Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-11-23
THE HARPERS FERRY INSURRECTlON.
Close of the Trials-Sentence of Cook Copp'e'
Copeland and Green. -

..... .-....: r.. CHARLESTOWN, NOV. II, iooS. "
The proceedings Of the. Circuit Court for Jefier-
son county were brought to close Yesterday morn
ing after session of three weeks which was occu-
MED exclusively in the trial of the Harpers Ferry
constructors The Circuit Court of Frederick coun-
ty, over which Judge Parker presidcs, commences
TODAY and hence the necessity Of the closing OF the
term for the county, The term will long beremem-
bered as the most interesting ever held here, five
men having been tried and found guilty OF the
highest crimes known to our laws. s-- s
The convicts, Cook, Coppie, Copeland and Green,
were brought out yesterday at twelve o'clock to re-
ceive the sentence of Judge Parker. The court
room was crowded, and the anxiety to get another
view of the prisoners great. They were brought
into the court by the deputies and placed in the bar
in a range of chairs facing the Judge. Near Cook
was seated GOV. Willard and Mr.. Crowley, both OF
whom seemed bending beneath the weight of sor-
row this affair has cast them and their families.
REMARKS OF THE PRISONERS.
The prisoners were then directed to stand up and
asked if they had anything to say why sentence
should not be passed upon them. Cook and Coppie
then proceeded to deliver short addresses the former
being somewhat vehement in his manner of speak
ing, whilst the latter made firm impression by his
great and collective style of delivery. Both pro-
tested their ignorance of the attack on Harper's
Ferry, until the Sabbath before the night Of the
attack when they were called on to swear to obey
the orders of their commander Brown. Coppie sta
ted that he knew he should be punished for his fool
hardy attempt, but he thought it should have been
lighter than had been adjudged. The negroes de-
clined saying anything.
SENTENCE OF THE PRISONERS
Judge Parker then proceeded to deliver the SEN
tence on the prisoners which was received by them
with great firmncss The sentence was that John
E. Cook, Edwin Coppie, Shields Green and John
Copeland: Your trials, on which we have been so
long employed, have at length ended, and all that
remains to be cone to complete these judicial pro-
ceedngs, is to pronounce and record the judgments
which by law must follow upon the crimes for
which you have been tried, and of which you have
been found guilty.
These crimes have all grown out of mad nroad
upon this State, made with the predetermined pur-
pose to raise in midst the standard of surve
insurrecton. In the execution Of this purpose, in
the darkness of Sabbath night, you seized upon a
portion of our territory, captured several of our
best citizens-holdidg them as hostages of war
til your party was itself overcome by force-armed
such Of our slaves as you could seize upon with
deadly weapons, which they were to use against
their owners, whom you denounced to them as their
oppressors and, in your efforts to push your bold
and unholy scheme through to successful issue,
you have taken human life in no fewer than five in
stances. The evidence most abundantly proved that
all these things had been DONE and by the force of
that evidence jury after jury has felt itself compe
ed to bring in its verdict of guilty against each
of YOU
Happily for the peace of our whole land, You OBJ
tanned no support from that quarter whence you so
confidently expected it. Not slave united himself
to your party, but SO soon he could get without
the range of your rifles, Or night gave him op-
portunity, made his escape from who had come
to give him freedom, and hurried to place himself
once more beneath the care and protection of his
owner.
When reflect upon all the mischief and ruin,
the dark and fearful crimes which must have at
tended even your partial success-men everywhere
should be thankful that you and so
easily overpowered.
For these offences the law demands the penalty
OF DEATH and imposes upon me the duty Of pro-
nouncing that sentence. 1t is the most painful duty
l have ever been called on to perform.
In spite of your offences against our laws, can
not but deeply feel for yOu and sincerely, most sin
cercly, do sympathize with those friends and rca-
TONS whose lives are bound up in yours, and whose
hearts will be wrung with grief when they shall
hear of the sad fate which has overtaken you, the
objects of their warmest and holicst affections For
them we all do sorrow whilst due regard for our
safety may not permit US to forgive the offences of
| which you have been guilty, hope that they will
turn for consolation, and you for pardon, to that
! good Being who in his wrath rcmetnbereth mercy.
Make then your peace with HIM for you must soon
be uShered into His presence there to be dealt with
F.! as His justice and His mercy may ordain
To conclude this sad duty, now announce that
the sentence of the law is. that you and each one
! of you, John E. Cook, Edwin Coppe, Shields Green
and John COPELAND, be hanged by the neck until
| you be dead-and that execution of this judgment
be made and done by the Sheriff of this county, on
Friday, the sixteenth day of December next upon
you, Shields Green and John Copeland, between the
hours of eight in the forenoon and twelve, noon of
that day-and upon you, John E. Cook and Edwin
Coppe, between the hours of twelve (noon) and
five of the same day. And the court being of the
opinion that the execution of this sentence should
be in public it is further ordered that this judgment
be enforced and executed, not in the Jail yard, but
at such public place convenient thereto the said
Sheriff may appoint-and may God have mercy up
on the soul of each ore of you.
During the delivery Of the sentence the utmost
silence was observed. and the solemnity was very
marked. A large number of the spectators wept
as also did the Judge.
The prisoners were remanded to Jail, there to
await the execution of this judgment.
| Correspondence of the Constitution.
| LETTER FROM BALTIMORE