Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-19
ONE OF JOHN BROWNS SPEARS,
A Relic Preserved by One Who Helped
Capture the Abofftionist.

Coptur0 tu0 AUOtHt1O0t6t.
A r. A. r ALLEN, residing u l2& New
INN jersey avenue, has In his possession an
1lW interesting relic Of the raid OF John
Brown at Hsrper's Ferry in 1859. This
~ il one Of the spears used by Brown and
his men when they attempted the liberation of
the slaves in that vicinity. The spear head is
Of iron. about eight inches in length, and h
Ike atwo-edSed knife blade On . Substantial
socket, into which the STAFF piece of hickory
six feet lons-is fastened Mr.. Allen secured
this relic, as well as . rife, when, after Browns
capture, he and some others we're pressed into
service and placed on duty at the engine house
to guard the old abolitionist and those captured
with him.
Mr.. Allen had been employed by q citizen
TO capture two Of mis- slaves who had run away.
The only clew rs to the direction the fugitives
had taken was information that they had gone
up the canal. At the time Of their departure
there had been no tidrngs received here of
Browns intentions, although IL WAS possible
that some Of the slaves had been privately mott
fed of them. Mr.. Allen came TO the conclu-
sion that the runaways might be headed of by
taking the railroad and took the train. II
went up By way Of the Relay House and the
main line" said Mr.. Alien, entirely oblivious
OF what was going on at the ferry.
THE TRAIN Stopped.
when We came opposite the ferry on the
Maryland side the train was stopped. Then
We learned by rumor of the fighting At the
ferry. We could hear ell kinds of rumors and
the train from the west We had not heard from
This was the train run by Capt Jack Phelps,
who was we'll known here a. one of the fessees
Of the Alexandria and Washington railroad.
There were only twenty-five or thirty of us on
the train and we remained on this side all
night We heard during. the night the move
ment OF q train over the river and finally
Phelps train came over. We then learned that
Browns men had stopped and held the train
for some hours, but that the leader, when he
was informed that the US. mail was on the
train, allowed it 10 paes. We then learned tina,
killed and others wounded Not knowing what
force the insurgents had we did not cross the
bridge, but remained on this side
THE CAPTURE.
I'm the morning the marines arrived from the
barracks in this city and they at once pro.
cssded to put down the insurrsction- A Capt.
or Lieut.. Russell, believe, was in command,
and under his orders the marines at once
marched to the engine house, where Brown
and few Of his men were. As We sfterward
ascertained, the insurgents could have killed
every one Of the marines had they been so dis.
posed, for they had arms and ammunition and
in the walls OF the engine house had been cut
loopholes on every eide. The marines, finding
the door fastened. secured ladder and used it
as a ram, bursting in the door.
1--WE, that is those Of the passengers who had
been pressed into service, having seen this
from the bridge at once rushed down. I re-
member that when first saw John Brown ne
was lying with his head resting ON the back OF
an upturned chair. [ looked at him and al
once recognized him as q man had seen be-
fore; in fact, had seen him only Q week or ten
lovra in. II
had been wounded, believe, in the shoulder,
but if he suffered he did not show it in his
countenance or by words. He was attired in
what appeared to be country goods, and with
bis long gray beard looked like well-to-do care
for-nothing farmer. was with him about three
hours and a half, and heard enough to satisfy
me that he was q badly disappointed man and
force of two to three hundred men he had
expected from Pennsylvania had failed to ma
terialize. In the afternoon the bodies of those
of Browns men who had been killed were re-
moved, and party went up on the heights to
search for arms but was then unsuccessful
FINDING THE ARMS.
"The next party that went out was rewarded
by finding two boxes of rifles and spears with
ammunition. was on guard when Gov. Wise
came up and had talk with Brown and three
or four other prisoners. The conversation be-
tween Brown and the governor lasted about
an hour and half. OF course, recognizing
Wise as the governor of the state, 1 stood OF
some distance and did not listen to what was
said. Brown understood to tell the governor
frankly what was his intentions, keeping moth
ing back, and believe he expressed his dis
appointment that he had failed and that eK.
pected friends did not appear. Toward the
close Of the interview Brown demanded good
treatment while a prisoner and asked that hi.
meals be sent him from the hotel This the
governor promised to attend to. As he left the
engine house the governor remarked TO me
He ia a most remarkable man. AS soon as
some other troops arrived we were relieved
and sent home"