and at the conclusion of his speech one of the jurors who had convicted him strode across the benches, grasped his hand, and begged his forgivenness.

Mr. Garrett kept his pledge and redoubled his exertions.  The trial advertised him,