The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-09-18
[Louisville (Ky.) Commercially
G4orx1 IF Tobn Rrr,vrrra


In a back room of the diapitated two-story
frame house on the Dorth side of Congress al
lev, between Eighth and Ninth streets, lives a
man with an unusually interesting history. 1t
is connected in singular way with great
tragedy. The name of the man is James Will
liams. He is the man whom John Brown,
"Ossowatomie" Brown, kissed that fatal day
in December when he was hanged at Harper's
Ferry, martyr for a grand cause, the first he
70 in war that was to free eight millions of
slaves.
Williams is a rather od-locking black man,
uneducated and illiterate, who drives q coal
cart for the O'Neils. A Commercial reporter
found him and his mother in little room last
night
Mrs. Williams is an auntie of the olden type
She has black, good-humored face, red and
yellow bandana tied around her head, and an
inordinate desire to laugh at everything that
was said. She was more than willing to tell
all she knew, and pulling out little stool, told
the reporter to sit down and she would tell
him all she knew of "Massa Browsn.''
81 seed him fust a long time before the war.
He was down In Firginny, and he used to treat
US slaves mighty kind. We were powerful
ed as to. My massa's name was Lee; he was
kin folks of old Gineral Lee, and was a mighty
proud man. He used'n't TO like TO see Massa
Brown comm round among the darki s, and
once he ordered him off the place. He taught
me 10 read and write, Massa Brown did, and
gin me this yer Bible" and the old woman
showed up little Bible with plain leather
covers and leaves that showed constant using.
He kind O. took a likin' to me at fnst, and
told me more than once he would that wuz
fra 4 xra1 4o1l hi hat h.. ~
mighty keerful, fur of he was ever ketched it
nd be mighty dark day fur him. But, Lordyl
he waren't askeered of nobody, that man
wsrnt," and the old aunty' s eye grew bright.
He var reg'lar saint out of heaven, and no
mistake.
~ nen he came back there to the Ferry Just
afore the war and proclaimed freedom TO all
the niggers was one of the fust to GO to him.
Jim. thar, (aludiDg to her stalwart son, who
sat on the bed drinking in every word his
mother said,) Jim, thar, was Just a baby
mighty good-lookin' boy he was--and when /
left Massa Lees took him in my arms. had
a hard time gettin' away. We was watched
closer'n settin' hens, and the old massa had
two big bood-hounds to track runaway Mig
gers. tried 10 get my old man to run away
wild me, but he was skeer'd and wouldn't. /
warn't gone two hours when t ey found Ii out.
herd the dogs howln' AFTER me away over
the hills, and / knowed that my only chance
was to get down in the water. | got down 20
the river, and as L could swim like a duck |
put my buds into little bundle and swan
across. We lived about i've miles from the
ferry, and eve ybody thar knowed me, or least
wise knowed | belonged to Massa Lee. Still ]
had to go thar, fur L wanted to see Massa
Brown. Next Gay when got thar they had
him penned up in that arsenal I skulked
around town until night, then came out iryin'
10 get suthin' for me and Jim thar. But the
first man asked grabbed me and sent fer
Massa Lee, who was in town lookin' for me. |
was sent home the next day and whipt.
Il never heard tell what had become of
Massa Brown, till the day they told me he was
to hang. M ssus said she wanted to see The
traitor hung, l went in with her. You Jest
oughter seen the way us poor niggers cried
when he came out all bound up; stood right
in the way and was bluberin' and takin' on
and he jest looked at me in the kind way be
had With us niggers, and tried to lay his hand
on my head, but couldn't on account of the
ropes, and he muttered suthin' in low tone
Then held up i'm there, and he put his face
right down and kissed The little niger thar on
the forehead. And then he Jest walked right
up TO the scatfold and made little speech
You oughter seen how the crowd cried. Missus
Jest wept like it was some kinsfolks. The mig
gers jest hollered right out. He knowed most
OF 'en and had been kind to ALL Some of 'em
said he was the best friend they had, and now
he was gone" Here the recollection of the
great emancipation oyercame the old woman
and she wept quietly.
When she stopped the reporter asked heI
what kind OF looking man Brown was.
he was big man with white face and
powerful looking eyes. He could just look
right through you. He had funny kind of q
voice. | never heard any man who could talk
SO soft and talk SO hard when he wanted to. ]
never saw him laugh