Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-01-03
John BROWN AND HIS SONS.

! Inc following Is taken from 4 'ate copS
Of the New York Observer, and shonld act
as an offset to the many laudatory ''lives'
which have been published of that fierce
and murlerous John Brown. That Provi.
dence intended Virginia should be the
the sword in its hands for Kidding
the earth of This would-be scourge will be
made more apparent by q dispassonatc pc
rusal of the following, Notwithstanding
Northern admirers regarded him as mar
tyr and toled bells when his limp body was
suspended between heaven and earth:
'The other day." says IL writer in the
Chicago Herald, IL met Jason Brown, the
son of old John Brown, of Osawatomie and
| Harpers Ferry He is - gray-haired old
man himself now, but still a hard worker,
| a common laborer. He was rather bitter
against Rev. David \. Utter of Chicago,
and others who have been writing against
his father in the North .imerican Rccic,c and
other periodicals. Utter, it will be rcmcm-
bered, charges old John with the wilful
murder of five unoilending men III Kansas,
who we've taken from their homes and cut
down on the prairie. Jason admits that
these men were killed. aud that his father
approved OF it, though he did not do any of
the killing himself But he adds the impor-
| tant information that the men thus killed
had been selected at Il secret meeting OF
pro-savery leaders to assassinate the Brown
family. Jason Brown, who lives in Summit
county, Ohio, and John Brown, jr., whose
home is at Put-in-Bay, Lake Erie, arc the
only ones OF the famous family oil Brown
boys now living"
| Nv tor IN
| the North dmericun Rcciclr and which the
son of John Brown admits to be subtantially
correct. is us follows one of the most awful
chapters in the history Of human crime
The party consisted Of old John Brown, his
| five sons, his sou-n-law, and Townslcy. y
teamstcr, acting "a guide:
There WAS another man III the company,
| whose name was Wiuer, who rode Il pony !;
whether he had volunteered and agreed to
obey or not, VIC 10 not know. 1t is not
| probable that any Of the men at this time
| knew exactly what they were going TO do.
1t was the Brown family obeying their
father, AS in duty bound, with Il tcamS' cr iii
their employ and neighbor joined to the
expedition, probably because it was going
toward his home.
"When they campcd that night they were
| near the Potawatomie Creek, and here old
| John Brown revealed his plans FOR the war.
He asked Townsley to guide them up the
creek some four or five miles, into the neigh
| borhood where he lived, and show them the
houses Of all the pro-slavcry men, saying
| that it was his intention to sweep the creek
as he came down of all the pro-slavery men
living on it. Townslay refused to become
| even the guide cf any such expedition. On
account OF thisreiIl the party staid in camp
all that night and the next, talking the
matter over. 1t seemed to Townsley, and
probably also TO some OF the young men
! that this sort Of killing was murder. Old
John Brown urged that it was necessary IS
a war measure; it was time for the war 10
begin in earnest; war there must be TO
abolish slavery; God had foreordained him
to begin it. Once u decisive blow was
struck, the fatal peace policy inaugurated
at Lawrence would be at an end, and the
Free State men would be obliged to unite
and fight Missouri The end Of the matter
was. that late on Saturday evening Towns
ley yielded, either TO force or argument, and
acted rs guide upon an expedition much
less extensive than had been originally
planned, but sufficient surely TO cover the
name Of John Brown with infamy forever.
The first victims of this murderous foray
were found in family named Doyle, resid-
ing on Mosquito Creek, which cmptcs into
the Potawatomie Here Townsley, Winer
and Frederick Brown remained outside the
house, while the Captain and the rest of his
family entered and brought out James P
Doyle and his two sons, Drury and William
These prisoners were taken along the road
| toward Dutch Henry's' for about two hun
dred wards. Here the Captain gave the
order for their slaughter, but it was either
misunderstood or disobeyed. Old John
Brown then himself drew his pistol and shot
the father, James Doyle, in the forehead
Watson and Oliver Brown then fell upon
the Younger Doyles, and William fell dead
at the first cut OF one Of those murderous
heavy sabres. Drury Doyle started to run
to the house, but was overtaken by his as.
sailant and cut down. There was younger
brother of the Doyles, then sixteen years o1
age, in the house, whose life was spared al
his mothers fearful entreaty.
"From this place the Northern army as
the commander styled the little band
proceeded down the creek to the house o.
Allen Wilkinson, which was entered in the
same manner and by the same men. Mrs
Wilkinson was at the time sick with the
measles. When the men raped at the
door. she begged her husband not to oper
il, The men outside asked him to come ou
and show them the way to Dutch Henry's
He replied that he could tell them just a:
we'll without opening the door. The Brown:
then commanded him to surrender in thu
name of the Northern army and to oper
the door or they would break it open. Tn.
door was opened, and four men entered
and searched the house for arms. taking
gun and powder flask. They then told MT
Wilkinson to put on his clothes and go witt
them. He protested, saying that his VIII
was sick. and that he would remain at hom'
and beready to answer toany charge asalns
him whenever wanted. Mrs. Wilkinson en-
+rootod hut the CAPTAIN said, 1T matter