The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-02

young children. He did not complete his stud
les, think, but went to Kansas when he was
about twenty Governor Willard was born at
Utica N Y, Of old Massachusetts stock, and it
is said that his great great-unce was executed ar
Salem. Mass for hostility to the authorities
there who were hanging witches. The Cook
girls were bright and vivacious, and had fine
characters. Governor Wizards wife had been
a school teacher in southern Indiana when he
came there TO settle They were very fond Of
each other. Willard had the consumption. Gov
ernor Willard died while Governor, and his wild
ow survived him but a little while. Their son is
the leader of the Indiana Legislature. is Dem
ocrat, and has twice supported me for senator.
They had daughter, who is married to gen.
teman at Liverpool, Eng"
Said I: Ibid Captain Cook, of Harper's Ferry,
leave posterityi1
Eyes; he had child which was only about
four months old when he was executed. That
child lives at Bloomington. ILL.,, and is now a fine
boy or young man. The mother, whom Cook
married at Harper's Ferry, and whom he dearly
loved, is respectable lady. and has long been
married to her second husband"
Said /: "Mr. Voorhees,, you We're saying that
Captain Cook had not been responsible for your
line Of argument leaving him out of the usual
motives or status of Browns mem
''Wny," said the Senator, 1--WE who had come
there to save Cooks life had no other purpose
sister and parents. To that single end / bent
my whole argument. was Democrat. and an
anti-Abolition Democrat John Brown and his
raid were at the moment the subject of univer-
sal excavation. l made up. my mind if
possible to save Cooks life by putting
him in the position of young man
under the magnetism of Brown. So denounced
the Abolitionists as not only responsible for this
raid, but for misleading this young man. L
used every point within my reach to that end.
There was not the least chance any other way
to get him off, and not much in that perhaps
But took the desperate chance. Now said
Mr.. Voorhees, lit Is singular fact that Cook
neither before nor during, nor after my defense
ever alluded to it. When [ was making my
speech, with Governor Willard sitting near me
and Cook not far off, and while L was denoune-
ing the Abotionists who would so peryert this
fair-haired wanderer ] saw Cooks face at one
time looking at me with q most extraordinary
expression Of countenance 1t that of as
tonishment- as if he was surprised that should
take tn at way of defending him. / have no
doubt myself but that old John Brown inferred
from my speech that Cook had deserted
his cause. The anti-slavery papers may
have fallen into that interference. But
there is nothing whatever TO sustain it in real
fact Cook never repudlated his companions.
lie always spoke OF John Brown to me in terms
of the highest admiration He spoke of his as
socates with equal respect. He simply allowed
his brother in-aw. for the sake of his sisters to
use what legal line they chose, bur he never
made suggestion nor did anything to alter my
firm conviction that he wasa sincere fanatic in
that extraordinary performance"
A REMARKABLE BAND OF MEN.
Mr. voorhees, remarked: 4Since time has
elapsed and / am speaking of things in their
aetualities. let me say this There never was,
probably, in this world such a remarkable band
of men as that of John Brown. Think of it, All
the band were mere youths, almost boys ex-
cept Brown himself and he was perhaps
sixty years of age. They fought with him
N the most unfinching way, lost their
lives with courage unsurpassed. and those who
remained to be executed were cool, consistent
and firm in the end None of them went to the
galows with more brayery than John Cook. In
respects he surpasses all the rest in force OF
character, heard him order his own coffin.
After he was sentenced to death, instead of Civ
ing way to despair, ne sat down and wrote that
most wonderful letter to his wife and mother,
telling them to bring up the boy to unders tand
in what cause he had died. John Brown prob
ably thought from the nature of my defense that
Cook was not firm, but that was an error. When
Cook went to the scaffold with young Coppiek,
his cell-mate and the death cap had been pulled
over their faces, he said: Ned. where is your
handl Let me take your hand They grasped
each others pinioned hands, and died in peEfeet
compoSure'
1t here occurs to me that perhaps have mis-
quoted BIr. Voorhees, as to the time when Cook
wrote the above remarkable letter. think 1T
was written after he and Coppick had attempted
to escape and were brought out from their cells.
MR. Voorhees, said, / think, that he saw the
shackles struck from their feet, and that then
Cook sat down with the gaf1ows close before
him, having, indeed. but few hours to live,
and wrote the above cool letter in clear and
shaken hand
as another instance of Cooks GOODNESS, Mr..
Voorhees, said that he was q superb handler of
arms, and that Lewis Washington had remarked
to him Voorhees, that Cook could take a re-
yolver in each hand. and alternately lifting his
hands could drive q bullet through spot AS big
as ones eye.
Said i; ibid he show any gratitude to you for
your endeayors"
'sCook really loved me-" said Mr. Voorhees,.
He WAS more open and frank with me than
with his brother-inlaw. because he.knew that l
had complete sympathy for him. His brother
in law had refectsd On his cause. never did
TO MIN. ] took the Toy into my heart, and
while III the court j Esed my own way to save
his life L never upbraided him for what he had
been engaged in, privately. TO me he was
consistent bsing. notwithstanding my aversion,
at that time to Aaolitionism."
WAS he not a little set up in his own es-
teemg
'.He had confidence in himself, but do not
recall that he YVES vain He let us handle his
cause as we saw fit. AS have already told you,
he never erred TO my speech in his favor,
though it was made 2 feature of by almost every
body else"
Said /: 81 would like to have from you an idea
of the delivery of that speech"
Il spoke about two hours, said Mr. Voorhees,,
land, although cannot say that there were tears
or. expressions of sympathy with Cook, the inter
est In the courtroom most remarkable L
saw old Lewis Washington for instance. who
was very nice man, and Whom Brown had
kept il the engine house. standing on the top of
a stove which had no fire in it, and on tp-toe at
that looking down at me with his mouth open,
and thought to myself: What is he standing
on that stove forg Then saw the people stand
ing on their chairs all around the court. AfterI
had finished the whole jury, led by their fore
man, came over to the hotel to say to me that in
Difference to my argument they hadno convicted
Cook of treason in order that he might have n
chance for executive clemency. All those prison
ers had been indicted for murder. for
melting slaves to rebel and for trea