During the year 1821 other incidents occurred in the Quaker
community at New Garden, near Greensboro, North Carolina, which
illustrate different phases of the subject. Jack Barnes was the
slave of a bachelor who became so greatly attached to his servant
that he bequeathed to him not only his freedom but also a large
share of his property. Relatives instituted measures to break the
will, and Jack in alarm took refuge among the Quakers at New
Garden. The suit went against the negro, and the newspapers
contained advertisements offering a hundred dollars for
information which should result in his recovery. To prevent his
return to bondage, it was decided that Jack should join a family
of Coffins who were moving to Indiana.

At the same time a negro by the name of Sam had for several
months been abiding in the Quaker neighborhood. He belonged to a
Mr. Osborne, a prototype of Simon Legree, who was so notoriously
cruel that other slave-owners assisted in protecting his victims.
After the Coffins, with Jack, had been on the road for a few
days, Osborne learned that a negro was with them and, feeling
sure that it was his Sam, he started in hot haste after them.
This becoming known to the Friends, young Levi Coffin was sent
after Osborne to forestall disaster. The descriptions given of
Jack and Sam were practically identical and it was surmised that
when Osborne should overtake the party and discover his mistake,
he would seize Jack for the sake of the offered reward. Coffin
soon came up with Osborne and decided to ride with him for a time
to learn his plans. In the course of their conversation, it was
finally agreed that Coffin should assist in the recovery of Sam.
Osborne was also generous and insisted that if it proved to be