Noting that he would be “entirely willing to sit on the bench with a negro judge,” Sheriff Sumner did his best to ensure fair trials for Black prisoners and to reduce his complicity in the system of racial injustice. Once, during his tenure, two Black women were put on trial for allegedly being fugitives from slavery. Some free Black citizens stormed the courtroom and prematurely helped the women escape before the conclusion of their trial. When Sheriff Sumner was accused of tacitly allowing the women to take flight, he did not deny the charge. “I should be ashamed of myself if I did not wish
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