St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1859-12-15

men were stationed all along the fences
of the field of execution, and could be
seen riding to the south and east, APP
parentIy anxiously looking for the an
tcipated rescue.
Thus matters stood at half past ten
o'clock, when Gen. Taliaferro, with
his staff, consisting of thirty-seven
men, in various uniforms, and all
mounted on spirited chargers, entered
the field, and proceeded, with all mill.
tary dccorum, to position in front OF
the gallows, and in the rear of the
Cadets from the Military Institute.
The departure of the commanding
officer from the town was the sign for
the bringing out of the prisoner. A
furniture wagon was driven in front
of the Jail, and the military formed
around it. Brown was then escorted
from his room. He was dressed in
black suit, much worn, the same he
had on when he made his attack on
the Ferry. He wore a slouched hat,
shoes, and red-colored stockings. His
arms had been pinioned, and he
marched out with q firm step and up
right head. He was assisted into the
wagon, and took seat on his coffin.
The train then proceeded to the
scene of execution. The military cs-
cort was large and imposing There
was no music and nothing was to be
heard save the slow-measured tread of
the military, and the rumbling of the
wheels of the wagon, which was con-
veying Brown to his death. Follow
ing the military were about two hun
dred citizens. The gate was entered,
and the command brought to a halt.
In few minutes it again started, and
proceeded to the galows. The wagon
was stopped a few yards from the
steps which led to the platform, and
Brown was assisted out, and imme-
diately started for the scafiold. On
one side was the Sheriff and on the
other stood one of his deputies.
Brown assembled the steps with a
cheerful look, a firm, mistaken step,
and an unblanched eye. Not an ex-
hibition of fear was given. There
was no evidence of consciousness of
the terrible tragic scene which was
about to take place, and in which he
was to be the actor. AS soon as he
reached the platform, the military
which accompanied him filed to the
right and left, and took the positions
which had been previously assigned
them. Brown looked at the crowd,
then glanced at the scaifold. The
Deputy Sheriff extended his hand and
took that of Brown, and, shaking it,
babe him farewell.
No ministers were present. owing
to the fact that Brown had refused
their Offices. The Sheriff approached
him, shook his hand, and bid him good
bye. Brown stepped forward, when
the Deputy Sheriff tied his legs, while
the Sheriff drew the white cap over
his head, and placed the fatal rope
about his neck. As soon as this was
done, Brown remarked to the Sheriff {:
you will have to guide me from this
out" The Sheriff asked, Captain
Brown, have you anything to say Z?
To which he replied, Nothing"
Sheriff" Will you take a handker.
chief, and use it as a signal, letting it
fall when you are ready 7"
Captain Brown" No Sir, am al
ways ready. Do not keep me unneces
sarily long"
The Sheriff then stepped aside while
the doomed man engaged in prayer
In few minutes he stepped softly
from the scafold, and, on leaving it.
the Deputy Sheriff sprung the trap,
and John Brown was suspended be-
tween the heavens and the earth.
After he had hung for twenty min
utes, Drs. Girard, D. L. Mason, John
A. Straith, John Starry and Ii. P.
Cook, assembled the platform, and, af-
ter feeling his pulse, holding their
ears to his chest, pronounced him
dead. The physicians attached to the
different military corps, then visited
him, each one Of them felt of his pulse,
and pronounced him dead.
INCIDENTS.
On the road to the scaffold, Brown
remarked to the undertaken, who was
in the wagon with him, on observing
military in the field "They have ex-
eiuuca all CitlZenS.' leS, was the
reply. Capt. Brown said" Gentle
men, you are calm and collected, much
more so than ! am, and yet your con-
dition is much more critical | am
COOL" said he, Il have suffered much
more from modcsty in my lifetime
than | have from fear. For thirty
years | have been educated to look
on fear as a myth, and now ! do not
know what it is" After riding some
distance further, and being beyond the
limits of the town, he said, addressing
the same gentleman What "a beau
tiful country you have had no idea
OF Its beauties and the excellence of
its soil. This is the first time | have
had the pleasure of seeing it," No
other conversation took place, and he
quietly proceeded to his death.
just previous to starting for the cx-
ecution, Brown wrote the followin"
and handed it to Mr. Hiram O'Bannon:
81 am now convinced that the great
iniquity which hangs over this coun-
try cannot be purchased without much |
bloodshed. When first came to this
state l thought differently, but am |
now convinced that was mistaken"
After the body of Brown had hung
Tor thirty-eight minutes, it was cut
down and placed in the coffin. The !
rope with which he was hung was Ia
ken IN charge by an officer, and after
wards cut up into pieces and distribu.
ted to those who were anxious to have
1T. Parties cut the timbcrs of the gal
lows, and carried away the pieces,
while others secured lock of his hair.
When the body was placed in the cot.
I'm 1t was conveyed to town and placed
in the Jail.
Many persons desired to visit the
jail for the purpose of seeing it, but
their curiosity was not gratified. AL
special train of cars was ordered from
the Ferry, and at halfpast six o'clock,
under strong military escort, the
coffin was removed from Jail and taken
to the cars, where it was placed in a
special one, and an escort getting in.
the train DrOceedod IN the Eorr, ,,Io.n