Sometime in early August 1850, seven freedom seekers escaped in concert from Baltimore, Calvert, Montgomery, and Prince George's counties. On Wednesday, August 7, a group of Pennsylvanians observed the freedom seekers at the home of a free black man near Shrewsbury, who was not identified by name, and attempted to trick the runaways with promises of help. But when the seven freedom seekers were being led to the railroad depot by their would-be captors, residents in Shrewsbury, including the local postmaster, managed to free two of the seven captives. The other five were transported to Baltimore, and back into slavery, though not without a fight. One of the escapees produced a pistol and attempted to fire at his captor while tied up, but he misfired and the bullet entered his own arm. Back in Baltimore, enslavers worried that "the Shrewsbury route" was becoming increasingly well-trodden, as numerous groups of freedom seekers escaped from Maryland and headed towards Pennsylvania.