Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-08-20

are my prisoner no i"0po' o'''9
fellow. and ordered him to keep his
hands off. The negro cooked his gun,
sharps rife, leveled 1t, and SAID:
Make another motion and Will dow
Won through The two men then Or
dered ms into the armory yard. AS we
entered Mr. Ball said to u man station
cd as guard at the gate: who is your
commanders The sentry pointed to an
old man with gray locks, STOPPING down
looking at something on the GROUND
THAT is the man., said he. Brown, VINO
was quite near, heard the remark ana
Strengthened up, eyclaiming
"You have heard of John Brown, OF
Kansasf
'Ball replied Il have.
II am that man. said Brown. i
have come to free the negroes-peace-
fully if can, forcibly If | must
every we'll, replied Ball.
"Brown said Gentlemen, you can
walk around the yard and enjoy your
selves. If either of you have q good
able.bolied negro will exchange you
for him,
I'VE replied We are not allowed 70
have any negroes here We then ceas-
cd conversation with Brown.
my wife, being q woman of consid-
cradle nerve, followed me down to the
armory. She went up to Brown, ac-
companied by my daughter Lizzie, and
asked him if she could send my break
fast.
"Certainly,' said Brown, "if yon want
TO- but ! am going to furnish breakfast
for all the prisoners
a took good look at Brown. lie
was an old looking man, tifty.ni'ie
gears Of age, and stood about five feet
nine or ten inches. He had no teeth,
and his hair was rather long. He had a
piercing hazel eye, and his whole coun.
tenance was expressive of great deter
mination. He was rather thin, and
slender of build, with quite long legs
He stopped forward from the hips
while walking. He wore o heavy
beard; dressed in q light-colored frock
coat. An otter.skin cap adorned biz
head. and the thick Gap was the mean'
of saving his life, afterwards, when thu
engine house was stormed by troops
and Lieutenant Green struck him ovel
the head with u sword.
"Chief Clerk Kittsmillar, Ball ant
myself then walked into an Office nea
by. John Brown came in, accompanied
, by some of his followers. He made
proposition that we allow him to keel
the ,armory, in return for which HI
would free every prisoner taken. Ih'
proposition was agreed to by kittsmll
lar, who reduced it to writing Bal
: had nothing to say, and fatty refused
; | told Brown had no right to sig1
u away Uncle San's property. The prop
osition also contemplated the assent of
: number of prominent citizens. One @
+ Browns sons-he had two thcre--wcn
=, ont accompanied by Kittsmillar, to OF
b tain signatures, While gone on this Ell
b rand citizen, whose name ] have FOL
: gotten, shot young Brown in the breas
j with buckshot. Kittsmillar ran ava
If and left young Brown, who wake
: back to the yard and died within fe'
c hours. When John Brown met his SO
d he asked where was Kittsmillar. Yonn
II Brown replied that he did not com
3 back, and said, Il am shot
% "}rowu replied: "My son, stand
q rs well as you can; hope You may g
n well; if You die, you die honorably.'
ii "About this time a lively fnsilaC
= from the houses of citizens was con
d menced upon Browns men, which WI
a replied to by the Sharp's rifles of ii
Of latter. The first man killed was NJ
10 Burnley, . livery stable keeper. III
II firing rot 50 heavy Brown found TIL
K he could not maintain himself in sue
to an exposed position as the armory var
r. Several of his men had already be-
III killed. He went among the prisone
H. and selected eight of them rs hostage
70 Colonel Lewis Washington, Mr.. Alsta'
he Mr.. Ball, the Purser and myself beil
OF of the number. We were ordered in
rs the engine-house, being accompanied
IL Brown and his men, who had all I
1t. treated from the outskirts of the tow
ed The men seemed but little excited, al
in appeared to be under fine disciplir
They seemed to have wonderful con
OF dence in Brown.
ief CATER our retreat to the engine-hou
vn the prisoners all got out of the yai
lot My son Charles, then boy of fonrte
lie, showed a number of citizens where q