Description
Was a Gruesome Find - Pair of Rusty Handcuffs Held Bones of Wrist - Plowed Up by Farmer - - From Leavenworth Times: - - A relic of the days when this part of the country was torn by strife over the slavery question, was discovered Thursday by E. Kirkpatrick a farmer of Platte County, Missouri, in the old prison corral at Platte City, where escaped negro slaves were imprisoned before the Civil War days. The relic is in the shape of a pair of old fashioned handcuffs, and inside of them were also found the wrist bones, supposedly of a slave.
Mr. Kirkpatrick came to Leavenworth yesterday with a wagon load of produce and stopped at The Times office and left the handcuffs and as much of Its history as he knew. He said that he had been plowing Thursday near the old corral of the prison at Platte City when he uncovered them. The wrist bones were in both cuffs, but no other part of the slave’s anatomy was discovered.
The cuffs are of an unusually small size, showing that the slave had very small hands, evidently being a woman. They are very rusty and the slot where the key was to fit is filled with rust and the chains had rotted away, only a particle remaining. The cuffs are now on exhibition in the front window of The Times office.
During the ante-bellum days a military and state prison was built at Platte City and all escaped slaves and federal prisoners were confined in the corral of the prison.
It is thought that the slave died and without any ceremony whatever he was buried where she died. After years had passed the corral was abandoned and the prison vacated, the land being acquired by farmers.
Farmers of that neighborhood declare that they have plowed up bones and pieces of shackles and handcuffs before but they were always in bad condition, this pair of cuffs standing the years pretty well.
Many an interesting story is told by the old settlers of Platte County of how escaped slaves were killed or penned up in the corral like hogs and without any provocation were many times shut (shot) down.
The slave question is perfectly familiar with the old settlers of Leavenworth and vicinity, for the Kansans helped to inaugurate the “Underground Railway,” which helped to carry thousands of escaped slaves from this part of the country to the north and Canada, where freedom awaited them. (Researcher's note: Paxton's Annals reports that in August 1859, George P. Dorris, Platte City slave trader, had built a dungeon on his farm to confine slaves. See other references to George P. Dorris. Dorris owned 160 acres South of Platte City, Missouri in the Southwest ¼ of Township 53, Range 35. Those 160 acres were later owned by Richard T. Darnall and then Jesse J. Blakley.)Date(s) of Creation
9/26/1906
