Reverend Henry Hutt

“The Reverend. Henry Hutt, a free colored man residing on the eastern shore of Maryland, and a local preacher in the Philadelphia Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, has, by the force of his talents and industry, accumulated considerable wealth.  There is no proof that the Rev. Hutt is, or has ever been an abolishionist.  He is a conservative, no doubt.  It appears that some months ago, a slave owned by the Rev. Henry, concluded to take the underground railroad for the land of the free, but failed, was caught, brought back to this Rev. slaveholder, was sold to the South, and the money pocketed by said Hutt.  The Quarterly Conference did not take away his license for this conduct, and he is still a local preacher in our Church.  Now, if said Henry had helped a man of his own color to run away from worse than Egyptian slavery, the Church would have branded him with worse than disgrace, and the State sent him to the Penitentiary.  “

Source:  Mattison, Hiram. (1811-1868). The Impending crisis of 1860; or The present connection of the Methodist Episcopal Church with slavery and our duty in regard to it.  1859.  p. 60.