Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-12-16

chatting his ankles. Moreover. there was NJ
sofa in the room.
Mrs. Brown mentions that she never saw
e her husband more composed and Cheerful
Z than during her entire visit Supper wa;
9 brought in, and the husband and the wife sa
together at the table for the last time. Mrs
e Brown was allowed knife and fork, but
f these were thought to be too dangerous to be
t intrusted to the hands Of the invader of Vir-
h ginia
Cant. Brown mentioned, during supper,
that from the first moment when his wounds
e began to heal he had not lost single night s
sleep. OF a single meal.
Tn. conversation was mainly IN respect to
the future plans of the family and the educa-
ton of the younger children. He mentioned
!, that he had partly written his last will,
which he would finish next morning, and
send to her though Capt. Avis
In referring to the Exploit of Harper S
Ferry, he remarked to his wife
As look back VI, m it have two regrets;
one is. that allowed L. yself TO pass under an
assumed name the 9th er that | committed
the military blunder OF il. terferlng with the
train.
He requested her to make ubllc, through
some proper channel. a staten enV tnaG MS
annotations of Mr. Reooher's HA rper ferry
Sermon, as thew appeared in the h 'erdld, were
so altered by the addition Of some parts and
the suppression of others, as to ren der the
printed report altogether unreliable
PREPARATIONS FOR THE EXECUTION.
On the morning of the execution the sun
shone brightly, and the day was almost as
wlrm as summer. At dawn the workmen
arrived and began erecting the gallows
Chivalrc displays of military began to be
made as early as eight O'Clock. Two twelve
round brass howitzers were stationed in front
or the iaiI. and another twelve FOUNDER was
posted on the road leading to the field in
which the scaff0ld had been been erected. All
business was suspended. as in fact it had been
almost from the beginning Of the excitement,
SIX eks ago.
The scaffold stood in the center Of a stubble-
| field. On one side fight of twelve steps
ed to the stand, on the other there was no |
approach .., III. 49,
field. except the soldiers on duty, with few
representatives of the press. The troops were
formed into an irregular square around the
scsfold. beyond speaking distance from it.
The number of the military was estimated at
five thousand.
Within the Jail, as the time approached,
everybody was excited but the prisoner capt.
Brown sat at his table busiiy engaged IN
writing, apparently with as much unconcern
as if be had known nothing of the tragedy
which was that day to be enacted ,and OF which
he himself was to be the victim. lie was
amending some final words to his will.
On the entrance of Gen. Taliaferro to an
nounce to the prisoner when he should pre-
pare for execution, Capt. Brown looked up
from his pen and ink, and asked
L" What is to be the hour, General ?
" Eleven O'Clock" was the reply.
"Well, | will try and finish in time,
said the old man, coolly, and returned to
spend the last few moments at his writing.
The account of his interview with his fellow
prisoners follows. much as given elsewhere.
The reports by telegraph to the daily pap
ers say:
Uoppic, you also made false statements. but
[ am glad to hear you have contradicted
them. Stand up like man He also
handed him quarter.
We have authority for stating that no
such address was made to C0ppc Great
injustice is done to a man of known truth
tulness and courage by the implication, IN
correctly put into the mouth of his leader,
that he had in any respect played false.
Capt. Brown told the Sheriff that he was
ready He was led to the door, and received
by his military escort. He had on his head
a dark felt hat, and was dressed in the same
clothes which he had worn in prison. On
his feet he wore pair of red slippers. He
was assisted into furniture-wagon, where
IL - ba NvhI |
contained his coffin. The wagon was drawn
with two white horses. The daily papers
mention that Mr.. Saddler, the undertaken,
who rode in the wagon with the prisoner, re-
marked Capt. Brown, you are game
man." Mr.. Saddler's remark was, "Capt.
Brown, you are a cheerful man-more cheer
ful than | am to-day 'sYes,' replied the
Captain, 81 have great reason to be cheer
full Then, casting his eye over the field
and the great display of preparations, he
said, Il see that all persons are excluded
from the field except the military; am sorry
that the citizens are shut OUT On enter
ing further into the field, as the wide lands .
cape began to open before him, he rose to
his feet, and Strengthening himself to his full
height, exclaimed I" This is a beautiful coun-
try; have never seen it before -
Capt. Brown descended from the wagon
with the assistance of two men, and with
firm step and erect form walked past the |
sheriff, the jailer, and several officers stand
ing near, and was the first person to mount
the scafold steps
on THE scAFFoLD.
He assembled the stairs, and advanced with
a quick and elastic tread, showing that his
courage only grew greater as the end drew
near What man of those five thousand
witnesses, in the uniform of soldiers, was
half so brave as John Brown? He threw
off his felt hat gracefully, and ran his hand
through his gray hair. He cast glance
about him, principally in the direction of
the people in the distance Then, turning
TO his iailer, he remarked, Sir, have no
words to thank YOU for your Kindness
This was his grateful farewell to a man who
had treated him, from the beginning of his ,
Imprisonment to the end. with great cour-
tesy and friendliness
No clergyman attended him in his last
hours He would accept no religious rites
from men who defended slavery as divine
institution. As no anti-slavery minister was
to he found in the neighborhood, he pre-
ferred TO have none at all.
His elbows and ankles Were then pinoned |
the rope-a slender tarred hemp cord-was
adjusted around his neck. and the white
cowl drawn over his head. The Sheriff re-
quested him to step forward on the trap.
II cannot see.'' he replied; ''you must lead
me-" He was accordingly led few steps
forward. The prisoner was now subjected
to ten minutes suspense, in that attitude on
the gallows. in order that military display
might be made to crafty the Virginia troops!
The soldiers marched, countermarched, and
took position As if in face of an imaginary
enemy-the prisoner meanwhile standing
bound. blinded. and on the edge OF death
Capt. Avis asked. Are you tired p to
which the uniaunted Old man replied from
underneath his linen shrDud ''N0. not tired;
but don't keepm Writing lon ,er than IS
! necessary" The Sheria askeA him e he