The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-10-19

all argument with The determined Captain Brown walked
| slowly from the door
Immediately the signal for attack given, and tn
marines, headed by Col. Harris and Lieut.. Green, ad-
vanced In two lines each side Of the door. Two pow
erfu fellows sprung between the lines and with heavy
sedge hammers attempted batter down the doors The
doors swung and swayed but appeared 70 be secured
with rope the spring Of which deadened the effect Of
the blows. Failing thus they took Of ladder some
forty feet long, and advancing at brought il with
tremendous effect against the door At the second blow
| gave way, leaf falling inward a sanng position.
| The marines Immediately advanced to the breach.
| Major Russell and Lieutenant Green leading marine
in front fell The firing from the interior was rapid
| and sharp. They fred with deliberate aim
| and for a moment the resistance serious
| and desperate enough TO excite the spectators TO
something Ike pitch Of frenzy. The next moment the
marines poured in, the firing ceased and the work
DONE whilst cheers rang from every sde the general feel
ing being that the marines had done their part admirably
| When the insurgents brought out, some dead and
others wounded, they greeted with execraons and
only the precautions that had been taken saved them
from immediate execution. The crowd, nearly every
man Of which carried gun, swayed with tamultuous ex
element and cries Of "Shoot them ? "Shoot them rang
| from every side.
The appearance Of the liberated prisoners all Of whom
through the seadiness Of the marines escaped injury
changed the current OF feeling and prolonged cheers
took the place Of hows and excavations. In the assault
private Ruert OF the marines received ball in the
mach, and was believed to be fatally wounded. Another
received slight flesh wound.
The lawn front Of the engine house after the assault
presented dreadful sight, Laying on two bodies
Of men killed the previous day. and found inside the
house, three wounded men, Of them just at he last
gasp c and two others groanng in pain. One OF the
dead was Browns son. Oteway, the wounded man, and
his son Wasson laying the grass the father pre-
| senting CORY spectacle. He had bay one.
wound in his sde and his face and hair cloted with
| blood.
short time after Captain Brown was brought out he
revived, and talked earnestly to those about M defend
ing his course and ayowing that he had only what
was right He replied to questions substantially as fol-
| lows:-
| Are you Captain Brown, Of Kansas
am sometimes called
| Are you Ossawatamie Brown
| Tried to do my duty there.
| What was your present object?
| To free the slaves from bondage.
! Were any other persons but those with you now con-
| nected with the movement
No
Did you expect aid from the North
| No There connected with the movement
! but those who with me-
Did you expect to kill people in order to carry your
pointS
did not wish to do So but you forced us 70 it,
Various questions Of this kind put to Captain
Brown. which he answered clearly and freely, with
ing anxiety to vindicatc himself.
He urged that he had the al his mercy that he
could have burnt and murdered the inhabitants, but
did not he had treated the prisoners with courtesy and
complained that he was hunted down like beast
~ ~ H. i,.l Of h;a ,-ht, 1xA
alleged, was done whilst bearing flag of truce,
and seemed very anxious for the safety Of his
wounded His conversation bore the impression Of
the conviction that whatever he had done to free slaves
was right and that in the warfare in which he was
engaged, he entitled to be treated with all the
| respect Of prisoner Of war. he seemed fully
convinced that he was badly treated and had
right TO complain. Although at first considered
as DYING examination Of his wounds proved that they
not necessarily fatal He expressed the desire to live
and to be tried by his country In his pockets nearly
three hundred dollars we're found in gold Several i'm
porant papers found in his possession taken charge
Of by Col. Lee, on hehalf Of the government.
The following fragment of letter was found in Browns
| pocket
Cart. BRowS-
DEAR SRI have been disappointed in not seeing you
here ere this to take charge Of your freight They have
tend the providing for them, it has imposed upon
| me small task besides and if not soon taken
1 wish to know definitely what you propose
doing. They cannot be kept here much longer without
risk themselves, and if any of them conclude to 20
back 10 the State it will be a bad termination to worse
enterprise.
The foregoing occupies page of fine note paper straw
tinted, written in pencil and not dated, and evi
IDENTIFY written by person of educaon and the freight
he had was doubt, that usually carried the under
ground railroad.
Besides Captain Brown the prisoners taken his son,
who is seriously injured in the abdomen, and not likely
to live, Edward Coppch, who belonged to Iowa, and
negro named Shields Green who from Pittsburg
join Brown. The stories of all these precisely
the same. They agree to the objects proposed be
accomplished, and the number of persons in the move
| ment.
Young Brown, in answer to question: said there were
parties in the North connected with the movement thus
| differing with his father this point
Coppicb the other white prisoner quite young and
seems shrewd than the others He said he did
wish join the expedition and when asked, gave reply
which showed the influence which Brown mad over him.
he said" All, you gentlemen don't know Capt. Brown
when he calls for never think Of refusing him.
Several slaves found IN the with the nsur
rectonsts but is believed that they there unw
lngly Indeed Browns expectation to slaves rushing
to him was entirely disappointed None to have
him willingly and in most cases were forced to
desert their masters But instance in which slaves
made public appearance with in their hands is
lated. negro who had been sharply used by ono Of
the town people, when he found that he had pike in his
hand used brief authority to arrest the citizen and
| have him taken to the armory.
The imprisoned by the insurrectonsts all tes
fy to their enent treatment. They were neither tied
nor tied nsued and beyond the outrage Of restricting
their liberty not illused. Captain Brown was al
ways to them and at all times assured them that
they would not be injured He explained his purposes to
them, and whilst he had them (the workmen) in condne
ment, made abolition speech to them Col Washington
! speaks Of him of extraordinary nerve. He
never blanched during the assault though he admitted in
the night that escape impossible, and that he would
have 10 die. When the door was broken down, one Of