The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-07-06
u1.rORY OF OLD JOHN BROWN.
BIZ PRESIDENT JOHNSON.
From the Old Guard.

we wish to leave in the columns OF
4 the Old Guard. we copy below part OF
1lspeech delivered by President johnson, IN
1.-THE senate of the United States. December
Hs12sh. 1859. 1t is fair and truthful history
of the most important period in the history OF
Brown. who was one of the chief founders of
khe republican party, the inaugurator of its
ipolicy. Mr.. johnson was speaking in reply
10 Senator Doolittle, who had offered. in the
senate. an apology for Brown. by declaring
#that his son had been murdered 10 Kansas,
and that he acted in revenge for the wrongs
y he had suffered. To answer to this excuse.
Il Senator johnson. the present president OF the
| United Ss..es, made the following speech:
Il ..Is seems that we have some new born
tchristians. who are making John Brown their
leader, who are trying Co canoniss him and
1make him great apostle aud martyr. We're
1 ahese the clemens of a christian and chris-
! tisn martyr? How do the facts stand in this
case? Whsn was old man Browne son kill
afed, and when did he commit these atrocities
Even admitting the truth of the statement of
the senator from Wisconsin, they are not JUS
ti6sble. but when we show that the facts are
different, they are less so. The circumstances
!. are stated ia the evidence of Mr.. Harris
7 which will be found in a report made by q
committee of congress. and republished in
/ the Herald of Freedom, OF Ksnsxs-a paper
|. that has at it's head for president the name of
. republican. Mr.. Chase, of Ohio. and Mr.
Banks. of Massachusetts, for vice resident:
i .The circumstances attending VIM. Sher-
fmau's assassination are testified to by DANES
Harris. of Franklin COUNT. Kansas. Mr..
Sherman was staying over night at the house
of Harris. when ON the Oath of May, at about
t2 O'Clock. Capt John Brown and a party came
there. and after taking some property, and
Harris and others. Sherman was
asked to walk out. Mr.. Harris. in his aida.
zvis. says: Odd man Brown asked Mr. Shsr.
man to 60 out with him, and Sherman then
went out with Brown. / heard nothing more
flor about fifteen minutes. Two Of the North
with Us until they heard cap burst, and
4then these two men left Next morning,
about 10 o'clock, found William Sherman
dead, In the creek near my house. | was
Looking for him Is he had not come back I
thought he had been murdered. took Mr.
William Sherman's body out of the creek and
examined Il Mrs. W hitemsn was with me.
Sherman's skuu was split open in two places,
and some of his brains were washed on. by
! the water; large hole was cut in his breast,
1 and his left hand was cut of, except a little
piece of skin on one side.
sThis was the "a b of May. | will read
: from the same paper another extract:
''Wh hen the news of the threatened siege of
!, Lawrence reached j Inn Brown. Jr, who
was q member of the Topeka Legislature. he
1orgsniz I'd a company of about sixty mea and
marched towards Lawrence. lArriving at
Palmyra he learned of the sacking of the
town aud the position of the people He re-
for time in the vicinity, but Fl.
naliy marched back towards 0ssawattomis.
The night befIr reaching that place when
only few miles away. they camped for the
night Old John Brown, who, we believe.
was with the party. singled out, with him,
self, seven men. These he marched to a
point eight miles above the mouth of Potta- |
watomie creek, aud called from their beds. at
their several residences, at the hour of mid I
night, on the 9th of May, Allen Wilkinson, /!
William Sherman, William P. Doyle, William
Doyle and Drury Doyle. All were found the /
next morning. by the road side, or in the |
hi ign way. some with cash in their heads and |
sides, aud their throats cut; others with their /
skulls split open in two places with holes in ,
their breasts, and hands cut off, /;
lie seems 10 have had a great passion for /
cutting off hands.
''No man in Kansas has pretended to dsuv
that old John Brown led that murderous for
ay which, massacrei those men Up to TINT
period not a hair of old j .,hn Browns head.
or that of his sons, had been Injured by the
pro slavery party.
Ii was not until the Both of August, three
months after the Pottawatumie massacre that
the attack was made ON Ossawatomie by tue
pro slavery forces. aud Frederick Brown,
ION OF old John, was killed"
TO show all the facts in regard to the
n massacre of the 24ih OF May, / will Rad TO
the senate the amaa.is. Of so,,o IS 49, =.
witnesses OF the transaction. Allen wms;
son was member Of the Kansas legislature
"a quiet inoffensive man. His widow, Lon
sa Jane Wilkinson, testified that on the night
II the 24sh of May, 1856, between the hours t.,
Vt midaight and daybreak, she thinks, par ;
OF men came to the house where they were
eslding, and forcibly carried her husband
way; and they took him in the name of the =
Northern Army and that next morning he {
vas found about one hundred and fifty wards I
rom che house, dead Mrs. Wilkinson was G
cry ill at the time, of measles. She saws II
urther: a
81 begged them to let Mr.. Wilkinson stay o
nth me, saying that was sick and belpless. :
nd c"uid not stay by myself Mg husband
lso asked them TO let him stay with me nm. n
u ne could get some one to wait on me; told q
hem that he would not run off, but he wonId o
g there the next day or whenever called fur. a
he old man who seemed to be in command
'oked at me. and then around at the child j y
20, and replied. you have neighbours b
lid. $50 have, bus they are not here, and I 81
.nnot 90 for them' The old man renlied n
{ matters not and told him to get ready a.
y husband wanted to put ON his boots, and 81
st ready. 30 as to be psote tied from the c'
amp and night air, but they would not LEI ~ :,
m. They then took my husband away tt
after they were gone:I thought heard 81 81
y husbands voice in complaint "
EN-, .,o..;,. Ar. VT re