The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-11-23
Sentence of the HarPeF's Ferry
Insurgents.

1
When the convcts, Cook, Coppie, Cope
land and Green, (the two latter colored)
were brought out on the 10th inst, to receive
the sentence of Judge Parker, at the close
OF the Jefferson County Circuit Court a
Charlcstown, Va, they were asked if they
had Onything to say why sentence should
not be passed upon them. Cook and Coppit
then proceeded to deliver short addresses
the former being somewhat vehement in hi
manner of speaking, and the latter in ar
Impressive and collected style Of delivery
1t is stated that both protested their igno.
rance of the attack on Harper's Ferry unit
the Sabbath before the night of the attack
| when they were called on to swear to obey
the orders OF their commander, Brown
The negroes declined saying anything.
SENTENCE OF THE PRISONERS.
Judge Parker then proceeded to delive
the sentence on the prisoners, which wal
received by them with great firmness. The
sentence was that John E. Cook, Edwir
Coppie, Shields Green and John Copeland
Your trials, on which we have been so long
employed, have Ot length ended and all that
remains to be done to complete these judi
cial proceedings, is to pronounce and RECORD
the judgments which by law must follow
upon the crimes for which you have beer
tried, and of which you have been fount
| guilty.
These crimes have all grown out of Q
mad inroad upon this State, made with the
predetermined purpose to raise in our midsI
the standard OF servile iusurrection. Ir
| the execution Of his purpose, in the darknrs.
of Sabbath night, you seized upon por.
ton Of our territory, captured several OF our
best citizens-holding them as hostages oi
war until your party was itself overcome by
| fCrce-armed such of our slaves as you
! could seize upon with deadly weapons, which
they were to use against their owners, whom
you denounce to them as their oppressors;
and, in yonr efforts to push your bold and
unholy scheme through to succ fu Issue,
! you have taken human life in no fewer than
! five instances, The evidence most abund.
antIy proves that all these things had beer
done, and by the force OF that evidence jury
after jury has felt itself compelled to bring
in its verdict of guilty against each one o
you.
Happily for the peace of our whole land
you obtained no support from that quarter
whence you so confidently expected it. Not
u slave united himself to your party, but, Sc
soon as he could get without the range o.
your rifles, or as night gave him an opporlu.
nifty, made his escape from men who haC
come to give him freedom, and hurried tc
| place himself once more beneath the care
and protection of his owner.
When we reflect upon all the mischief
| nd bo 1nr f,,l |, l.
must have attended even your partial sue.
Cess--men everywhere should berrthanktu
that you were 80 soon and SO easily over.
powered.
For these offences the law demands the
penalty of death, and imposes upon me the
duty Of pronouncing that sentence. 1t is
the most painful duty have ever been call.
ed on to perform.
In spite of your offence against our laws,
| cannot but feel deeply for yon, and sin.
ccreIy, most sincerely do sympiJh;ze with
thoso friends and relations, whose lives are
bound up in yours, and whose hearts wilI be
so wrung with gtief when they shall hear of
the sad fate which has ovcrlaken you, the
objects Of their Warmest and hoiiest affec
tons. For them we all do sorrow; whilst
due reg1rd for our safety may not permit
US to forgive the offences Of which you hive
been guilty. hope they will turn for conso-
IaIion, and yon for pardon, to that good Be-
ing. who in His wrath remembere!h mercy,
Make then your peace with Him-for You
must soon be ushercd into His presence,
there to be dealt with 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
erch one OF you, John L. Cooke, Edwin
CopPie, Shields Green and John Copeland,
be banged 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 10th 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 L. Cooke and Edwin Coppe, between
the hours of twelve (noon,) and five in the
afternoon of the same day. And the court
being OF opinion that the execution of this
sentence should be public: it is further or.
dered that this Judgment be enforced and ex.
ecuted, not in the Jail yard, but ut such pub
lie place convenient thereto as the said
Sheriff may nppcint-and may God have
mercy upon the soul of each one of you.
During the delivery OF the sentence the
utmost silence was observed, und the SO.
lemnity was very marked. A large number
OF the spectators wept, as also did the Judge.
The prisoners were remanded to al,
there to await the execton Of this judgment.
1t is supposed that Gov. Wise will respite
Brown who is sentenced to be hung on the
I'd Of December, until the day fixed for the
other executions.
The Circuit Court having closed its scs-
sion, the prisoner Hgzlet will not be tried
until next spring, until which time he will
a n ilil