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General Note

Accompanying note: "I was then placed in the pillory, and when I had been there about half an hour, George Willis, mentioned in the fourth indictment, stepped from the crowd of spectators, whe were standing by, (quietly beholding the inhuman administration of the laws of Florida,) and snatched from my head a handkerchief, which had been placed there by the deputy marshal, to screen me from the sun; saying, that he had offered a dollar to any person that would do it; but, as no one else would, he would do it himself. He then took from his coat pocket two rotten eggs, and hurled them very spitefully at my head, which took effect, and excited a burst of indignation from the bystanders. The said Willis was heard to offer the boys a great price for rotten eggs; but he could find none vile enough to accommodate him. He was indicted, and appealed to the December court in Santa Rosa (adjoining) county, and was there tried, and fined six and a quarter cents."

Biographical Note

Jonathan Walker was an abolitionist trialed and sentenced in 1844 as a slave stealer following his attempt to help seven runaway slaves find freedom. He was subsequently confined to a pillory for one hour, branded "SS" on his right hand by the United States Government and remanded to prison for 15 days. Sympathizers preferred to interpret SS as "slave savior".