The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1895-08-14
THE STORY OF JOHN BROWN, JR.
His Stirring Account of the Struggle
for Free Soil in Kansas.
Chicago Recor,

His Stirring Account of the Struggle
for Free Soil in Kansas
Chicago Record.
The only man living to-day of the
eighteen who, with John Brown, Of
Ossawattomie, struck the blow at Har-
per's Ferry, is Jason Brown, who resides
at Pasadena, Cal, and he is old, older
than was John Brown, Jr., who died
recently at the age of seventy-five, at
his home on Put-in-Bay Island. so
time passes away; the wide breach be-
tween North and South has narrowed,
aud is being bridged by sympathy and
a better understanding. No one would
have entered more heartily into the
ceremony of unveiling the monument
to the Confederate dead than John
Brown, Jr., who had worn nianacles in
Kansas prison for his hatred Of
slavery; who mourned father and
four brothers; who had seen the hair of
his vie turn white at the age of thirty
through grief and terror, and who had
before him, until his death, the remind
er of that terrible sacrifice of the peace
and security of his family in an I'M
beetle son, born to him while he was a
hunted fugitive.
The writer of this sketch had an in-
terview with him on his island home
one bleak autumn evening six years
ago, when the summer guests had all
departed from the big hotels at Putin
Bay, and he could stride the beach
unmolested by curiosity or the camera.
For he was not only historical char
acter, but also local eelebrity-a man
who would make his individuality felt
in any community. He had a robust
frame, and stood half a head taller than
the average men, even at the age Of
sixty-eight. He was broad ofshoulder,
strong of stride, handsome offace, with
a shock of iron-gray hair and patriarch
al white beard. He was free and cordial
of manner, had a liberal culture, and
was uncompromising in principle.
Every man who deserves the
name," he said, "has a principle for
which he sacrifices much or everything.
Mine is prohibition, Abolition abolish
ed. It's too early in the day TO say
that prohibition is not going to prohib-
it. Ii will when there is a Moses in
spired of God to lead the children out
OF their bondage to drink. | don't
feel the call a. did my father. But it
took the essence of abOlitiOnism, con-
centrated through ten generations of
Browns, 10 produce my father. IL be
gan with Peter Brown, the carpenter
who came over in the Mayfiower. None
of the family ever owned slave,
though the custom was common enough
i'm the North in colonial days, and the
Browns were always prosperous men.
| remember once my father reading the
Constitution of the United States to his
seven sons, and saying: Some one Will
arise and secure to the black man the
life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness
guaranteed in that document. Home
of the free, What a mOckeryr ! can
remember a hundred times in my youth
how we were thrilled by my fathers
tremendous earnestness. As We grew
older we noticed that he prayed often
alone. We believed in him a the
family of Mahomet believed in the
prophet, and world have followed him
unquestiOningly at any time. When
Kansas was opened for settlement, and
the slavery question was being agitat
ed, lac said: Now, boys, is the time.
Kansas needs Free-SOilers who will
fight and die if Necessary Without a
word of argument Jason, Owen, Fred
erick, Salmon, and myself-five Brown
brothers-went To Kansas with seed,
fruit trees, live stock, implements, our
young families, and two squirrel rifles
and revolver.
'1Six thousand border ruflilns from
Missouri had voted at the election of
the spring before. There were less than
one thousand electors in the State at
the time. We had the ague, and while
we were sick our crops rotted. We
lived in the midst of hostile neighbors
and were amenable To bad laws. The
murder of Free-Soil men began in lS55.
Six months later these assassinations
were avenged by the hanging Of six
pro-slavery men at PottawattOmie.
Any one who had heard him, a have
Il hundred times, would have known
that my father was an instrument pro-
duced by the exigencies of the time
that required him. do not believe any
volition of his own could have prevent
ed the march of events or his part in
them. His failure was victory; his
cause triumphed over his death. He
headed no party, changed no law, won
no battle and suffered an ignominiOus
death, but he left a principle that
animated ., ,OOO,0 900 people into action,
lifted the burden of slavery from the
South, and brought civilization for
ward one hundred years at single
stride And his soul goes marching on,
| cannot tell you how my heart leaped
the first time | heard that song. |
never heard how il originated, but all
at once half million soldiers were
marching to victory inspired by the
soul of martyred John Brown. The
Nation had just caught up with him
who five years before had been swung
off to Immortality and immortal fame
from the end of a rope.
"Harper's Ferry? | was not there, |
was in Canada, getting supplies 40 sup
port the fighters. / missed the hemp
necklace, but | wear slavery bracelets
vet" He rolled his sleeve above his
elbow, and showed a ring scar that
sunk deep and encircled the arm.
THAT ring Of skin came off with some
ropes in Kansas prison. After the
massacre of the six men at POttawat-
tOmie, Owen, Jason, and myself were
captured. My arms were tied back
with heavy rope, and | was forced To
run before cavalry escort all the way
to Ossawattomie in the hot sun. /
went insane, and did not know when
the ropes were removed, but had torn
| the flesh off my swollen and bleeding
/ arm, IN nm auauu and fhara ara fha