▁was ▁very ▁easy ▁for ▁someone ▁who ▁escaped ▁sla very ▁and ▁st owed ▁away ▁on ▁ships ▁to ▁get ▁" lost ▁in ▁the ▁crowd ." ▁They ▁arrived ▁in ▁New ▁Bed ford ▁having ▁tra ve led ▁along ▁the ▁eastern ▁se ab o ard ▁on ▁ships ▁head ed ▁for ▁New ▁Bed ford . ▁New ▁Bed ford ▁gained ▁a ▁reputation ▁for ▁being ▁able ▁to ▁take ▁in ▁and ▁safely ▁hide ▁slaves , ▁many ▁who ▁came ▁from ▁Nor folk , ▁Virginia , ▁from ▁slave hold ers . ▁Their ▁success ▁continued ▁even ▁after ▁the ▁F ug itive ▁S lave ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 8 5 0 . ▁One ▁slave ▁owner , ▁Major ▁H od sd on , ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁and ▁his ▁fellow ▁slave hold ers ▁had ▁done ▁all ▁that ▁they ▁could ▁think ▁of ▁to ▁proc ure ▁the ▁" neg ro ▁th ieves " ▁from ▁the ▁" f ug itive ▁protect ors ", ▁including ▁having ▁" dis gu ised ▁themselves , ▁went ▁in ▁different ▁directions ▁and ▁used ▁every ▁ende avor ▁in ▁as ▁silent ▁a ▁manner ▁as ▁could ▁be , ▁to ▁discover ▁the ▁where about s ▁of ▁the ▁fug it ives ." ▁Yet , ▁they ▁were ▁ultimately ▁un success ful . ▁Some ▁ship own ing - mer ch ants , ▁like ▁Rod ney ▁French , ▁who ▁trad ed ▁along ▁the ▁east ▁coast ▁were ▁boy c otted ▁for ▁their ▁role ▁in ▁saving ▁slaves . ▁Wh ale ▁oil , ▁a ▁product ▁of ▁the ▁wh aling ▁industry , ▁from ▁New ▁Bed ford ▁were ▁also ▁boy c otted . ▁As ▁a ▁mis information ▁strategy , ▁newspaper