From Frederick Douglass' Paper.

A VOICE FROM CALVIN FAIRBANK.

RAISIN, March, 28, 1856.

FREDERICK DOUGLASS: DEAR FRIEND:—Some fifteen months since, I gave to the friends, through the columns of your paper, a sketch of the cruel treatment Calvin FairbankFairbank, Calvin

Born in Wyoming County, New York, the Reverend Calvin Fairbank (1816–98) was a Methodist preacher and abolitionist in Jeffersonville, Indiana. There, he helped forty- seven fugitive slaves escape from Kentucky. Later caught and sentenced to 300 lashes, he also served a four-year prison term. Undeterred, Fairbank resumed his Underground Railroad activities. He was arrested again in 1852 and sentenced to fifteen years in a Kentucky prison for another attempted slave rescue. Finally, in early 1864, Kentucky’s acting governor, Richard T. Jacob, pardoned and released Fairbank, who subsequently returned to upstate New York. Calvin Fairbank, Rev. Calvin Fairbank during Slavery Times(1890; New York, 1969), 3, 157, 184, 186, 191; Siebert, Underground Railroad from Slavery to Freedom, 157–59. was receiving at the hands of Mr. Craig, the former Warden of the Kentucky Penitentiary. A change of Wardens has since taken place, which has improved his condition. But the query may arise, how has this fact been ascertained, as whatever he may communicate has to pass through the hand of the Warden? The answer is obvious. Although Mr. Craig called himself a Christian—a Baptist by profession—and even presumed to expound to the people the sacred oracles, and present to them the words of Eternal Life, yet he could unblushingly order Calvin Fairbank to be bound, and recieve, on the bare back, forty-nine lashes. It was he, who could, without appearance of compunction, or visitings of conscience, break a cane over Calvin's head, and swore he wished it had been the prisoner's head, instead of his cane, for which he paid fifteen dollars. Beside these, and many like cruelties practised upon him all communications to or from his friends were, by Craig, forbidden, even the little pitance of monies sent by his friends, at diverse times, was witheld; but probably Mr. Craig was so thoroughly imbued with slaveholding logic, that he deemed it his due, to satisfy the damage bill of broken cane, &c., &.

But Mr. Z. Ward, the present Warden, permits Calvin to correspond occasionly with his friends, and to recieve from them money, or articles of food, they may send him, and allows him to appropriate such donations to his own personal comfort.

Since July last, I have remitted to him $21, hand to me by his friends, from which I have recieved from him recipts.

L. S. HAVILANDHaviland, Laura S.

.