Helmans tell of Salem Slave Trial

MT. PLEASANT — Friday afternoon, the Henry County Heritage Trust hosted a presentation from the Lewelling Quaker Museum which transported attendees back to the time of the Ruel Daggs versus Elihu Frazier 1848 Salem slave case and trial.

Cathy and Dave Helman dressed in period appropriate attire discussed details of a case which concerned a Missouri slave owner, his pursuit of nine escaped slaves into Iowa, and the individuals that helped aid the escaped slaves.

According to the presentation from Helman, the nine slaves included John and Mary Walker, four children, Sam and Dorcas Fulcher, and an 18-year-old pregnant woman named Julia.

As Dave played Rueben Dorland, a Quacker school teacher, called on to testify in the trial, he set a scene encouraging the crowd to imagine they were in a Quaker meeting hall.

According to the report delivered by Dave, just 48 hours after the crew escaped Daggs farm, a group of hired men found them.

“Let’s call them what they are, bounty hunters,” Dave said as he told of the events from the perspective of Reuben Dorland, a Quaker who testified at the trial.

Faced with slave-catchers toting guns, a group of individuals from Salem sought to bring calm to the scene and insisted the issue be brought before a justice of the peace.

“We have ways of doing things around here,” Dave “Dorland” said. “You can’t just take them.”

They were able to convince the crew to take it before a judge, and thanks to the rules of the Runaway Slave Act, the men were not able to take the slaves they caught because the judge said they did not have sufficient evidence.

“Judge Gibbs said they were ‘free as himself for all he knew,’” Dave “Doraland” said.

At some point, however, four of the original nine slaves were captured and taken back to Daggs in Missouri.

The larger case discussed, however, was not about the slaves escaping, but the men that assisted.

According to Dave, Daggs filed a $10,000 lawsuit against 19 men for the loss of his five runaway slaves.

While the judge presiding over this court case ruled in favor of Daggs, it was for significantly less than the $10,000 Daggs asked for.

Dave stated that it is not well documented if the men ever paid the fine, either.

During a brief question and answer segment one elementary-aged attendee asked Dave why people sold other people.

Though he attempted to describe how the slaves were used to perform tasks that farming equipment now does, Dave struggled to find an adequate answer.

“It was for money,” he said. “It is a terrible thing, but it was all for money.”

According to Dave and Cathy, history like this is rich in the Salem community and more stories such as these are told at the Lowelling Quaker Museum located in the small town.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com