The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1895-12-05
CARL BROWNIES ARMY.
Enlists a Company O1Mountain-
Where He's Staying.
200 STANDS OF GUNS

Secured by Carl for His Army-It is
Said the Expedition May Co to Cuba
TO Help Out the Fighters for Free
dom-Coxey's Followers Urged to
Join the New Movement-Brown wne
Nicely Situated la Mountain Home
The Proceedings Regarded as Very
Queer.
SPECIAL TO THE NEwsDEMooRAT.
Washington, ID. c., November 30.-A
Washington gentleman who has spent
week hunting up In the Blue Ridge, in
the vicinity Of Front Royal is authority
FOR most interesting story In regard to
the present whereabouts and operations
of Carl Brown, who became conspicuous
as the aid and son-in-law of Coxey, the
labor agitator. After marrying Coxey's
daughter and making his home for sew
eral weeks in Washington, where his
huge figure, clad in deerskin garments,
became familiar street sight Brown he
tC ok himself to Virginia, and, 1t is said,
became the bosom oomrade and oonfldant
of Captain o. 9. Cullen. On the noun
tein farm where Cullen built his hotel
are several old abandoned log houses
nearly fallen to the ground. In one OF
these Browne has made his home, and,
according to the Washington sportsmanss
is snugly ensconced there, with very COM
Portable surroundings, and living in no
apparent want of any of the necessities
nor some of the luxuries of life. Pursu-
ing his aptitude for Caricature and sensa-
| tional pamphleteering, Browne has spot
| ted the mountain roadsides and wood
lands with his peculiar handbills, exhort-
ing the mountaineers to rally around his
standard and become soldiers in the army
of industrial protest and reform.
The simple minded mountain folk, to
whom few words written or printed on
white paper are as magic, have responded,
and many of them have enrolled them
selves under his command. For several
weeks they have attended regular drills
on one OF the level mountain benches,
where the motley assemblage of lank and
swathy mountaineers, under Brownies
pompous leadership, have been perfeoting
themselves in the manual Of arms and
the movements Of the company.
Shipment of Arms.
A singular thing told in this connec-
tion Is the statement of the station agent
at Riverton that Browne few days ago
received two hundred stand of arms, with
quite o large supply of ammunition.
| Whence these guns came, or for what use
| they are to be placed in the hands of
Brownies company of 'mountaineers Is
thus far mystery. Some residents of the
community believe that Captain Cullen
has secured these rifles, and it is thought
that when the mountain recru is have
been sufficiently drilled, an effort will be
made to tender their services TO the COM
mander of the insurgent army In Cuba.
| Cullen has sent out large number of
nicely engraved invitations to people who
might be inclined to sympathize with the
Cuban cause, soliciting contributions of
money and firearms, and some connec.
tion is supposed to exist between this
action on his part and Brownies enlist
ment of men. To the mouDtaineers, who
are at this time of the year idle aud ready
for any kind of sport, the adventure is
doubly inviting, and they seem to be get
| ting q great deal of fun out of 1t.
The movement extends for good
many miles up and down the Blue Ridge
into regions where no wagon ever trav-
eled, and the means of communication is
over narrow mountain paths thickly be-
set with boulders and logs, and among a
population that subsists upon the sim
plest and most shiftless basis of living.
The older men among them having served
through the war in the confederate army,
take very naturally to Brownies sugges-
tions, and the younger ones initiate their
example with zest born Of their youth
and love of arms
Coxey's Men Invited.
Browne has kept in correspondence
with many of the famous army that
m lrched into Washington IN May of 1894,
and has sent out to them the same invita-
ton which has been given to the noun
taineers. These notifications assure the
old followers of Coxey that II they will
come to the Blue Ridge they need have
no concern about rations or place to
sleep, and that full supply of arms and
accouterments have been provided for as
many of them as will return to the old
cause So far, 1t is said, none of the old
followers of Browne and Coxey have
made their appearance. The well-to.do
people of the neighborhood, while they
look upon Brownies operations with the
mountaineers as good deal of joke,
and make no special objection to it, dc
not look with favor upon the assembling
of Coxey's old forces in their vicinity.