Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-10-31
This Eminent Murderer, 0thBr-
wise Known as st. 0ssawat-
tonic Brown,
Held Up to Public Gaze as q Man
Who Would Step From the
Gallows into Heaven.
His First Outrage the Murder
Ola Tennessee Family from
Near Knoxville
in Knoxville Tribune.

after.
Every nation has had its saints or
holy persons to worship, adore or ad-
mire. The United States has had two
of this kind. Saint Jonathan aud
Saint Ossawattomie Brown. The hrst,
Saint Jonathan, was an invisible and
intangible saint, an idea OF the MIND,
typical and illustrative Of the people
Of the United States, as John Bull is
Of the people OF England. But Saint
Ossawattomie Brown was a saint com.
posed of flesh, bones and blood, and
very coarse flesh, bones and blood at
that. he was sufficiently real and
substantial in this respect to have a
rope put around his neck and stran'
gled on a gallows in Virginia for cons
hitting murder and attempting to
stir up an insurrection Of the slaves in
that State. Some Of our readers will
be surprised when we tell them that
this man who thus suffered
on the gsllows for murder and
instruction sud had perpetrated
similar crimes previously, to which
we will presently call their more par.
ticular attention, q little upwards Of
20 years ago was cannonized a saint
BY considerable portion OF the peo'
pie of this country. But such was a
most serious, and we may be par
doned for saying, disgrsceful fact
After Brown had been condemned, 0
distinguished citizen Of New England
said, "he could not have been tried b.
bis peers, for his peers did not exist,
thus elevating him above all OF his
fellow men. But others In their laud
atoms of this atrocious criminal went
much further than this. Theodore
Parker, a distinguished clergyman Of
Boston, said: @Brown will die like a
martyr, and also like a saint And
theinfnitely perfect God will take hin
welcome home. The road to heaven
is as short from the gallOws as from 9
throne; perhaps, also as easy" Bul
Mr.. Emerson, another distinguished
citizen of Boston, blasphemously
spoke Of Brown as "a saint whose mar
tyrdom will make the galloWs gloriouE
as the cross. Thus placing Johr
Brown on an equality with our Sa'
yior. After some supposed and imag-
mary heroic acts of John Brown il
Kansas. be was more frequently called
"OssawattOmie Brown, than given
his proper name Of John. For thi:
reason being cannonized as a saint. w
have given him the name by which be
was best known, st. 0ssaYattomit
Brown.
All who are at all familiar with the
late struggle between the States will
recollect that constantly during the
whole contest the aid and inspiration
Of st. Ossawattomie Brown was in.
voked BY the armies OF the North t.
lead them to victory In their song;
that we're considered very sacred his
soul was represented as marching on
before them and directing and gov.
ernihg their advance against theil
enemies. The sacred character Of
this spirit was Of more potency ant
influence apparently in inspiring thu
srdor and devotion Of their armies
han the military skill Of Sherman
Sheridan, or even Grant.
The saintship Of 0ssawattomi,
Brown may be SGd to have been
strictly confined to New England
though it was scatteringly acknowl
edged throughout the North and les,
so throughout the Northwest.
Having made these preliminary re-
marks, which some Of our readers
may consider as too many aud other
as too few, we are prepared to q
directly to the main subject OF oul
article: THE murder Of the Doylt
family by St. 0ssawattomie Brown,
merely adding that he is not the frs
saint that has committed murder, a
st. George, Of England, did the like
MURDER OF THE Doyle FAMILY.
We recOllect Of reading an accoun
Of the murder Of the Doyle family
shortly after it occurred. But oul
recollection Of the facts Of the case ha
been refreshed through an articl,
written by the Rev. David n. Utter
and published 10 the November mum
Der OF the North American Review
The reverend gentleman is oertainl
not preludiced against Brown, for b.
entertained the same sentiments witt
him on the subject OF slavery and evel
the manner Of freeing the slaves. 70
speaking Of Brown stealing slaves an,
running them of to Canada from Mis-
souri, he says: II may have been ius
tihable to steal slaves from their mas
ters and free them; such is the writer
opinion, but in this sort of work Brow
never acted with any discretion, no
even with good sense, il freeing III
slaves had been his chief object. Blu
his real object was TO provoke III
South and TO commit the North b
violence and bring ona war" Such i
the testimony Of . disinterested wit
ness.
The family of James P. DOYLE live,
TOR a long time in Knox county, Ten
nessee, south Of the river. TIE nus
band and father, james p. was zen
orally or always called Pleas DOYLE
We do not know when he removed /
~ Kansas, but suppose it was after 1856
They settled on a creek called Potta
wattomie. There was a great strue
gle whether Kansas should he a slay
OF free State. To prevent bloodshe
and a civil war both parties agreed /
withhold their hands and leave IN
result to be determined through N
ballot box. The members Of botl
however, were we'll armed and some
what organized for the ultimate re
suits. John Browns oldest son Johr
j., was captain Of a rife company. o
the muster Of this company on a 90,
tain occasion John Brown, Sr said
was necessary to begin the war (;
earnest, and called for volunteers /
follow him. II is not stated wbetbe
he was a member Of his sons compan
or not. But We suppose he was no
No person responded to his call il
volunteers, and his son John VII
seems to have been a man not only t,
prudence, but possessed Of some cor
science, opposed any one leaving h.
company to follow his father. r,
sides, John jr., old John had four sor
ana a son-in,law in the comnsn,
} Over these he took command m
hired a wagner to take them in
wagon to PottaWottomie creek a.
other individual and pony follow
with them, making seven In ali h,
sides Old John the Commander. nj
squad OF seven men be called N
Northern army. Previous 10 leaviT
they sharpened their heavy sabers q
a grindstone. AS they iet, Jan
Brown, IT,, said father be careful
, DO nothing rash" They started Z,
PoltawottOmie creek Rridsv u
Z3d OF May, 1856. They reaobe
, the creek that night and tbS
John Brown disclosed his MA,
lie asked the wagner to 9niS
him TO the head of tho crooL as