Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-02-27

The HAMPERS FERRY INvEsrIGArIoy.-Iut,y
s,tins Developments in regard to the Kansas
hs!'tf Soetsfy.-Mr. George l.. Stearns of Boston,
was before the Senate Harper's Ferry Investi-
eating Committee, Friday, and testified as
follows:
die not take any active interest in the Kansas
Affairs until the attack Lawrence and the des
Lucuon OF the hotel and other private property In
that town, reused me to the importance of active
e1ertiOn In behalf of that portion of our fellow,
citizens who Were thus assailed The assault on
Charles Sumner in the Senate chamber at Wash
lngton, which followed closely on the attack of
Lawrence at once determined Inc to devote all
my energies to the work of making Kansas a free
state, and Immediately went to the Boston com
mittee Tor the relief Of the sufferers In Kansas
offered my services | worked for them nuti1
June OF that wear, and then. being willing to de-
vote ali my time To the cause, was made chairman
OF the State Kansas Committee of Massachusetts,
winch look the place Of the first named commit
tee, and continued the work throug bout the STATE
In five months, including August and December
81 that year, raised through my agents about
1orty-elght thousand dollars, and in the same
time commenced the formation Of societ,e GO for
contributions Of clothing, which resulted In send
Ing from twenty to thirty thousand dollars more
IN supplies of various kinds x
Early IN January, 1857, saw Brown of whom
| hdu heard but had not Seen. He came to Bos-
ton, and was introduced to me by one of our Kan
sas agents, and after repeated conferences with
MIN. b.inS strongly impressed with his saoacitv
courage and stern Integrity, l. through a vote Of
our committee, made him our agent TO receive
ana hold their arms and ammunition for the de-
renee OF Kansas, aPpropriating S5OG to pay his
expenses subs. quently. in April of that wear
We authorized him to sell one hundred rifles n
s1PedieHt. and voted $500 more to enable HIM to
p'ocetd 10 Kansas with his armament About
fhis time on his represe nting that the force tn no
organized IN Kansas ought to be provided with
reviewers, / authorized him to purchase five tun
dred from tue Massachusetts Arms Company. and
Wben they were delivered TO him In Iowa / maid
ei-JCO Tor them from nv own funds At the same
ume, gave him by letter of credit to draw on
hIe d' sight Tor 1000, TN sums as i: might be
warned, for the subsistence of one hundred men
provided that il should be necessary at snv tme
90 cali That number into the field for active ser.
vice In the defence of Kansas in Is5- as tho
e&lgency contemplated did not arise no money
was drawn for under it. and the letter was subs,
4ueh'iy returned to me. In the summer of 1857
j contr buted with others 81 Geo to purchase an
aoditon 10 the farm then and now occnp,ed nv
Browns family at North Elba ;:
witness lived in Medford; was first introduced
70 b,owh IN Boston In January, 1857; Brown did
not then ask aid; did not know Browns plans
Brown said TO carry out his plans he must con-
Uoi thenl-theY must not be diyuIped. Rroun
read rom newspaper scraps the orders of the
Lhlted states army in Utah, and said such a want
OF secresy gave aid to the enemy; witness resDect
ed Browns falling; did not ask Browns mars
Brown did not tell him y
witness did not know that Brown intended to
invade any State; knew that he intended 10 free
slaves as he did in Kansas, and use force If neces
Jr., had not Seen John Brown sipc. Nav $50 -,
corresponded with him since that time "
MI FITCH objected 10 admitting that norton of
Slr otedfhs testimony referring to the assault OH
sumner ana the attack oil Lawrence, but MIR
Coilamer insisted that il was proper inasm,cb q.
y showed the motives which i, cited St,arns tn
action The majority finally ruled ii out and
refused 10 allow IT 70 go on the record