Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-10-29
Trial of the InSurrectiOniStS.

The prisoners were brought across from the
Jail under the escort of the sheriff and guard
OF about thirty militia-men, at half past ten
O'Clock Old man Brown and Coppock were
handcuffad together and marched in front.
Stephens, the wounded prisoner, followed next,
supported by the sheriff, unmanacled, the two
negroes, Copeland and Green, bringing up the
rear, heavily ironed None of the prisoners
betrayed the slightest trepidation, though there
was d large crowd witnessing the transit from
the Jail to the courthouse. No hostile demon
stration was made by the bystanders, nor any
demonstration exhibiting feelings of anger
against them.
Old Brown marched in with head erect and
cast a haSty and rather defiant look around
him His confinement has not at all tanned
the daring Of his spirit his height, as he stood
erect, appeared to be full six feet: his figure
rather slender and wiry; but in a recumbemt
position he appears to be much shorter man.
His eyes are both swollen, exhibiting the marks
of bruises and Commissions much more clearly
than on the occasion of our last interview with
him, and altogether he looked very haggard
and suffering.
As soon as the prisoners were placed in their
positions, and the guards stationed. the doors
were opened and the crowd from without
rushed III, filling, in few moments, all the
available space within the building. The room,
however, was not SO densey crowded as we
have repeatedly seen at exciting trials in New
York. The court room itself is rather small
though well appointed, and must have given
accommodation to five hundred persons. There
were no negroes admitted.
Thnrsday's Proce cdIngs Continued.
THE TESTIMONY.
DIR. Starry was the first witness called. He
heard shots and saw the disturbance. Sunday
night, when the train was stopped; saw Hey
ward shot; and went to Charestown to give
the alarm, and no attempt was made to stop
him.
Conductor Phelps sworn-On Sunday night,
10th, my train arrived, bound east saw no
watchman at the bridge; thought it strange,
and was in the act of starting ahead when the
Waterman came up to me- much excited, to
state that he had been attacked on the bridge
by men carrying rifles Mr. Horsey was there
with my light; the baggage master and pas
senger accompanied him. and when they enter
ed the bridge, some one said, "stand and de-
liver )" had previously told my engineer to fol-
low him slowly, but Immediately saw the
muzzles Of four rifles resting on a railing and
pointing at us told the engineer to "back"-
something was wrong on the bridge-which he
did as got upon the tresSeling | heard the
report Of gum and Haywood, the colored
man came running to me, and said, Captain,
am shot, the ball had entered the back and
came out under the ettnipple; carried him to
IdlLIOdu OlllCS dIlu SldTlGu IOT Tie DOClUT,
and saw one man come out of the bridge and
go towards the Armory gate; remarked
"There he goes now" and Throgmorton
(clerk of the Wagner House, fired at him
the shot was returned by two men at the Ar
mory gate; l was close behind Throgmorton,
who exchanged several shots with them this
was ten minutes after Haywood was shot;
heard the men loading their rifles again the
reports were very loud and wondered why
Tho nla NOT -a1 Il to
the railroad office and one of the party on the
bridge came out; he said, "You can come over
the bridge with your train )" replied would
rather not after these proceedings, and asked,
"What do you want % he replied, owe want
liberty, and we intend to have )" / then
asked. "What do you mean?" he replied,
"You will find out in a day or two - [ then
felt alarmed for the safety Of myself and pas
sengerS, and concluded to await till daylight.
about three o'clock, before the wagon left,
an old gentleman came to me and said, "the
parties who arrested me allowed me to come
out on condition that | would tell you that you
might cross the bridge with your train, alter
wards learned that this was DR.. Koise, citi-
zen of the town replied that L would not
cross the bridge until daylight, that | might
see whether it was safe - afterwards black
boy brought note to the clerk of the Wagner
House ordering breakfast for tOrty-sevcn men
determined to go out and ascertain what it
meant met man whom he now recognized
as COppee and asked what they meant; he
piled, "We don't want to injure you or detain
your train; you could have gone at three
O'Clock all we want is to free the negroes,
then asked if his train could now start and
went to the guard at the gate, who said, 'there
is Captain Smith he can tell you what you
want to know" went to the engine house, and
the guard called Capt. Smith that somebody
wanted to see him" the prisoner at the bar
came out and l asked him ii he was captain of
these he replied he was said he was very
sorry ; it was not his intention that any blood
should be split; that it was bad management
on the part of the men in charge OF the bridge;
asked him if he would walk over the bridge
ahead Of my train with me ; he called a large
stout man to acco npany him, and as we crossed
the three armed men were still in their places
Witness returned to Harper's Ferry Tues
day, and went IN with Governor Wise and 9th
erS to see Brown, who was prisoner heard
his conversation with Wise aud Hunter; Gov.
Wise said he was sorry to see man of his
age in that positions" Brown replied that he
"asked no sympathy, and had no apologies to
make; he knew exactly what he was about ;"
the Governor asked him if he didn't think he
was doing wrong in running off with other
peoples property; Brown said, "No, he
didn't" he stated that he never had but TWEEN
ty-two men in his party, but expected large re-
Inducements from Maryland, Virginia, North
and South Carolina, and l think some of the
New England States and New York he said
that arms were sent to him from Massachu
sets said he could arm from 1900 to 1000
men said he had Harper's Ferry in his eye
as the place for his operations that he had
rented farm four miles off; Brown told Wise
that he had books in his trunk that would eX-
plain to him his whole proceedings, and what
the purpose of his business was in reply to
question of Gov. Wise, he said he was COM
maudern-chief of the forces under the provis-
ional government, and that he then held that
position he said the constitution was adopted
in place called Chatham, in Canada Brown
said that there was Secretary of War Secre-
tary of State, Judge of the Supreme Court,
and all the officers for a general government.
Mr.. Green, counsel for the prisoner, inter-
rupted the witness, and said to The Court that
he had Just received a dispatch from Cleve-
land announcing that counsel was coming,
and would almost certainly be here tonight.
AS this was a very important witness, and as
it was late in the evening, he would ask the
Court to adjourn until morning, in order that
counsel might have an opportunity to cross
question the witness. He did not intend to
conduct the case longer than the arrival of
counsel selected by the prisoner. As only
scraps of q conversation of two hours with
Gov. Wise had been pointed out and given TO
the jury, he desired the witness should be
questioned as to the other parts of the CONVEX
sation.
Mr.. Hunter replied that there were several
other witnesses to be called of the same char