Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1879-06-24
John Brown Of 0ssawatomls.

By the kindness OF the gentleman to
whom I had letters. I VA the only
newspaper man inside the guards that
surrounded the scaffold. The Newspaper
reporters were placed on . slight rise Of
ground. in perfect view. but whore they
could hear nothing. The reason a.
signed for this vas that Brown had de-
tsrmined to mako . speech Of an incen.
diary character. To prevent this they
determined. II speech he made. 1t would
be To the military and to the officials
who would Be within hearing distance.
It wal thought best that some one OF
the Northern residents in the shape Of .
newspaper correspondent should DO
present, to the end that II speech wal
concoctsd for Brown. and published ~
il he had spoken 1t, there might be writ.
ten evidence Of its falsity. I happened
to DO the person selected. and stood with.
in q few feet Of the gallows whom the exc
cution took place. Brown was brought
to the place Of exeouion-an open field
near the town-in Q wagon, seated on
his coffin. he was neatly dressed In his
his everyday apparel. His long. white
beard and his fns faee-for he had o
fns ons-gavs him . truly p~striarchal
appearance. No one seeing him at that
moment could suppose him to DO q
bound malsfactor on bis way to the gal.
lows. without hope Of . rsprievs. None
OF the early martyrs OF the Christian
Church ever met death with more Of
seeming stoical indifference. Brought
up with q fixed and firm belief that he
had been doing Gods work, be believed
the course he pursued. the shedding oil
innocent blood. the taking the property
Of bis enemies, and that the death he
would die had been traced by an Al.
mighty hand in the beginning. and
naught could change that decree /; and
hence he would pass from earth to
Heaven as one that God had selected for
this particular work. aud the change
from earth to bliss immortal would
would more than compensate him
for the pain OF st~rangulation. The
gallows was surrounded In front by
the cadets Of the Military Institute. the
West Point Of Virginia. They were
fine looking youths Of from 16 to 20
years Of age. dressed In blue pants and
red flannel shirts. Behind them were
picked companies Of volunteer infantry.
other companies forming the sides and
rear Of . hollow square; in The center
was the scatfold. At proper points the
artillery was placedin position. the guns
loaded and pointed at . portion Of the
feld occupied exclusively BY strangers
and those suspected Of not being true to
the Old Dominion. In case Of an
emeute or hostile disturbance. the cadets
bad orders to shoot Brown, 90 a. to pre-.
vent . rescue. while the cannoneers
and infantry were to fire IN the sus.
pected crowd. The outlying picks.s and
reserve guard. stationed within proper
distance, were to flank the rescuers, and
the cavalry to charge upon them. and "a
finish those that the cannon and mus
kerry failed to send to kingdom come.
II Brown anticipated . rescue. q glance
at the field was SUFFICIENT to convince
him Il would DO folly to attempt IL. That
he intended to makst speech I think II
more than probable. When tho eyes Of
the doomed man took in the full situa.
ton q shade Of disappointment seemed
to fit scross his face, but 1t was for 9
moment. The shade passed from his
brow and no was himself again. he
stood on the gallows gazing with I'M.
blanched cheek upou the proparatious,
He was asked by the Sheriff II he wished
q handkerchief to drop when he vsi
ready. His reply. in . Arm, loud voice
was: "No; keep me NJ longer than ID
necessary" The cap was drawn over
his face. the rope cut, and John Brown
was left dangling in the air. He suffer
cd but little. and soon hung q ~lifeless
corpse. Tho sensation Wa great; nc
voice spoke and NO sound wss heard
while the awful scene from Life to death
was enacted.