Omaha daily bee., 1884-11-07
JOHN BROWNS FAMILY.
Where They Are Domicilcd-Kcmi-
nlscenCes of His Rad
New York Graphic.

New York Graphic.
Oven Brown, the only direct survivor
of the Harpers Ferry episode of 1859
lives in the Jay Cooke island mansion
"Gibralter' near Putin Bay island.
Sandusky bay, Lake Erie. Owenis now
90 years of age. The gold medal given
to his fathers widow, Mrs. Mary Brown,
by French admirers of the old Puritan
fighter and hero, has been sent to him
from California by his half sisters and
brother, Aunie, Sarah ane Solomon.
Annie, the eldest daughter of the second
marriage, is employed in the United
States mint at San Francisco; solomon
lives on the California farm, near Red
Bluff and Sarah, with her husband
teaches school in the county. Watson
and Dauphin Brown, their brothers,
were killed at Harper's Ferry on Oct. Is
1859.
The government has just sold the ia.
nous engine house with all its other
property on the former arsenal grounds.
1t is to be hoped that the new proprietors
will find 1t to their interest to preserve
this interesting historical building; at any
rate, there ought to be enough admirers
of old John Brown to repurchase the
engine house and put it in position for
permanent conversation.
The children of John Brown by his
first wife now living are John, Jason,
Ruth and Owen. Frederick was killed
on the morning of the fight at Osawato-
mie, Kan, early in August, 1856 Alto.
gether, four of the Brown family died in
Es,l,t a, -, lAl, I,,Nl
put In Putin bay island, Owen is care
taker of the Gibraltar mansion and Jason
resides on an island near by. The two
Browns and Mr.. and Mrs. Thompson
ruth Brown) arc vineyardists, and grow
grapes for the market. The we'll known
Kelly island grapes are all raised
on the islands of Sandusky bay.
Putin bay is a favorite summer
resort for the Northern Ohio and
like. shores cities. John Brown, Dr.,
and his wife Wealthy receive sum n,r
boarders, and they are great favorites.
Capt. John Brown, Jr, is nearly or quite
sixty years of oge. They are all persons
of considerable mental force and marked
traits of character. Owen is eccentric
and quite a recluse. Henry Thompson,
Ruth's husband, lost his brother William
at Harper's Ferry. He was first captured,
afterward taken from Foulke's hotel, and
then shot and flung over the railroad
bridge into the Potomac by the Virgin
iaus. Annie Brown, the quiet, staid,
and pleasant middle.aged ady, now
working in the United States mint in the
city of the Golden gate, was girl of
seventeen at the Kennedy farm, Mary
land, where the John Brown party rend-
ezvoused until the 10Th of October, 1859,
two nights before the attack was made.
The only survivor of the fight now alive
Is Owen, and he owes his
escape to the fact that his
father sent him to the hillside school
house near the ferry, wherein two hun
dred Sharpes rifles and sixteen hundred
pixies had been stored. 1t is curious
incident in the later ones clustering
around the John Brown associations that
the heartiest recognition bestowed on
him for courage and devotion was made
up to the day of his own death by Henry
A. Wise, of Virginia, and that the mean
est of all attacks on Browns fame has
emenated from or through the influence
of Ex-Governor Charles robinson, of Kan
sss, and the veteran Amos A. Lawrence,
of Massachusetts. Robinson's hostility
is easily accounted for in his having been
30 completely overshadowed by the old
soldier, and that of Mr.. Lawrence may
be upon the plea that his reminiscent
mind is colored by friendship for the ex-
Governor.