Transcription contributed by Martie Callihan 25 February 2005

The History of Warren County Ohio
Part IV Township Histories
Wayne Township by Judge John W. Keys
(Chicago, IL: W. H. Beers Co, 1882; reprint, Mt. Vernon, IN: Windmill Publications, 1992)

Page
586

Highway & Co. failed to realize out of their purchase what they expected. and were involved in a number of law suits, which continued for a number of years, in reference to the titles of land sold by them, and, as I shall probably not refer to them again, I will observe that Mr. Highway was born in Shropshire, England, and emigrated to the United States in 1791, with an ample fortune of goods and money. He was about six feet, six inches in height and weighed 300 pounds. He removed from here to Cincinnati in the latter part of 1813, and there died in 1817.

The first newspaper was the Miami Visitor, in 1850. by Jesse W. Elliott.

Mrs. Sarah Keys, now in her ninety-fourth year, and Joseph Rogers, now in his ninety-third, and Charlotte Dutterow, about the same age. and Rebecca Stewart, I believe are the oldest persons in the township.

The citizens have generally sympathized with the oppressed, and were generally anti-slavery. In the winter of 1837-38, two negroes ran away from near Lexington, Ky. They traveled together to Lebanon, and there separated; one took the road to Dayton and the other came this way. They were pursued by two men traveling by stage who, about midnight, discovered one of the slaves, an old man named Hazard, near Genntown, arrested him and brought him to this place. In the early morning, the citizens discovered the negro tied by a rope above the elbows. When the natural inquiry was made as to the cause, they were informed he was a runaway " nigger.'' The citizens demanded that he be untied, which was done. The negro was very penitent, was sorry he had ran away, was coaxed away, had a good master, etc. The agents were informed that they could not take Hazard unless they could produce necessary authority to do so. It was finally agreed to leave the negro in charge of some persons (Reeve Holland was one), and one of the citizens was to go with one of the agents to Lebanon and take counsel of Judge Smith as to their authority. On the return of the party in the evening, the citizens were advised that the agents had no authority. Hazard was then given his choice—the citizens informed him if he wanted to go back he could do so: if not, he should not be taken by force. Hazard brightened up and said he preferred to resume his journey. His little property was demanded and given to him, and a citizen, a few days after, informed me he saw Hazard nine miles on the road north, and some time after both got through to Canada.

In 1840 or 1841, some Virginians were moving through to Missouri with their slaves. It was claimed by slave-owners that they had a right to cross the State with their slaves for the purpose of business, or removal, when their destination was another Slave State. This was denied by the anti-slavery people of Ohio. A warrant was sworn out before Jonathan Clark, a Justice of the Peace here, by Dr. Brooks, and the slave-owners were arrested between this place and Franklin, and brought back and tried here. Judge George J. Smith and Robert G. Corwin were counsel for the prosecution, and Charles Anderson, of Dayton, for the defendants. After hearing the case, Squire Clark discharged the defendants. Some persons about Springboro and vicinity spirited away the slaves, or a part of them; they were afterward indicted by the grand jury, and tried, I believe, before Judge Hinkson in the Warren County Court of Common Pleas, convicted and sentenced to fine and imprisonment in the dungeon. The Supreme Court was in session at Cincinnati, a writ of error obtained therefrom, and the defendants were released from imprisonment. The case finally came before the Supreme Court of the State, when the question was settled definitely, as claimed by the anti-slavery party.

In conclusion, I have to say that the names of many persons no doubt