The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1867-10-31
OLD JOHN BROWN.
BIZ rHEarAr CONTRIBUTOR

By THE STAT CONTRIBUTOR
The query "Is Wilkes Booth still
alive p which has been agitated for
several months past, seems likely to
give way to another-"Is Old John
Brown dead p A correspondent,
in whom we have reason to repose
some reliances, assures US positively
that the hero Of Harper's Ferry is
still alive and kicking, and declares
that he knows people who have
seen and conversed with him within
a month.
Our correspondent holds posi-
ton which should be guarantee of
his integrity. But the story which
he tells is very strange one, and
he may have been imposed upon by
his informants though he assures us
that he knows them to be gentlemen,
of .unimpeachable veracity.
In view of the uncertainty as. to
whether Booth was actually alive or
not, if it should turn out that John
Browns body isn't "moulderiug in
the gr ave." and that instead of his
soul marching on his soles are,
we shall be prone to inquire, is any
body dead?"
Our correspondent elaine thatal-
though Brown. was actually captur-
ed at Harper's Ferry; and stood his
trial in person, yet that another
man, strongly resembling him, was
in his place at the exc
cution, and it was this mans body
the first substitute engaged dur
ing the war, by the way-that was
inferred at North Elba, instead OF
John Brown. We do not pretend
to vouch for the statements made by
our correspondent, and we are too
much, astonished by them to permit
us to make further comment at pres
ent. Here is the letter:
JOHN BRowN's TRACT, N.Y.
Oct. 10th, 1867.
EDITOR .TIMEs-I have no doubt
the faces of some persons will weal
an incredulous smile, when I boldly
and fearlessly proclaim through yuol
columns Brother Americans, you
have been deceived; Old John
Brown is still aliver' That he did
live in Kansas at one time no one
will deny. That he afterward came
East and organized raid upor
Harper's Ferry, was captured tried
by Virginia Court, and sentenced
to be hung, all will admit; but that
the sentence was executed upon the
person of the stern old Radical, I am
prepared to gainsay.
I may be asked, how do I know he
isn't dead? I reply, because he has
been seen alive by several people
since the day he was claimed to
have been hung. How the man re
sembling him so closely was pre-
vailed upon to submit his neck to
the rope in the place of Brown, re
mains mystery. Some think he
did it out of personal regard for old
"Ossawattamie;' y others, that he
was bitter enemy of Browns and
wanted to spite him by letting him
live to see the result of his labor and
teachings; while others entertain the
more rational theory that he was
paid handsomely out of the Kansas
fund to save John Brown by having
his own neck stretched.
It's known, however, that after
brown had avoided the gallows lie
escaped to a foreign country New
Jersey), and remained there until
the war broke out when, having dyed
b;s ha;;," and whiskers, and assumed
aro+bor na,re. na GOT horse con-
tract, and entered INTO the congen-
Ial business Of accumulaci.ng horses
for the army.
One Of my informants, who was a
clerk for Brown at this time, says
ne was always greatly moved when
ever he heard a band playing ''John
Browns's Body" Once he over
heard him sort Of chuckling to him
self: "Guess it aint mouldering SO
much as it was.' At another time,
when ne and Brown were obliged to
lee on foot from before some men
whose horses they had drafted into
he army, while they were making
heir legsplay to the best advantage.
Brown pointed to his feet, with grim
lumor, and sang out
@'His solei is marching on"
These things excited queer sur
misses in the breast of my informant.
who watched his employer closely,
He was out Of hair dye at one
lime when on long march. They
came across no barber, and the re-
,uit was his hair and whiskers re-
'umed their natural iron gray color,
and the horse contractor assumed