The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-11-19
THE SUSPECTED INSURRECTIONIST Al
MEMPHIS.

We have already published an account Of the ar
rest of DR.. William Russell Palmer, at Memphis, on
a charge Of being connected with John Browns
band OF conspiratOrs The circumstances which
directed suspicion against him are somewhat sin
gular, and thus stated by the Memphis Aua-
idnche:
1t seems that traveller on railroad between
Philadelphia and New York, observed fellow pas
senger, who occupied the seat in front of him, rise
up and walk out of the cars. In the act the young
man dropped two letters and memorandum, which
seeing, the traveller picked up, but was unable to
restore them to the loser Glancing at one of them
he discovered that it was addressed 'Capt. John
Brown, Harper's Ferry, Va" This was on the 22d
of October, only few days after the insurrection
at HarPer's Ferry. The traveller naturally enough,
on seeing the address, concluded that the documents
some manner to the affair at Harper's Ferry, and,
on arriving at New York, dispatched the letters
and memorandum to Gov. Wise.
Upon receiving the letter and examining the con-
tents of the other, Gov Wise deemed them of sulli
cient Importance to send to Gov. Harris.
Gov. Harris considered that if the grave charges
which Thatcher's letter conveyed against Palmer,
were true or had semblance of truth, the conspi-
rator should be brought to justice.
Accordingly, the Hon. John c. Burch was sent
to Memphis, accompanied by special officer w. F.
Meacham, of Nashville, who found Palmer board
ing at the Bedford House. Meachams next step
was to seek the Doctors acquaintances under the
preteXt of being member of the new Provisional
come to confer with him to the course to be pur-
sued in consequence of the mishap at Harper's Fer
ry, and wished to learn the views of one who had
been represented as friend to the cause. The
Doctor replied that he himself Yankee, and
thought the Harper's Ferry insurrection would
prove uniavorable to the cause of abolitionism as
it would induce shareholders at the South to watch
their negroes more closely, and be more on their
guard; that he was abolitOnist himself, and did
not sympathize with the recent outbreak. Meach-
am then told him that it was not their object to
shed blood, but simply to arm the slaves and march
them out of the country, and that he intended to
do so as long as life asted he also stated to p that
If he was not friend of the cause, he had placed
himself in his (P.'s) power, and it would be death
Tor his character to be known in Memphis. Pal
mer replied that witness needn't fear; that he had
made no disclosure; that he had always been a
friend to Northern men, and if he {Meacham,l got
into difficulty on account of his being n Northern
man. he should receive all the assistance in his pow
er. Next day Meacham met DR.. p. in the bar-rOOm
OF the same house, and recommended conversation
on the same subject. The Doctor informed him
that he could have no further communication in
regard to the matter; that he had better go back
home and go at something else.
1t will be seen that Meacham succeeded in elicit
ing nothing of consequence but the fact that he did
not denounce Meacham a conspirator, and that
many circumstances in regard to Palmer and his
family, contained in the letters which are given be-
low, were found to be strictly true, regarded
as sufficient to warrant his arrest which took place
as has been described in former paper At the
time Of his arrest Palmer denied having had the
above conversation with Meacham, but finally ac-
knowedged that he had talked with him. but that
the conversation did not amount to much and was
only such as could be heard at any breakfast table
since the occurrence of the outbreak.
THE EXAMGNATIoN-THE DOCUMENTS.
At the examination on Wednesday, the court in
troduced as testimony, the letter from "a Travel
err" together with Gov. Wise's letter; the memo
randum referred to in "a Travellers" letter,
letter written by Mary HOrner to her husband, and
Thatcher'S letter. The following is the memoran.
dunn. 1t is written folded piece of paper, and
makes four pages:
THE MEMORANDUM
The memorandum read by the prosecution, is on
piece of paper folded and written on four pages
as follows:
First page Left New Orleans, Sept. 2Sth. Paid
passage to Cincinnati. Sl2 Got from J. Sharp on
the boat, $40. Mr.. Maxwell gave me So. II. F..
Oct. 18TH NJ. c., Oct %.
Page opposite above: w, 80 $. B., 1850. F
B., III. WM. HALsEY, Paris
Tennessee.
Third and fourth pages:
MEMORANDUM OF EXPENSES.
Overcoat $3.50. Boots 81 80. Two pair pant
S3.7j-S250. Suspenders 80 cts. Socks, pair
81. Cigars 80 cts. Paid A. Il Co., expenses 81
Hair cut 25 cts.
JoHN MATTHEWS, New Orleans
c. C.. Harding, Baton Rouge, La.
H. F., Oct. l5 might stand for Harper's Ferry
I,
surrection occurred.
NJ. c., 2Gth, might mean the Mammoth Cave
where, it was understood from some correspondent
found among Browns effects, an outbreak was t
have occurred, and the date may be the time az
pointed-the bad success Of Brown preventing it
however.
The figures opposite the letters W. s. b. and F
b. may be intended to give the number of whites
slaves, and free blacks in certain locaity-per-
haps Paris, Tennessee, or the region in the vcinit
of the Mammoth Cave.
The following is the letter to Horner, from hi
wife,
MARY HORNER's LETTER.
CHAMBERSBURG, Oct. 20.
DEAR WILLIAM AS Mr.. Martin goes down t
HagerstOwn this evening | could not help writin
you letter by him. You are so headstrong yO
will not listen to me. Do, for Gods sake-don't g
to liarper's Ferry now you can do nothing it yo
go; fear for your life. You can keep the lette
for Capt. Brown until all is safe. You cannot Civ
it to him now; you would be suspected and take
up. Come back and wait at Chambersburg unit
Captain Cook gets here. | am afraid this busines
will get us into trouble yet. Last night neve
slept wink. Do come back, for shall be Graz
until You return safe. Now, for once, do listen t
your loving wife. MARY HORNER.
p. 81 will not 90 home until YOU come for me
The following is the Thatcher letter, which pul
| ports to have been written from Memphis to oil
John Brown on the Sd of October last, and whic
was picked up, sealed on the cars between Ne,
| York and Philadelphia on the 2lst, Just two day
after the insurrection was known in Memphis, an
I forwarded to Gov. Wise in the same condition
which it was found. 1t incIosed in a larg
| dOcumentlike envelope, addressed to "Capt. job
Brown, Harper's Ferry, Va" and in one corne
| was ''Politcness of Mr.. Horner-to be delivered
! person.
THATCHER's LETTER.
To Capt. j. Bro,rn, GellJ COMMUNICATIVE Chief
! Provisional GoUt. U. s. A.-Dear Capt: | have iu
completed my tour through the Southern State
and am now on my way to Kentucky. In my la
| letter to you mentioned that | should give IL
| States Of Tennessee and Arkansas thoroug
securing. | did So and am satisfied that of all I'll
| States of the South, Tennessee and Arkansas al
the best fitted to make the first strike in. Tho
two States have but few whites in favor Of SLAYER,
while they contain an immense number of slav
| already ripe and ready at the first intmatOn
| strike decided blow for their freedom, while Il
large mass of the whites are against slavery, al
will be ready to assist them at a moments war
| ing. Several of them stated to me that they hS
gone so far as to prepare arms for their slaves, al
instruct them in their use, and how to act when Il
| worst comes to the worst. While at BrOwnsvlll
Tennessee, l addressed letter to the scho
teacher, Mr.. Il, and he came to Brownsvil
| to see me.
He saws there is no avocation in which man C;
do much good for our cause as that Of scho
teaching, because all the country around have
much confidence in a school teacher who conduc
himself right. lie says that the large majority
colored people in his part of the State are ready
take up arms at moments warning, and a lar
number of whites are ready to Join them. lie sd
we must send out more well qualified men to t
| South, as school teachers, and work them in ever
where. lie gave me a letter of introduction
your friend Mr.. Palmer who is an extensive farl
er near Shelby Depot, on the Brownsville Railroa
| did not get out at that depot, for, on inquirir
of passenger in the cars, learned that Mr.. Pi
mer did not then live on his plantation, on accoul
of difficulty between himself and wife, and
injunction on his property, and a writ pending
divorce; and that he would be hard to tind-so
concluded to 90 on.
When | arrived at Memphis ] accidentlv m
with Mr.. Palmer at the hotel where | stopped.
handed him Mr.. H. letter. After reading it
cordially shook my hand and invited me to take
walk with him. We went up to a place on t
bank of the river called the old navy yard and to-
a seat on some bags in Il secluded place, where
said we could talk freely. lie said he had SINGER
ly sympathzed with you, Captain, in all yo
troubles, as he had been martyr of slaveholdC
himself. He said he had been working, but steat
| ly, for our cause for two wears, and that he h
married widow who had a number of slaves
the purpose Of establishing himself in the 90
opinion and confidence Of the Shareholders abo
him; that he had at first intended, at the first go
opportunity, TO transfer all the slaves he had got
his possession by marrying, to our friends by way
Cincinnati; and that he had great many me
belonging to his neighbors, that were ready to
with them; but difficulty had occurred betwe
himself and wife, and that she had, with :he seer
advice of several Shareholders and scoundrels sbO
his plantation suddenly elected him from the plaC
and without moments warning. That he W
still sueing her for his rights by marriage; that
Szpreme Court had given a decree in his favor; th
when he again got full control of them he would
a favorable moment, arm them and between 70
and five hundred more and make a start in t
night time from Memphis, and that he had frien
in Cincinnati who had promised to have one of t
largest steamers on the river sent to tie up
wait for them at the mouth of IIatchie river und
the pretense of undergoing repairs That he b
all his arrangements complete, and, whenever