St. Cloud Democrat., 1860-06-21
The Predecessor of John Brown

i.xao E16oeCeSSOI Oh JO0u oIO"u'
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L. The New York Evcning Post says
The events attending the. Harper's Ferry
I tinsurrection arc Of too recent occurrence
to be forgotten, and : lively interest still
attaches to the memory of the leader Of
1 thataremarkable outhreak.&5 For steadfast-
ness of purpose and undinching bravery,
history offers few more noted examples
than It will record when the deeds and
death Of 'Ossawatomie Brown" find q
|place inits pages; yet among those few
examples we find the name-of another
John Brown, who manifested many char
acteristics in common with those, of the
hero Of Harper's Ferry. ~ . :"
He lived in Scotland during the times
lof the Covenantcrs; aud passed through
scenes since become memorable in Scottish
history, and the incidents of which afford
ed the sEttrick shepherd" material for the
f"Brownie Of Bodsbeck" the best and most
popular of his prose works.. IS He was car
rer, resident at Priesthill, in the. parish of
Murkirk, an upland district on the borders
Of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire; and is de-
scribed by an English writer as "a. man Of
shining piety, who had great measures Of
solid digested knowledge and experience,
and singular talent of a most plain and
affecting way Of communicating is,knowl-
| edge to Others" He was an orderly,
peaceful man, but an infexible seceder
from the episcopalian. worship, and ready
to lay down. his life rather than abandon
his religious views. ali '+n =, ,,~.sz s.>.-,s..>
Claverhouse, that cruel man, who by a
singular contradiction Of consistencies was
a person Of elegant, and even effeminate
manners and appearance, arrested him one
morning-it was in May, 1685-as' he was
going out to his work, and had hun exam
ined3 10 His ready answers aroused a ,sus-
picion that he was one Of the Covenanter 3
preachers, and the people in the vicinity
were asked if they had ever heard him
preach. They said they had not, but con
fessed that he chad prayed mickle in his
time" Claverhouse, on this information,
ordered John Brownie prepare for death.
Brown prayed, and then'badc farewallto
his wife, and; children, saying, :"sNow, Ma.
rian, the day is come that,I told you would
/ come when I first spake to you Of marrying
] me. ~ She said, :'indeed, John, can vii.
liDgly part with you" *'Then," hesaid,
ttthis iis ALL desire; I have no more to- dc
but to die,'''' BY Clayerhoqse's orders siz
soldiers discharged their muskets and most
Of the bullets entering Brown head, he
| instantly felE dead. Claverhouse; on leav:
ing her, sneeringly sold Ito the widow
"What thinkest thou. Of thy husband now
wonlan?" to which she replied that sht
thought as much Of him now as ever
she then gathered up fiiis' brains, decentlJ
composed his1linbs, and with her bairns
sat down by his; aside on the moor where
the murder took place, to wait till some Io1
| the neighbors should pass. In a few hours
some friends came, Who bore away Johr
Browns hedy, buried Him near his owl
houso, and, subsnqu erected tomb
stone bearing this, quaint inscription ii II
In earth's cold bed the dusty part here lies -
Of one who did the earth as dust despise! lure
Here in this place from earth he took depart
Now he has got the garland Of the martyr.
! Such is all that is known Of the frs
John Brown, who, nearly two centurie
before his mere celebrated namesake, fel
victim to his stern and unwavering con
yiction of right ;,<. :,.a!gs,ni yia ~
i 4 TERRrsIE ArrAd1rRB.-A IN terrible Il traass,
edy was enacted,on Friday, At the . rt:si
damon nf Nv IT e. Flolvvne1rxsp ~ @nf Ware,