Delaware inquirer. (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??, 1859-12-10
Interesting Letter from Miss Fouko,
at Harper's Forty.

We received by mail, yesterday the following
letter from Miss Foukc, of Harpers Ferry, n
lady whose name has been widely published in
IIarpers Ferry tragedy.-St. Louis Republican.
HARpEns FERRY, Nov. 81, 1859.
Mn. EDITOR IL anticipate your surprise
when your eye shall rest on the signature at
tached to this sheet but that surprise shall
vanish when you learn why and wherefore ]
have taken the liberty of writing you few
lines. have learned from the Daily Missouri
Republican that you were under the impression
that saved the life Of Thompson, the insur-
gent when he was taken captive. He was
brought into the parlor Of the hotel some time
before | knew that he and Stevens had been
captured. When first saw Thompson he was
seated in an arm chair, with his hands tied be-
hind his back guarded by some of the citi-
zens. Several questions were put to him in
| regard to his motives and expectations when
he enrolled under the "Provisonal Govern
ment" His answers were invariably the same
That he had been taught to believe the ne
groes were cruelty treated, and would gladly
avail themselves of thg first opportunity to
obtain their freedom, and that all they had to
do was to come to Harper's Ferry, take possess
sion of the armory and arsenal, which would be
an easy matter and then the colored people
would come in mass backedby thenon-slaye-
holders of the Valley of Virginia. Some one
remarked, ~ imagine you regret that you did
not succeed in running off the darkes." He
replied that he regretted having made the at
tempt, and If il were to do over again he
would decline.
Very soon after, Mr.. Beckham, ono Of our
most esteemed citizens, was shot down I'M
armed as he was. | went into the parlor and
heard one of the guard ask 7. if he was
married man his answer was that he had been
married six months only.
walked up to where the prisoner sat, and
said to him :-HMr. Thompson, you had much
better have staid at home and taken care of
your wife and pursued some honest calling,in-
stead of coming here to murder our citizens
and Steal our property; that their first act
was to kill free colored man, because he
would not Join them in their wicked scheme
He said | spoke truly, but they had been basely
deceived.
While was talking to Thompson, several of
the friends of Mr., Beckham, who were justly
enraged at his cold-blooded MURDER came in,
with the avowed determination to kill Thomp-
son on the spot. As they appeared, with lev
elled rifles, I stood before T., and protected
him, for three powerful reasons-first my sis
ter-in-law was lying in the adjoining room,
very i'll under the influence of a nervous chill,
from sheer fright and il they had carried out
their design it would have proved fatal to her
without doubt. In the second place, consid-
cred it n great outrage to kill the man in the
house, however much he desired to die
Thirdly, am emphatically law and order
woman, and wanted the sclf-condcmned man
to live that he might be disposed of by the
law | simply shielded the man, trithom touch
ing him. until Col. Moor Il think it was) came
in and assured me, on his honor,that he should
not be shot in the house. That was all de-
sired. The result everybody knows.
One other error wish to correct. Philip b.
Fouke, of Belleville, ILL.,, is my cousin only. |
am happy to assure you that have birth
right in the "0ld Dominion"
Respectfully yours, @. G. FouKE