Дванадцять років рабства

           Suchwashisfabrication,utterlyuntrue,andyettherewasfoundinWashingtonamanwhoendeavoredtocorroboratehim. 

           BenjaminA.ThorntestifiedhewasatShekels’in1841,andsawacoloredboyplayingonafiddle. "Shekelssaidhewasforsale. Heardhismastertellhimheshouldsellhim. Theboyacknowledgedtomehewasaslave. Iwasnotpresentwhenthemoneywaspaid. Willnotswearpositivelythisistheboy. Themastercamenearsheddingtears:Ithinktheboydid! Ihavebeenengagedinthebusinessoftakingslavessouth,offandon,fortwentyyears. WhenIcan’tdothatIdosomethingelse." 

           Iwasthenofferedasawitness,but,objectionbeingmade,thecourtdecidedmyevidenceinadmissible. ItwasrejectedsolelyonthegroundthatIwasacoloredman—thefactofmybeingafreecitizenofNew-Yorknotbeingdisputed. 

           Shekelshavingtestifiedtherewasabillofsaleexecuted,Burchwascalleduponbytheprosecutiontoproduceit,inasmuchassuchapaperwouldcorroboratethetestimonyofThornandShekels. Theprisoner’scounselsawthenecessityofexhibitingit,orgivingsomereasonableexplanationforitsnon-production.Toeffectthelatter,Burchhimselfwasofferedasawitnessinhisownbehalf. Itwascontendedbycounselforthepeople,thatsuchtestimonyshouldnotbeallowed—thatitwasincontraventionofeveryruleofevidence,andifpermittedwoulddefeattheendsofjustice.