The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-01-26
The Last Hours of John Brown.

memoratlOn.
Ny first acquaintance was made
with him in November, 1856, in the
Republican headquarters, and, in a
few days, he was in trouble.
He learned that a warrant was is
sued against him, as he presumed,
for high treason. He did not know
exactly where to 60, and | suggest
cd that he should go to my house.
He never went out except at night,
and then DR.. David Thayer and
other fighting abolitionists accom-
panied him. He took out every
night before going to bed his revoly-
er and repeater, and unloaded and
reloaded them, saying that there
were eighteen lives. | remember
his once saying to my wife {: IF you
hear a noise, put the baby under n
pillow. | snouly hate to spoil the
carpets; hut you know | can't be
taken alive"
He used to walk the floor with
his hands folded behind him, and
occasionally brought out an idea.
One | remember very distinctly.
1t would be better that a whole
generation should perish from the
earth. than that one truth in the
I. Sermon on the Mount or the Dec
laration of independence should be
/ Ito, .ty-,C,.r MOI, :;
He gave an account one day OF
the death of his son who was shot
by the border rufiians-by a Metho-
dist minister: for you know there
are black sheep in every fold-and
NV wife broke out and said: "lf
were in your place, Mr.. Brown, l
would fight these fellows as long as
! | lived" That" said he, is not q
christian spirit. If | had one bit o.
/ that spirit, l would never lift my
/ hand. ! do not make war on slave
/ holders, but on slavery"
He carried out this idea in Nilsson
/ ri. where he passed over the bordel
Irufiians, and ran off the slaves OF
the quiet gentlemen, so that nobody
could think that it was revenge ht
was fighting for. He was battling
for a principal and against a sys
TEN.
One Sunday morning George L.
Stearns came into my house 10 sec
! him with Mrs. Stearns on the way
: TO hear Theodore Parker. and gave
him 81 800 to organize and equip ;
company for kansas-and | re
member that Mrs. Kearns asked t
sell her carriage and horses, that sh,
might add two thousand more Il
the gift. That morning / received
a characteristic letter from Theodor
/ Parker. which ran as follows;
Sunday Morning.
Ny Dear Judge: If John Brown
falls into the hands Of the marsha
from Kansas, he is sure either Of tn
/ gallows or something yet worse.
If / were in his position ! shoQl'
shoot down any man who attemptet
to arrest me for those alledge,
crimes then should be tried by
Massachusetts jury, and be acquit
. ted. Yours Truly.
T.P.
P. ST do not advise Johl
Brown to do this; but it is what
should do.
John Brown was very agreeable
He used to hold up my little gil
and say: Now, when | am hum
| for treason, you can say that yol
used to stand on old Captain Brown
. hand ?7 and when he came TO Bos
ton on his way to Harper's Ferr,
/; he brought to her and one or tw'
of Mrs. Stearn's children two 0
, three little cakes of maple sugar.
Let me mention the fact that hi
ancestor. Peter Brown, who cam
over in the Mayhower, left a sol
who was made commissioner of tn
. four colonies, and when somethin
| was planned against the Indians 0
that day-some internal scheme
no doubt. but not half as bad a
some that have been concocted il
. our daY-he learned that if h
went to the meeting Of the com
,missioners he would make q QUO
rum. and he stayed away instead @
going and voting for them. And St
the scheme failed.
When John Brown had beer
taken prisoner, he wrote to me from
Jail asking me to come and visi
him. was unable to 90 at once
not finding any associate to take N,
place in court. But John A. An
/ drew. DR.. Howe and others obtain
led counsel young Hoyt hurried on
got admitted to the Virginia bar
stood up ia q lawyers office ant
studied volumes of pracsice in tn,
! Virginia courts until he faintel
away on the floor and then went il
and obtained such delay as wa:
| necessary until Carlisle could go.
was Just in time to hear the sentence
of death passed upon John Brown
and to hear that magnificent speech
made by him when asked why sen.
tence OF death should not be passed
upon him. Instead of assuming
that they were Christians at once
and arguing on that basis, he said
I"I have observed that during this
trial witnesses have been required
to kiss the New Testament, from
which | infer that Christianity is
not unknown here"
! then went with Mrs. Russell to
see him in Jail, and he was in the
best of spirits, I remember his say
ing: Il have no kind Of fault to
find about the manner of my death.
The disgrace of hanging does not
trouble me in the least. In fact, |
know that the very errors by which
my scheme was marred were de-
creed before the world was made"
He was a thoroughly Orthodox
man, u had no more to do" he
said, with the course pursued than
a shot leaving a cannon has to do
with the spot where it shall fall.
Whether that be good theology or
not, it is good theology for martyr.
He gave us a full account of the af-
fair, and said that it was through
his mercy to his prisoners that he
had not taken thousands of men ont