Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-02-22
chem what Che world does mott KNOW even

then what the world does not know even
yet, that this was the work of John
Brown. And the same morning found
the stern commander Of the army Of
seven in camp with his men and pris-
oner. As he lifts his hands to heaven
to ask blessing ON the food, the dried
blood Of his victims is seen upon them
by the prisoner. The prisoner was set
at liberty during the morning, but was
little too free in what he said about
the Browns, and was shot not long af-
terward, near Black Jack, on his way
to Kansas City in q wagon. His death
was, of course, attributed to the Browns
but this is not clearly established, and
probably never can be. He may have
been mistaken about the blood ON the
old mans hands as a literal fact, but
the stain upon his character from that
nights work can never be washed away.
And it ought never be forgotten, over.
looked. nor forgiven. Il is right at this
late day to publish it to all the world,
and let the story have its full effect on
the young who are forming their esti-
mate OF the man. .-as-s ---r--s-----,. >.
The story as here related is true be-
yond q doubt in all essential particu-
lars. 1t rests upon the testimony Of no
single witness, but upon the perfect
agreement of many. Its truth was con-
fessed by Brown himself explicitly on
one occasion, implicitly many. times.
The killing of these men was never at
tributed to anybody else, and nobody in
Kansas doubts that 1t was done under
John Browns authority.
The community at first was startled
and shocked by the reports of these
midnight murders. Old John Brown
and his company of seven arrived at
the camp they had left on Ottawa creek
about midnight between Sunday and
Monday after the assassinations. The
news was known there the next morn
ing, and John Brown, Jr., Immediately
resigned his command of the rifle COM
pany, mounted his horse and rode away
home. He was soon after arrested for
this crime, and severely used, it is said,
being driven, chained, many miles in
the hot sun untilhe became insane. His
father used to show the chain in the
east on his money-raising excursions,
and showed great emotion in narrating
John Juniors sufferings and consequent
insanity. He may well have shown emo
ton. That son suffered for his fathers
crime, which at that very time he was
hiding and denying. Insane, q raving
maniac, John. Junior certainly was for
awhile, as his fellow-prisoners testify.
And the form Of his raving was all con-
nected with this affair. "When the
conversation turned, as it sometimes
| did, upon the Potawatomie murder, and
we attempted to excuse his father for
that act, giving the mitigating circum.
stances current among the Free-State
men at the time, his eyes would sparkle
with unwonted brilliancy, his manner
would assume the widest excitement
and, in loud and boisterous voice
| which was uncommon to him. he would
exclaim.: DO not attempt to offer any.
thing in paiiiation of such crime
Cd in atrocitv and d,sn,avsd ,r1v ccw.
ardice Had the same dead hee,,- dcr>
in open day it would hare shown more
manliness, hut to call men from tholI
beds at midnight and to cut them down
in cold ,,looa g ,n,,n,te,v ,rors 1890.
than rss the chory,;r. a. No.. Il, !
druntar r.hh,s - 3 5 R,nrr q E..t'
on, Ard th,,s he uo,,id run or ~ |.
long time ,rr,Sh NOR ~, x,e,,s,,,.sst,v m a. !
NE "a !, ,,os-;,,l,, .s..c-s,,s . - s...k,
Ic w prswrs . saI,o,r-rv;.o,,., q, sth-
9fTara,d ~ ryaaao,,,,, sor Nover,l l,ev
taso Tta c,,,aaror.tso. a. IA rohr
p~cvrr 4, A,s 4. !. I,tt,s sen = r,sts,<,.ssr.,
g. r,adr.-, a nav -. b,,t thers -
CO. v,,s,,a-.s. th.t bss rev;ng. ~.,.
Hts thss =, .r,,.f.,c.
The eject of fhese murders was yery
great upon the community. and on the
fortunes of Kansas I: but il was not al
all what the conamander of the North.
ern army,, anticIpxted. He expected &c
precipitate a resolution: but instead O,
this. the sbolItionjsts of Lawrence
even. almost rnanimously denounced
the deed. Public resolutions were pass
en- concerning the matter. lamenting 1,
| "A most unfortunate. The Missourians
however. came on. ipflamed with right
eous wrath, hunting old John Brown
aud his boys. ready to shoot them a
sight. Frederick they did shoot thus
and they burned the cabins Of all In,
Browns and all their kin. drove ava,
their stock. and took vengeance upor
/ them i'm whatever wavs they could
Browns resistance. and how he tough,
at Black Jack. ara well known. But !,
is not generally understood. however