Дванадцять років рабства

           Atthispointitwasadmittedbythedefendant’scounsel,thatIhadbeenplacedinthepenbyBurchinthespringof1841,andhereupontheprosecutionrested. 

           BenjaminO.Shekelswasthenofferedasawitnessbytheprisoner. Benjaminisalarge,coarse-featuredman,andthereadermayperhapsgetasomewhatcorrectconceptionofhimbyreadingtheexactlanguageheusedinanswertothefirstquestionofdefendant’slawyer. Hewasaskedtheplaceofhisnativity,andhisreply,utteredinasortofrowdyishway,wasintheseverywords— 

           "IwasborninOntariocounty,New-York,andweighedfourteenpounds!" 

           Benjaminwasaprodigiousbaby! HefurthertestifiedthathekepttheSteamboatHotelinWashingtonin1841,andsawmethereinthespringofthatyear. Hewasproceedingtostatewhathehadheardtwomensay,whenSenatorChaseraisedalegalobjection,towit,thatthesayingsofthirdpersons,beinghearsay,wasimproperevidence. TheobjectionwasoverruledbytheJustice,andShekelscontinued,statingthattwomencametohishotelandrepresentedtheyhadacoloredmanforsale; thattheyhadaninterviewwithBurch;thattheystatedtheycamefromGeorgia,buthedidnotrememberthecounty; thattheygaveafullhistoryoftheboy,sayinghewasabricklayer,andplayedontheviolin; thatBurchremarkedhewouldpurchaseiftheycouldagree; thattheywentoutandbroughttheboyin,andthatIwasthesameperson.