St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-01-03
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which was entered IN the same manner
and by the same men. Mrs. Willlin-
son was ut the time sick with the
measles. When the men raped at
the door, she begged her husband not
to open it. The men outside asked
him to come ont and show them the
way to Dutch Henry's. He replied
that he could tell them just as well
without opening the door. The Browns
then commanded him to surrender in
the name of the northern armv,' and
to open the door or they would break
it open. The door was opened, and
four men entered and searched the
house for arms, taking gun and pow
der flask. They then told Mr.. Wilkin-
son to put on his clothes and go with
them. He protested, saying that his
wife was sick, and that he would re-
main at home and be ready to answer
to any charge against him whenever
wanted. Mrs. Wilkinson entreated,
but the captain said, 1T matters not,
and marched her husband away with
out even giving him time to put on his
boots. He was killed about one hun
dred and fifty yards from the house by
the younger Browns, acting under the
captains orders.
AT about two o'clock in the morn
ing the party reached Dutch Henry's
Crossing and knocked mt the door of IL
house where were four men sleeping
names of the men were James Harris
William Sherman, Jerome Glanville
and John 5. Whiteman. The North
ern army announced itself rs usual
commanded surrender, inquired about
other pro- slavery men, about arms
saddle-horses, and whether the meI
present had ever aided pro-slavcry men
in coming to the Territory, or done the
Free State party any harm, or intended
| to do it any harm. Satisfactory an
| swcrS were received from Harris anC
! Whiteman, and they were allowed t.
remain where they were found. vii
liam Sherman was killed in the same
manner rs the younger DOyles anC
Wilkinson. The horrible gashes made
hy the broadswOrds or sabres of tn,
Browns gave rise to the story that tn,
victims were mutilatcd but there /
no reason to think that the bodies wer'
hacked or cut after life was extinct
The Northern army now, with sin
wle prisoner, jerome Granville, retrac
ed its steps to the camp of the DreViOu
evening, where the wagon and horse
had been left. They breakfasted ther
and remained i'll camp till near noon
'.As the early light of that Sunda
morning, May p, 1853, came over tina
new land, so lately wilderness, show
. ing here and there ut wide intervals
cabin, with Il little field of plante
ground, it revealed five CHASTITY corpse
lying in the grass. Two widows wit
, their fatherlesS children We're weepin
over their dead. They knew the
what the world does not know eve
, yet, that this was the work of JUh
Brown. And the same morning ligl
! found the stern commander of the III
my of seven in camp with his men an
D prisoner. As he lifts his hands
e heaven to ask Il blessing on the foo'
t the dried blood of his victims is see
n upon them by the prisoner. The pri
Y oner was set at liberty during til
q morning, but was a little too free
q what he said about the Browns, al
Il was shot not long afterward, nei
a Black Jack, while on his way to Kal
Il sas city in wagon. His death was,
e course, attributed to the Browns, b
g this is not clearly established, al
Il probably never can be. He may ha'
r been mistaken about the blood on Il
r old mans hands as literal fact, h
II the stain upon his character from tn
n nights work can never be wash
n away And it ought not to be forge
If ten, overlooked, nor forgiven. 1t
-, L, TO ,,,,lliSl,
all the world, and let the story have
Is full effect upon the young who Il
al forming their estimate of the man.
k. "The Story as here related is tt
e. beyond doubt in all essential partic
X lars. 1t rests upon the testimony
e, no single witness, but upon the perf'
is agreement of many. Its truth "
es confessed by Brown himself eXplic
ld upon one occasion, implicitly ma
a. times. The killing of these men v
,h never attributed to anybody else, Il
Is. nobody in Kansas doubts that 1T "
or done under John Browns authority.
IS "The effect of this crime upon
an character and career of old John Bro
.ol was. pervaSive, decisive, Overwhel
in ing. After that night he knew that
er life was forfeit and he fought, Il
er begged. aud planned with dcspera
he ness born of his danger. He could
lis live in Kansas, he could not live SAT
to or peacefully anywhere. He must III
en- on to the end now. The Rubicon
re passed. He cut off his long be;l
es, probably as IA disguise, and sought Ia
Sc, in New England, reciting the woes
RS his family, but concealing their cat
His desperate earnestness won the
.rn fidence and the hearts of some of y
he Englauds greatest and nOblest III
EEK Had they known fully what he
Oh, and what he had done, or even W