Morning journal and courier., 1882-08-30
A Story of John Brown.
Tine Negro Whom He Kissed Ills NEn
 to the Sca fold StIl Alive.
 From the Ou{svi1le TX q

From the Louisville (KJ.l Commercial
 In back room of the dilapidated two story frame house on the north side of Con- gress alley, between Eighth nnd Ninth streets, lives man with an unusually interesting history. It is connected in singular way with great tragedy. The name of this man is James Williams, He is the man whom John Brown, 'Ossowatemie" Brown, kissed that fatal day in December when he was hanged at Harper's Ferry, a martyr for grand cause, the first hero in that was to free eight millions of slaves
 Williams is a rather good looking black man. uneducated and illiterate who drives a coal cart for the O'Neils. A Commercial re- porter found him and his mother in little room last night.
 Mrs Williams is an auntle of the olden type She had black, good humored face a red and yellow bandanna tied around her head, and an inordinate desire to laugh at ever thing that said. She was more than willing to tell all she knew, and pulling out Q little stool, told the reporter to sit down and she would tell him all she knew of ''Massa Brown"
 II seed him fust long time before the war. Ho was down in Virginny, and he used to treat slaves mighty kind. We were powerful fond of him, and used to do any | thing he wanted us to. My massa's name was Lee he was kinfolks of old Gineral Lee and was A mighty proud man. He | used'nt to like to see Massa Brown comin' ed him off the place. He taught me to read and write, Massa Brown did, and gin me this yer Bible" and the old woman showed up a little Bible with plain leather covers and leaves | that showed constant using.
 'He kind of took a likin' to me at fust and told mo more than once ha would see that wuz freed. I used to tell him that he had to be mighty keerful, fur of he ever ketch ed it ud be mighty dark day fur him. But Lordy he warn't a skeered of nobody, that tha, nfyyDS bright "He war reg'lar saint out of heaven, and no mistake.
 "When he came back there to the ferry 1 just aforo the war and proclaimed freedom to all the niggers, I was one of the fust to go to | him. Jim thar, (al1uding to her stalwart son, who sat on the bed drinking in every word his mother said), Jim thar was just baby a mighty good lookin' boy he was-and when l left Massa Lees took him in my arms. had a hard time gettin' away. We was watch ed closer'n settin' hens, and the old massa had two big bloodhounds to track runaway ngeers l tried to git my old man to run away wid me, but he was skeer d and wouldn't. ! I wasn't gone two hours when they found it l out. I heer'd the dogs howlin' arter me ! away over the hills and l knowed that my only chance was to get down in the water. I got down to the river, and as I could swim like duck put my duds into a little bundle and swan across. We lived about five miles from the ferry, and everybody thar knowed me, CT leastwlse knowed belonged to Massa Lee. Still had to go thar, fur l wanted to see Massa Brown. Next day when got thar they had him penned up in that arsenal. skuked around town till night and then came out tryin' to get suthin' for me and Jim thar But the first man l asked grabbed me and sent for Massa Lee who was in town lookin for l was sent home the next day anC whipt
 ''I never heard tell what had become ot Massa Brown till the day they told me he was to hang. Mssus said she wanted to se' the traitor hung. I went in with her. Yor jest oughter seen the way us poor nigger cried when he came out all bound up. l stood right in the way and was b]ubberin' and takin ? on, and he jest looked at me in the kind va. he had with us niggers and tried to lay hi
 hand on my head, but couldn't on accoun of the ropes, and he muttered suthin' in