The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-06-25
TIE ATTACK.

This closed the interview. Thereupon
Stuart bowed, and as he turned to leave
made sign, previously agreed upon, to
Colonel Lee, who Immediately raised his
hand, which was the signal OF assault In
stantly the storming party under Lieu
tenant Green, consisting OF q dozen ma
rines, sprang forward from behind the
angle Of the wall that had concealed them,
and for perhaps two minutes or more the
blows Of the sledge-hammers on the door
Of the engine mouse sounded with startling
distinctness, and were re-echoed from the
rock sides OF the lofty mountains that rose
in all their rugged majesty around Us.
AS yet, to our surprise, there was no shot
fired by the insurgents, nor any sound heard
from the engine.house. Unable to batter
down its doors, the men with the slcdges
threw them aside, at a sign from stuart,
and withdrew behind the adjoining build.
ing. Then there was a brief pause Of OPP
pressiye silence, as some twenty-five. or
thirty more marines were seen coming
down the yard with long ladder that had
been leaning against one Of. the shops.
Nearing the engine-house they started into
arun, and dashed their improyised batter
ing ram against the door with crashing
sound, but not with sufficient force to effect
an entrance. Falling back short distance
they made another run, delivering another
blow, and as they did 80 volley was fred
by the conspirators, and two Of the marines
let 20 OF the ladder-both wounded and
one Of them MORALLY. Two others quickly
took their places, and the third blow, splin-
tering the right-hand leaf OF the door,
caused 1t to lean inwary iciently to ad-
nit man. Just then tenant Green,
who had been standing ctose to the wall,
sword in hand, leaped into the inclining
door-leat, which, yielding to his weight fell
inside and he himself disappeared from
our view in the interior Of the building.
There was O shot, some inarticulate ex-
CARNATIONS, and q short struggle inside the
engine-house and then, as our rescued
friends emerge from the smoke that filled
it, followed by marines bringing out the
prisoners, the psnt.up feelings Of the spec
tators found appropriate expression In
general shout.
As Colonel Lewis Washington came out
I fastened to him with my congratulations,
and to my inquiry:
Lewis, old fellow, how do you feel ?"
He replied, with characteristic emphasis:
"Feell Why, / feel as hungry as hound
and as dry as q powder-horn; for, only
think Of It, I've not had anything to eat
Tor forty odd hours, and nothing better to
drink than water out OF a horse.bucketW
He told me that when Lieutenant Green
leaped into the engine house, he greeted
him with the exclamation: GOD bless
You Green! There's Brownp at the same
time pointing out TO him the brave but un-
scrupulous old fanatic, who, having dis
charged his rife, had seized spear, and
was yet in the matchmaking position he
had assumed when he fred his last shot.
He said, also, that the cut which Green
made at Brown would undoubtedly have
cleft his skull, II the point Of his sword had
not caught on a rope, which Of course weak
ened the force Of the blow; but It was suffi.
cient to cause him to fall to the floor and
relax his hold upon the spear, which, by
the way, took possession Of as relic Of
the raid.
Within the engine-house one Of Browns
party was found lying dead on the floor,
and another WATSON BROWN was stretched
out on q bench at the righthand side Of
Inc door, and seemed to be In q dying con.
dition, John Brown himself had been
brought out and was then lyingon the grass;
Int so great was the curiosity to see him
that the soldiers found some difficulty in
Keeping back the crowd, and Colonel Lee
consequently had him removed to q room