The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-26
BROWN AT HARpsR's FERRY.
A Rhode Islsnd Man Claims to Be the
Last Survivor of the Party.

A66s o4A N4hOt u t-C -
From, the Baltimore Herald.
PROVIDENCE, r. l., Feb. 20.-It was gen.
orally supposed when Owen Brown died in
Pasadena, Cal, two years ago, that the last
participant In John Browns raid on Har-
per's Ferry IN 1859 had passed away. But
that idea IS incorrect Richard W. Howard.
the only survivor Of the foray, lives at
Coweset, R l., and at the age Of 81 IS hale
and hearty, and bids fair TO live for many
years 70 tell the tale Of those times.
Howard was "a years old at the time OF
Browns attack on the old arsenal He was
Rhode Island boy and emigrated to Kan
sas. There he met Brown and Kagi,
Browns right-haud man. He aided them
in some Of their raids into Missouri after
slaves, aud was made confldant as 70 their
plans. A constitution was drawn up in
Canada, and under it Brown was chosen
commander-in-chief and J. Henry Kagi
secretary of war. Mr. Howard has a copy
Of this constitution 10 cipher, but says that
be has never worked ie out The story of
the rendezvous at the Kennedy farm and
Browns life there previous 70 the attack.
as related by Mr.. Howard, is interesting.
Brown expected men and arms from all
over the country, and, in fact, some aid
was approaching when he made the fatal
attack This attack was made ten days
there was traitor in their ranks. To secure
the 10000 rifles which Br wn supposed
were in the arsenal at Harper's Ferry was
the objective point The twenty-five men,
five OF whom we're blacks took the place in
the night, and met but little resistance. A
train came along and was unmolested, and
the engineer took the news to Baltimore.
Had Brown taken what arms his adhereDts
could carry and retreated to his rock-bound
retreat, Howark thinks all would have been
well, for the Kennedy farm was a place as
easily defended as Thermopylae. The second
day the troops arrived, and the little band
were shut in like rats in a hole.
After being driven out Of the arsenal,
Kagi and five others, Howard among them,
tried 20 hold dugout on the river bank
on the Virginia side. The fire became too
hot for them, and they started for rocky
island in the middle of tue river. Kagi and
the four other men we're killed, q half dozen
bullets striking Kagi at the same time.
Howard says that his escape was this way:
"When 200 men are firing at five it is
narrow chance. Troops were coming in on
the trains. That was the reason we took to
the rock. So much lead came down all
about me got into the river. l went under
the water and kept under. coming up but
once or twice. went with the current. and
when l got out far enough padded a little
faster. When floated the current helped
me a little. thought of that chance. 1t
seemed to be the only way. l saw dead
bodies floating down and the troops thought
l was killed with the Others. When l
reached land on the Maryland side 1 went to
the Kennedy house, from there to st. Louis,
and thence back to Rhode Island"
John Brown and six OF the captured men
were hanged at Charlestown, Va, for trea-
son and murder. Howard would have
shared their fate had he been captured. He
kept quiet until the war broke out, when he
enlisted in the Ninth Rhode Island regi-
ment. Howard is confident that if the
attack had been delayed the result would
have been altogether different. They would
soon have had thousands Of men to aid them
in their scheme of liberating the Virginia
slaves. Howard says that he knows where
Browns papers were buried. Howard was
impressed With Browns deep religious
spirit, the strict obedience of his sons, and
the confidence he had In the ultimate
success Of his scheme, and he resents any
attacks upon the martyrs sincerity or
sanity.