Anti-abolition print distortedly portraying the events of the New York freedom seeker episode, "The Darg Case." The case involved a freedom seeker of enslaver John Darg who stole $7000 from him, fled, and was harbored and assisted by African American abolitionist and writer David Ruggle, Quaker arbitrator Barney Corse, and Quaker abolitionist Isaac T. Hopper. Corse had arbitrated a deal with Darg that in exchange for the return of Darg's stolen money, the enslaved man's freedom would be granted, and a small stipend would be paid to Corse. The arbitration was discovered and annulled by the New York police who then arrested Ruggles and Corse. Depicts Darg's sitting room where Hopper is requesting a reward. Ruggles says, "I don't like the looks of this affair. I'm afraid my pickings will not amount to much!" Corse replies, "Yea verily I was but thy instrument Brother Hopper as Brother Ruggles here knoweth!" They are threatened by Darg with a chair to whom they have returned "$6908" of his stolen money, and who bitterly exclaims that they deserve prison., Title from item., Date from copyright statement: Entd accordd to Act of Congress in the year 1838 by H.R. Robinson, in the Clerk's office of the Distt Court of the U. States, for the southern District of New York., Purchase 1968., RVCDC, Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021., Part of digital collections catalog through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of the Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014., Clay, born in Philadelphia, was a prominent caricaturist, lithographer, and engraver who created the "Life in Philadelphia" series which satirized middle-class African American Philadelphians in the late 1820s and early 1830s.
Creator
Clay, Edward Williams, 1799-1857, artist
Date
1838
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Political Cartoons - 1838-40W [7779.F]
