The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-11-04
THR TRIAL AT CHARLgsT0wN.
sentence Of Capt. BYswn ana s.savt..,..
n Of COppee

a"u sehhets from Boston, reached here -, rioy
70 act as counsel for the prisoners seasy
Capt. Cook was brought belors ~.
traIes' Court TO-DAY, but waived an srana
uon ARD was committed for tral.
Coppee's trial was resumed bnt ~ cn.,;,s.
were called for the defence .'.1esses
Mr. Harding opened for the Comm on,,,aa,.s
ana Messrs. Hoyt and Griswoid foliar,.d tls
the defendant, when Mr.. Hunter closed for ,,s ,Es
osuoh bv ahi,i,S M rhe speeches Of all were marked
Instructions TO the jury, which were ali vraa1.
ed by the Court, when the jury retired
CAPT: BROWNS sPEEcH TO the connr
capt. Brown was then brought In .nd .h
courthouse was Immediately thr,nred The
Court gave its decision on the motion for n"
arrest OF Judgment, overruliDg the o1,;ect;o,
maoe. In regard TO the objection that treason 4
cannot be committed against the State ,ha
Court ruled that wherever alIegianca is dne
treason may be committed Most of the States |
nave passed laws against treason The ohiac
iion as to the form of the verdict rendered the
Court also regarded as insufficient
The Clerk now asked the prisoner if he had
anything TO say why sentence should not he
pronounced against him.
Brown stood up and, in clear, distinct
voice, said ~ have, may 1T please the Court
few words to say. In the first place. denv
everything but what have all along admit.
ted of design on my part to free slaves.
intended certainly TO have made clear thing
OF that matter, as l did last winter when
went into Missouri and there took slayes
without the snapping of a gun on either side.
moved them through the country. and finally
LETT them in Canada. Idesigned to have done
the same thing again, on a larter scale. That
was all l intended. Inever did intend mur.
DER, or treason, or the destruction of proper
", or to incite slaves to rebellion, or to make
Insurrection.
II have another objection, and that is, it is
unjust that should suffer such a penalty
dad Interfered in the manner which admit,
ana ana winch l admit has been fairly proved,
(for l admire the truthfuIness and candor
W yuh
testified in this case)-had so interfered in
oenalf OF the rich and powerful-the intelli-
sshtLane so-caiied great, or in behalf of any
OF their friends, either father or mother
brother or sister, wife or children or apy of
that class, and suffered and sacrificed what
az, nave IN this interference, it would have been
All right, and every man in this Court would
have deemed it an act worthy of re rard ra IN
er than punishment
"This Court acknowledged. too. as suppose
.ne Nandi'y OF the law of GOD. 1 see book
KISSED mere Wnieh suppose 10 be the Bible or
at least the New Testament That teaches me
that all things whatsoever l would men
should do to me should do even so to them'
LII teaches me, further, to remember them that
are in bonds as bonded with them, I endea
vored to act up to these instructions. l saw I
am yet too young TO understand that God is
any respecter OF persons. believe that to have
interfered as have done in behalf of His de-
spised poor, was no wrong, but right. Now if
it is deemed necessary that / should forfeit
my life tor the furtherance of the ends of JUS
biocd of my children, and with the blood of
the millions in this slave country, whose rights
are disregarded by wicked, cruel and unjust
enactments. L submit. So let it be done!
"Let me say one word further: l feel entirely
satisfied with the treatment l have received
on my trial Considering all the circumstan-
ces, 1t has been more generous than expected
but l feel no consciousness of guilt. I have
stated from the first what was my intentions,
and what was not. l never had any design
against the life of any person, nor any dispo-
sition to commit treason or excite the slaves TO
rebel or make sany general insurrection. /
never encouraged any man to do SO, but always
discouraged any idea of that kind Let me
say also, in regard to the statements made by
some of those connected with me, fear it has
been stated by some of them that have in
duced them TO join me- But the contrary is
true; do not say this to injure them, but as
regretting their weakness. There is not one
of them but joined me of his own accord and
the greater part at their own expense. A
mum Der of them / never saw and never had
word of conversation with till the day they
came 10 me, and that was for the purpose
have stated. Now have done!' 70
While Brown was speaking perfect quiet
prevailed. When he had finished the Court
proceeded to pronounce
SENTENCE OF DEATH
After some preliminary remarks, in which
the Judge SAID that no reasonable doubt could
exist as to the prisoners guilt. the Court SEN
| fenced him "to be hung in public on Friday,
the end of December"
sure, and the only demons tration made was a
ciapping of hands by man in the crowd,
who is not a resident of Jefferson county
This indecorum was promptly suppressed and
much regret was expressed by citizens at its
occurrence
CoPPEE CONVICTED.
After being out an hour the jury came in
with verdict that Coppee was guilty on all
the counts of the Indictment. His counsel
Immediately gave notice OF a motion for an ar
q 1nOpmpnt :
The Court then adjourned.
The New York Herald recently sent re-
porter to visit the residence of Gerrit Smith
His arrival there created some alarm, as the
wife and daughter of the abolitionist thought
he W an officer with requisition. Upon
entering into conversation with Smith, the
reporter introduced the subject of Harper's
Ferry. The report gives the following ac-
count of the dialogue:
ST can't speak about it at ALL replied Mr.
s., 81 am going to be indicted. If any man in
the Union is taken, it will be me. 1t would
not be proper to say word about it. l
ought not to say one word. l am adv ised
not to approach the subject at all. i am going
to be indicted, sir; indicted! You must not
talk to me about it,"
l dropped the subject as a matter of course.
1t is evident that the family of Mr.. Smith are
much alarmed aud in a constant state of agi-
tation; for when 1 approached the house, q
stranger TO them, an apprehension-a dread
painful TO see-was evident in the anxious
countenances of his wife and daughter, who
were on the piazza al the moment OF my call.
l subsequently conyersed with near rela-
tive and close adviser of MIR. Smith, and ex-
pressed to him desire to obtain some state
ment that while doing injury TO none, might,
on the other hand, remove erroneous impress
sions and lay facts before the public.
'Sir,' he said, " Mr.. Smith does desire to
make such statement himself, and can scarce
ly be restrained from doing so. But If he
should, he would do it in his own manner,
and strike the thing square in the face; let who
might be injured. He is, however, strongly
advised not to do so in the present position OF
affairs, and has agreed to abide by the judg-
ment of his counsel. When he does tell his
story, it will be found that many now only
partially suspected are more implicated than
he himself is. But al present he will say no
word to any person."
/ made some inquiries about Capt. Brown,
and found that he was here last spring for sew
eral weeks, a guest at Gerrit Smiths house,
and that while here a number of the most
prominent leading republicans visited him,
and were for days in consultation with him.
BROWN ON WOoL.-The Cleveland Herald,
speaking of Capt John Browns wool opera
tions, says:
He initiated the system of grading wools-a
system at this day universally adopted, and
with perfect success-but the New England
manufacturers combined against him. He had,
II 0pTluSHelu, dIaSs- large deposit OF graded
Western woods, and he warred against the
com mbination of New England manufacturers,
who, having had the wool buying all their
own way, did not fancy that party should
step in between them and the producers, to
show the latter what was for their interest
and to prevent the practice of imposition upon
them. The combination was successful, and
Brown, impetuous and indignant {, shipped his
woods TO England, to find out that the prices
in Massachusetts, was better than in England
He reshipped his woods, took them TO Bremen
and there sold them at such sacrifice as to
ruin himself, pecunarily, and seriously iRiurs
many friends. ~