The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1859-10-28

The "ServiIe" Insurrectlon at
HarPer's Ferry.
DETAII.s RY nXPREss.
OUTBREAK AND SUPPRESSION
Name. fKllIea ana Moundea.
N1nrEn's FrRar Va, OCT. 10, 1859.


-.HARrER's FERpx, Va, oct. 10, 1859.
2 80. way from Wheeling to this
fl.,,' '..,'o -,,s greatest anxiety on the
and the flotels, we kto's kera a9ou. ,, .he rlot
mors. A. Wheeling wo ksses'o y, ~, y,
understand that some thirty melss's.. "a "a
prcmpiurey gone the way Of al flcsh, W.
the result Of their irst effort at insurroc-
tion In the Old Dominion. BY the time
we reached Grafton the thirty had in
creased throe-fold. Anxiety and anticipa-
ton were both and each wrought up by
The contradictory statements 90 their high
est pitch 20 that at Piedmont, whore We
mot train bound west, each man who
camo aboard was buttun-holod and inquir-
cd Of as 10 the progress Of events. The
little they could tell served but 70 make
more impatient the travellers on our train.
For myself, took the matter with COM
mondablo ooulness, resolved 70 base my
oommunicatiorR only upon accurate in-
formation.
At ono o'clock this morning, then,
was dumped down in this place, which ac-
cording 70 the common notion, 4 the
paradise Of reporters, inaamuch as items
arc lying around loose,
Upon getting up this morning, made
Il my first business to take look over the
town, found at several Of the street corn
ers groups Of mon, many Of them armed
with Government rilles, conyorsing oftho
pattcrs which have passed 80 rapidly
wiAin the few days now expired, as al
most to defy record. The Arsenal is
guarded, Of course. Tho United States
Armory IL filled with marines, under com
mand Of Col. Lee. Within the walls, in
the guErd-house perhaps, arc four priso-
nera, including A. 9. Brown, the leader Of
the Internal crew, and On / went down
saw brought out, In an open wagon, the
dead body of one Of Browns sons, who
had died within the walls, OF wounds re-
ceiyod by him in one Of the skirmishes
which took place.
Around the city, men Of the marine
corps are posted, in charge of the bridgce
or having the care ofthe streets, thorough
fares railroad works, track, so. Nobody
is engaged in the pursuit oftheir business,
as may be supposed, but all are looking
ont for events 10 come, and 30 fas an pos
sible asaiting them 10 their oonsummation.
The whole place, tillod as Il q with armed
men, seems TO be under military govern.
ment.
All around are marks Of bullets, which
must assuredly have flown with speedy
regularity, and In most cases with uner-
ring aim. The water tank Of the Rail-
road Company, at one corner, that behind
which at one time a body Of the citizens
was entrenched, is perforated with bull
lets; the guOrd-houSe upon the Armory
grounds tho goal Of many a rino shot. ID
mass OF scars, which trace their course
from the same tank. A saloon, tho GAult
house, show likewise theresults Of thick
fire, In the broken wood and shattered
glass, while here and there upon the
waters edge Is TO DO seen the body ol
some man whose life has paid the forfeit
Of his lawlessness. One OF fthese lies now
at the foot Of the land pier Of the bridge
another has just hoated down the river
from OF rock mid-stream.
Before proceeding ! will state the
general facts relative 20 the first steps II
this affair. II appears that on the night
Of Sunday, there being but three watch
men at tho arsenal or armory grounds
named John Mason, Captain the watch
Chas, Branham, and a third named Murphy
a four-horse covered wagon, driven by a
negro, drove up t0the gates, the opening
OF which 1 have heard no explanation Of
and passed through. The wagon had "
Il picks, spades, faggots and gnch lik,
supplies. Several men, to the number o
twenty Of thirty, jumped out, and taking
possession Of the watchmen, locked tken
in the guard-house. They thon establish
cd their sentinels around, and proceede'
10 arrest the citizens.
Here comes 10 the statement Of Patricl
Higgins, which / give IN full. Ho ssatei
that he Is watchman Onthe railroad. III
, passed through the railroad bridge prio
to the time Of the arrival Of the train, a
usual. Upon reaching the town side h
noticed that his companion Of the watch
|, William Williams, was missing. Thu
cause ofthia was soon explained to him
In part at least, for as he issued from thr
tunnel Of the bridge, he Was met by twl
men, each being armed with spear
They AZ once spoke 10 him, romarkinp
(Which wayi' To this, Higgins replied
Q mot far, am az my station" 81 TAX
= you prisoner then said one. To whiel
. Higgins made tho very natural Tepb
"What for don't suppose that I hav
done any man a wrong. OnoQftho mel
o then said, "You have 70 como with us an
= how, OF you die IN two Minutes Wit
} that the man who had spoken took hol
y Of him By the Mt hand, IN which be bel
q his lantern. Higgins having yot hia rigl
q hand At liberty, struck the man who hel
= him. The other seeing his companioi
Z struggling, thrust At the WAtchman will
4 bis spear, and secured him, They too
q him down By the house, where escapln
Z from them, he jumped through the win
D dow. Two shots followed him on hi
r way, but without doing him any iniulJ
: one, however, passing through he bat Jus
d grazing his head. The noise and som
d, halloing by Higgins, succeeded in alarm
= ing the inmates Of the hotel and wOk
= the black man that keeps the depot. Hr
+ gins then proceeded to warn the incom
b ing Gain, as it came up, having placed ou
= the signal 10 stop il, aud that being obey
> cd, he told the conductor, Phelps, ayo
, cannot 20 oYeri the bridge Is taken By
4 lot Of m0rderers." Phelps, che conducto
\ with the engineer, William Wooley, al
a the fireman, camo over, WHOM they wcr
: met BY several men, one ofwhom erie
q out, eRnn back you sons d., ii
3 place Is taken" Seven shots were the
3 hred
d Higgins then went IN search Of HcJ
wood, and he was soon found dead.
Meantime such citizens as came dow
! town were arrested es they passed The Al
senal gates. Here / give the sgatemen
+ Of one of those who was thus taken.
. refer 70 Mr.. Anthony Nunnemaker.
o give L In hia own words,