The material was granite, brought at no trifling
expense from the North. There were no windows upon the sides, and only
one entrance, which was secured by double iron doors. Light and air were
supplied, in meagre quantities, by means of a skylight in the roof,
which was regulated by a cord passing down upon the outside.
This jail, either by accident or design, was so constructed that any
noise inside was not transmitted to the outside. Whether this was
because of the reflecting properties of the walls, which might have sent
the sound echoing out at the skylight on the apex of the four-sided
roof, or because of some other natural causes, we shall not take up the
reader's time in discussing. Its inmates might startle Heaven with their
cries, but certainly every ear on earth below must be deaf to their
wail. This circumstance seemed typical of the actual fact of oppression;
but we are sure that Jaspar never meant to typify the groans, by man
unheeded, of the victims of tyranny ascending to be heard above.
It was the day after the events related in the last chapter, and the
negro jail was tenanted; but not by a refractory or a runaway slave.
Pages:
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370