The weekly Anglo-African. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1859-1861, 1859-10-29
Absolutely our only Oh.
@. But you demanded and took Col
Washingtog's silver and watch

bfoWn-1 eS; zee aUte220e0 TTeety 10 0p E
the property Of shareholders to /
carry ont our object. 1t was for that, and
only that, and with no design to enrich our
seves with any plumber whatever.
@. Did you know Sherrod in Kansas
l understand you killed him.
Brown-I killed no man except in fair
fight; fought at Black Jack Point and
Osawatomie, and if killed anybody it
was at one of these places.
The prisoners were committed to the
Charlestown Jail, and their examination
trial was to have commenced on Tuesday,
the 10Th inst, before eight Justices of the
Peace. The following is the commitment
of the of prisoners, and Judge Parkers
Charge to the Grand Jury;
State Of Virginia, Jefferson County, to
sat To the sheriff, Court, and to the
keeper of the Jail of said county These
are to command you, in the name of the
Commonwealth of Virginia, forthwith to
convey and deliver into the custody of the
keeper of said Jail, and to receive and safe
ly Keep the bodies of John Brown, Aaron
c. Stephens, Edwin Coppie, Shields Green
and John Copeland, negro, and charged be-
fore me, Roger Chew, Justice Of the
Peace for the said county, on the oaths Of
Henry A. Wise, Andrew Hunter and John
w. McGinnis, ard upon the free admission
and confession of said parties made in my
presence and hearing, that they and each
of them did felonously conspire with each
other and with other parties unknown, to
Il II.
war against the Commonwealth of Virgin
ia, by making an armed attack upon and
numbering her citizens at certain place
called Harper's Ferry, and then and there
to riot on the 18th, 18th and 18th of 0c.
tober, 1859, and did felonousl y andof ;heu
) malice kill and murder, with firearms call
ed Sharp's rifles, and revolvers and pistols,
divers citizens of this commonwealth, and
Feuntainc Beckham, George w. Turner,
and Thomas Boorley, free white persons,
and also Haywood Sheppard a free negro,
t and did there and then feloniously conspir
: with divers slaves, belonging to citizens Of
r this commonwealth, in the county afore,
said to me unknown, to rebel and make in.
surrection against the government and laws
of this commonwealth, that they may be
l examined for the said ofens5 before the
proper examining court, and otherwise
dealt with according to law.
Given under my hand and seal this 10th
day of October, 1859. Signed,
ROGER CHEW.
JUDGE PARKER's CHARGE TO THE GRAND JURY
. Gentlemen of the Jury: In the state
of excitement into which our whole com,
| munity has been thrown by the recent Oc.
currences in this county, feel that the
r charge which l usually deliver to Grand
Jury would be entirely out of place.
Those occurrences cannot but force them
selves upon your attention. They must
necessarily occupy considerable portion
of that time which you will devote to you
public duties as Grand Jury. However
$ guilty the unfortunate men who are nowm
the hands of justice may prove to be, still
, thew cannot be called upon to answer to
rnue vnuuuru Iaws OF our commonwealth
t for any of the multifarious crimes with
which they are charged, until Grand Ju-
| ry, after dligent inquiry, shall decide that
for these offenses they be put upon Their
| trial. I will not permit myself TO give eI
preston to any of those feelings v hich at
once spring up in every breast when re-
Election upon the enormity of the guilt in
which those are involved who invade by
force peaceful, unsuspecting portion Of
our common country, raise the standard
of instruction amongst them and shoot
down without mercy Virginia citizens, de-
Tending Virginia soil against their invasion
must remember, gentlemen, that as a
minister of Justice, bound to execute over
you and laws faithfully, and in the very
spirit of Justice herself, | must, as to every
one accused of crime, hold, as the law
holds, that he is innocent until he shall DO
proved guilty by honest, Independent and
an impartial jury of his countrymen; and
what is obligatory upon me is equally bind
ing upon every one who may be connected
with the prosecution and trials of these Of
tenders. In these cases, as in all Others,
you will be controlled by that oath which
each of you have taken, and in which yoH
have solemnly sworn that you will dill.
gently inquire into all offences which may
be brought to your knowledge, and that
you will present no one through i'll will, as
well as that you will leave no one unindict-
ed through fear or favor; but in all your
presentiments you shall present the truth,
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Do but this, gentlemen, and you will have
fulfilled your duty. Go beyond this, and
in place of that dilligent inquiry and calm
investigation which you have sworn TO
make, act upon prejudice or from excite
ment of passion, and you will have done
wrong to that law in whose service you
have engaged. AS / before said, these
men are now in the hands of justice. They
are to have fair and an partial trial We
owe it to the cause of justice as well as to
our own characters that such trial should
be afforded them. If guilty, they will be
sure to pay the extreme penalty Of Their
guilt, and the example Of punishment when
thus inflicted by virtue of law will ne, be-
yond all comparison, more efficaclous tor
our protection than any torture to which
mere passion could subject them. Wheth-
er they be in public or private position, let
Ar IL