Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1859-12-15
EXECUTION OF JOHN BROWN.
HIS LAST HOURS.
Affecting Interview with His Wife
Scenes aud Incidents OF the Occa.
sion.
His Last Will and Tcsta-
lncnt.

His Last Will and Tcsta-
lncmt.
[Frsm the Cincinnati Gazette.
HARpER's FERRY. Dec. ..
/ left Baltimore this morning bound
for this place, where l mot your report
er. who visited Charlestown to gather
the facts relative to the execution of
Ossawotiamie Brown. full particulars
of which l send you. AT Baltimore.
crowds endesvored to purchase tickets
for Harper's FERRY, among whom
were number of Northern editors. bu.
the Company positively refused to sell
any tickets except to through passen-
gers or to those whose business and
character were known to the officers of
the road. AS . consequence. many
were disappointed in the effort to graf.
lily their curiosity. and the number of
passengers upon the road was unusn.
ally small. At the Washington juno
tion, seven miles west of Baltimore.
two gentlemen got into the train. and
were Immediately approached by an
officer of the Company. who told them
he must know who they were aud what
was their destination. To this query
one of them demurred. when the fol.
lowing colloquy ensuei:
OFrrcER-It is absolutely necessary
that you should answer me.
PAssESGER-Why. am in Austria?
OFFIcER-There is no time for ar
gument-the State that grants us a
charter has a right to proclaim Mar
tial law. and we must comply with her
requirements.
% PAssESGER-I am subject Of
her Britannia Majesty have a
through ticket.
1sr PAssESGER-I have . ticket to
Wheeling. (showing his ticket, and
am going to Minnesota. My name
and business | choose to keep myself.
OFrIcER-All right, gentlemen. you
can pass along.
The passengers seemed good deal
surprised and irritated. but were mol
lifted when an explanation was given
by an official connected with the Road.
Some military gentlemen belonging to
the staff of Gen. VIM. Il. Tslinferro.
in command at Chsrlestown. also got
in at the Relay House. They lived in
q remote part of Virginia. and had
been unable to join their Commander
earlier. At the various stations along
the route between Baltimore and the
Ferry. groups of people were gather
ed. evidently awaiting the arrival OF
the down train. carrying news OF
Browns execution. Our train reach
ed the Ferry at quarter before L.
o'clock. and we found the platform
carefully guarded by soldiers. who
closely scanned every passenger and
kept the space in front clear. Every
where about the town soldiers were
stationed. and the Government build
ings had been turned into barracks, in
which were quartered the L. 5. troops
from Old Point Comfort.
But few strangers were in the vii
lsge, the visitors consisting chiefly OF
the people of the adjacent country.
who had come to hear of Browns exc
cution. a military company. which
has just been organized here. was be-
ing marched through the streets with
a drum and fife. and both sights and
sounds conspired to remind one Of the
pomp and circumstance Of glorious
war.
learned that Mrs. Brown. with a
lady and two gentlemen friends. from
Philadelphis, were staying at the Wa.
ger having arrived on "Wednesday
night. l Immediately sought one ol
the gentlemen. named Mckim. who
was loud in his complaints of the
manner in which they had been treated
by the military authorities, and gave
me the following narrative:
He says that last week Brown wrote
to his wife. saying If she thought she
could bear the meeting with calmness
he would be glad to take leave of her;
whsreupon she determined To sec him
once more before he died Mrs. Me-
Kim. knowing the value of woman S
sympathy and companionship. under
such trying circumstances, volunteered
to accompany her. as also did Mr.. Me-
Kim and another gentleman. The lat
ter supplied themselves with the best
testimonials as to respectability and
character. and also with letters of in
PRODUCTION to Col. Lewis A. Wash.
ington and others. and reached Har-
per's Ferry on Wednesday night.
On the next morning. they commu-
nicated with the officer in commanded
the Virginia military here, that Mrs.
Brown had arrived. and that they
wished to accompany her to Charles
town. The officer courteously re-
sponded. that he presumed there would
be no difficulty in granting their re-
quest. and Immediately telegraphed to
Gen. Tslisferro. at Charlestown, ,'who.
in turn, telegraphed to Gov. Wise for
instructions. A great number ofmes-
sages were exchanged. and finally II
was ordered that Mrs. Brown should
be sent alone to see her husband. under
an escort of military. and the others OF
the party should be detained and
watched. Mrs. Brown was greatly dis
trcssed at being compelled to go with
out her friends. but finally consented
and was taken to Charlcstown and al
lowed an interview of two hours with
her husband, but was not permitted to
remain during the night. An anec'
dote is related of Brown in this con.
nection, which is eminently character
;st;c. When Gen. Taliaferro had ar