In 1855, a man named Joseph slipped away at night from the Missouri plantation where he was enslaved, crossed the Mississippi River to Cairo, Illinois, and boarded an Illinois Central train bound for Chicago. The man who claimed to own him, Thomas Rodney, followed him north and lost him in Chicago. Rodney then sued the railroad for selling Joseph a ticket. That lawsuit reached the Illinois Supreme Court, which ruled that Black people in Illinois were presumed to be free, so a railroad didn't need proof of freedom to sell someone a ticket. Southern Illinois historian Darrel Dexter will tell Joseph's story at 2 p.m. Saturday at Bloomington Public Library, alongside a statewide traveling exhibit on the Underground Railroad.

In 1855, a man named Joseph slipped away at night from the Missouri plantation where he was enslaved, crossed the Mississippi River to Cairo, Illinois, and boarded an Illinois Central train bound for Chicago.&nbsp;The man who claimed to own him, Thomas Rodney, followed him north and lost him in Chicago. Rodney then sued the railroad for selling Joseph a ticket.&nbsp;That lawsuit reached the Illinois Supreme Court, which ruled that Black people in Illinois were presumed to be free, so a railroad didn't need proof of freedom to sell someone a ticket.&nbsp;Southern Illinois historian Darrel Dexter will tell Joseph's story at 2 p.m. Saturday at Bloomington Public Library, alongside a statewide traveling exhibit on the Underground Railroad.

Sound Ideas is WGLT's signature local news series. Every weekday, WGLT reporters go beyond soundbites for deeper conversations with newsmakers, musicians, artists, and anyone with a story to share. New episodes air throughout the day on WGLT.

Sound Ideas is WGLT's signature local news series. Every weekday, WGLT reporters go beyond soundbites for deeper conversations with newsmakers, musicians, artists, and anyone with a story to share. New episodes air throughout the day on WGLT.

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WGLT's Sound Ideas is our flagship news program. Every weekday, WGLT reporters go beyond soundbites for deeper conversations with newsmakers, musicians, artists, and anyone with a story to share. This 30-minute newsmagazine is produced Monday through Friday. You can also subscribe to the Sound Ideas - Full Episodes podcast.

WGLT's Sound Ideas is our flagship news program. Every weekday, WGLT reporters go beyond soundbites for deeper conversations with newsmakers, musicians, artists, and anyone with a story to share. This 30-minute newsmagazine is produced Monday through Friday. You can also subscribe to the Sound Ideas - Full Episodes podcast.

The freedom seeker whose train ticket out of Cairo reached the Illinois Supreme Court

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