Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-01-26
DEATH OFAHERorxn
Who Saved John Brown for che
Hangman and Brought on
Bechham's Body.

Cor. Courier-Journal.l
CHICAGO, January Gilt is pleas
ant to occasionally turn aside from
chronicling the doings Of live politica
scoundrels, to utter word in memory
of one who, without seeking, deserves
the immortality due from good anC
unselfsh deeds.
A BRAVE OLD HEROINE.
The Virginia papers are full o.
kindly notices Of the death of an an
cient maiden ledy who, during the
war, rendered herself famous on sew.
eral occasions, for such bravery and
sagacity as are usual in either man OF
woman. The John Brown raid at Har.
per's Ferry will be recollecied by all,
Brown captured the arsenal, and could
not be dislodged from his strong posi-
ton until the arrival Of the marines,
who captured it after a regular siege.
Browns sudden descent upon the
place and capture of the arsenal was a
thunderbolt to the people of Harper
Ferry, and Mayor Beckham, on APP
pearing in the streets the next morn
ing, was shot down from the arsenal
and killed, it is said by some, by Brown
himself. BE this as it may, the body
laid in such close proximity to the
fortified band, and within such easy
range of tie deadly bullets of its
members, that not a soul among the
men Of Harper's Ferry was found
brave enough to attempt the recovery
of Mayor Beckham's body. On being
apprised Of the situation, the brave
woman | refer to,
CHRISTINE c. FoUKE,
then in her sixty.fourth year, declared
that she would recover the body. She
took wheelbarrow, and, against the
pleading protestations of her friends,
marched boldly to within a few hun
dred feet Of the arsenal, in spite of
the rifles that were leveled upon her,
secured the lifeless form of Mayor
Beckham and returned with it to a
place of safety, having accomplished
as brave an act as ever done by woman,
without a particle of trepidation or
fear. Not only was she famous for
this splendid exhibition of bravery,
but constituted herself doubly hero
inc at the same eventful crisis. A
feeble attempt to retake the arsenal
from Brown and his followers was
made by the citizens of Harper's
Ferry. On the arrival of the ma. ines
it was successfully stormed and taken
Such intense indignation prevailed
against Brown that he would have
been instantly killed had it not been
for ChristineC. Fouke, who interposed
her own body between Brown aud his
assailants and absolutely compelled,
from the influence and respect she
commanded, the citizens of Harper's
Ferry to 1esist in their purpose of
dispatching him. Miss Fouke was
grandly loyal to her Southern instincts
and education, but she was equally
the patriot regarding the supremacy
of law. On the fact of her noble
defense Of Brown becoming known
among Browns sympathizers in tie
North, the latter purchased and for
warded to her for presentation mag
ni6cent silver service suitably in
scribed. This sheindignantly sourued,
and it was returned. Through Virginia
aud West Virginia, during the war,
Miss Fouke was at times both heroic
ally and ludicrously prominent. On
one occasion, at Charleston, West
Virginia, where her family resided, a
Confederate officer was visiting his
friends and was calling at the
house of Miss Fouke. Sud
denly a squad of Federal cavalry
pounced upon the place and immedi-
ately began the closest search for
Confed crate stragglers. The prominence
Of Miss FOuke at once drew them to
her place, and while close guard was
placed about the house, a detail was
made to search the house within. In
stantly, equal to the emergency, Miss
Fouke ordered the Confederate officer
to Immediately get in bed with a sister,
who was at that time undergoing the
pains of confinement, and in this
strange and ludricrous manner abso
lutely effected the escape of tie Con-
federate officer.
Miss Fouke died at Charleston,
Jefferson county, ". Va t., on the 18th
inst, in her eighty seventh year. A
cousin in this city is one Of our Chi
cago Southern colony, Mrs. Harriet j.
Busk, nee Stryder, OF Charleston, w.
Va, now residing at Hyde Park, our
most important southern suburb, who
is in her SEVENTEEN year; and brother
is the Well-known Judge Fouke, Of
Sterling, a manufacturing city about
one hundred miles west Of Chicago.