River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-12-12
RICHARD REALF.
The Strange History Of the Late Re
puted Son of Lord Byron.

said, ilI-health and domestic trouble.
The career of Richard Realf was a
strange and romantic one. In the year
1886 when the war aginst slavery began
IN the territory of Kansas, and the stru r
ole between the "border ruffians' and the
| .sfree state" men were in active progress,
4 Young man, who made his appearance
in I,eayenworth among the multitude OF
sdventurers and champions OF liberty
vho gathered In that wild region, attract
ed notice. He was at the time possessed
of rare personal attractions, and whispers
of mystery and romance soon arose IN
association with his name. The remarka-
bile beauty of his face, the softness and
| delcacy of his expression, the charm OF
his manner, the exceptional culture OF
his mind, his poetical qualities, and his
large knowledge of English society and
literature added attraction to his courage
and heroic conduct. He was evidently
an Euglishmap, perhaps 30 years OF age,
and his resemblance to the portraits OF
Lord Byron in early life, together with
the neculiarities of his mind, and his
tendency to romantic and chivalrous poe
| trv. cave color 10 fanciful stories that
soon cot ahoat, to effect that he was re-
| lated by blood or very nearly connected
with the hero of Missolonghi and the
author of "Childe Harold" 1t was be
| ieved by many, even, hat he was an II
| Ieritimate son Of Lord Byron, and the
| Likelihood of his connection with the
n0et was increased, in that he was IN re-
| ceipt. from time to time, OF remittaneeS
from England, which were sent, it was
alleged. by one OF the then denizens of
Newstcad abbey.
He was regarded as one of the most
/ heroic spirits and most intellectual young
men on the free state side. He took part
in scores of warlike adventures against
| The "border ruiiians, was always ready
for a foray or a song, fitted from part to
part OF the newly organized territory
| wherever danger was to be encountered,
associated with John Brown in his ad-
ventures at Ossawattamie and along the
| line of the o ssawattamie river, cam
naiuued with Jim Lane on horseback and
! on loot wherever that wild aad haggard
and dare devil fruntiersman found toe,
and often and again was he seen IN I'M
| aoutn uniform, with Sharp's rifle over
1 his shoulder. smile on his face, and a
ehanson on his lips, gay as the trouba-
| dour touching the guitar of the romanza.
One of his many exploits was at the de
tense of Mount Dread, in the vicinity of
Lawrence, which all through that time
was the centre of danger for the free
| statesmen. when with few kindred
! snirits looking from the rude fort on the
ton OF the hill, he saw the red-shirtod
| Missourian enemy approaching from the
river. The song with which he commemo-
rated that exploit thus opened:
| All night within our guarded tents
Until the moon was low,
Wrapt round as with Jehoyahs smile,
! we waited for the foe.
Ills intimacy with John Brown led that
old ironside to take him into his conf
dcnce when preparing the Virginia adj
yer ture that eliminated at Harper Ferry
and on the gallows tree OF Richmond.
/ He was one OF the Consplrators who, with
Kapi. formed at Ossawatiamie the plan
Of campaign in the Virginia mountains,
by which the southern slaves We're to be
armed as preliminary to their risign In
ibloody hostility to their masters. While
ENGAGED with Brown in this work he
travelled from one place to another, pro-
vidinr wavs and means, seeing the friends
who could be relied upon, and guarding
the secret the revelation of which would
ruin. He was so gentle in his manners
and so kindly in his ways that he was the
last man who would be regarded as bear
inc part in such a warfare. Finally
when John Brown had drawn up his
scheme of government, ana CHOSEN hls
officers Of state for the administration ot
new on3ition of affairs in Virginia, he
Amounted Richard Realf to the potion
of secretary of state in his remarkable
cabinet. About the time that Brown dis
appeared from Kansas, on bis way t.
Virginia, Relf, as we'll as Browns othel
. followers, also disappeared from Kansas
and those who are behind the scenes sup
posen he would be a participant IN TIM
conflict as we'll az au adjudicant OF thu
government. News came OF JOIN
Browns fight against Gen Robert L Lee
at Harper's Ferry, and the names ofthos'
who in the first dispatches were reportet
t to be killed was the name OF Relt. Ill
BODY could not be found, and it was re
: ported that he had beed pursued by SOM
: of the Virginia troops, wounded, am
driven into the Potomac, where he wa
f drowned.
! AS time passed on, however, it wa
learned TO u verify that Realf had no
! perished in the fight, had not been wit
: lJohn Brown at Harper's Ferry, ano
a though expected to join him there, ha'
! somehow failed to do so. The suspicion
: Of the free state men of Kansas wer
! aroused, and charges were everywher
5 made that Realf had turned traitor t
: John Brown, had sold out TO the Virgini
! state government or to the federal gov
! eminent, aud had all along been nothin
. but a spy III the camp OF the invaders
] Such was the view taken of the romantl
Z Young English poet who so often, on til
+ plans of Kansas, had merrlly risked hi
0 life for the principles Of John Brown
: Years passed away, and stories were fror
J time 10 sine circulated that Reatf ha
! been seen here, had been heard of thert
: had sailed for England
! had buried his treason in suicid
5 or bad flea, in seI-upbraiding despair
10 the utfermost ends Of tho earth. Th
! stories of him among his friends were al
L most as numerous as those about Charli
It Ross or John Wilkes Booth. 1t mus
{ have been four or fve years after Hal
; per's Ferry in 1859 that il was TepoIte
I mat Realf was IN Tt xas, and that lie wa
i somehow connected with the press ther'
G ana this, Of course, added color 70 tn
G charges 0f treason TO the free state cans
Z which he had borne. Ia course of tim
It howegsg, these charges were taken up b
{. Realf. who gave reasons for his aisal
: pearance, which led his friends 70 belies
Y that lie had not been ii his sound min
i. after the attempt at Harper's Ferry, an
S disposed Of his alleged culpability-
!. Leaving Texas, he was nexE heard I
3 ii Washington, where he turned up as
6 br8ken-down man, all his physical a
$ fractions gone, ca iayefous, inpoyerishei
! and soliciting employment lie obtain
5 ed i humble place in one Of the depaT
& inents. From there be came to this cit
a hung around the outskirts Of sever
Y newspaper, and got, perhaps, some r
& Enumeration for poems and other Iterai
4 work. Falling into some financial dif
5 Guilty here, he was arrested. taken to Z
e Tomi,s, and 50 barshay treated BY the p
H lie9 that his life was despaired Of; and