The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-08-06
 THE STORY OF JOHN BROWN, JR.
His Stirring Account of the Struggle for
 Free Soil in Kansas.
From the Chicago Record.I

from the Chicago ReeordI
 The only man living to-day of the eighteen who, with John Brown, of Os- sawattomie, struck the blow at Har- per's Ferry, is Jason Brown, who re- sides at Pasadena. Gal, 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 and is being bridged by sympathy and a better understanding. No one would have entered more heartily into the cer- emony of unveillng the monument to the Confederate dead than John Brown, Jr., who had worn manacles In a Kan sas prison for his hatred of slavery; who mourned a father and four broth- CTS; who had seen the hair of his wife turn white at the age of thirty through grief and terror, and who had before him, until his death, the reminder of that terrible sacrifice of the peace and security of his family in an imbeciIe son, born to him while he was hunted fugitive.
 The writer of this sketch had an fn- 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 Put-in- Bay, and he could stride the beach un- molested by curiosity or the camera, For he was not only historical charac- ter, but also a local celebrity--a man who would make his individuality felt in any community. He had robust l frame, and stood half head taller than the average man, even at the age of sixty-eight. He was broad of shoul- der, strong of stride, handsome of face, with a shock of iron-gray hair and pa triarchal white beard. He was free and cordial of manner, had liberal culture, and was uncompromising in principle. | Every man who deserves the name,'' he said, "has 8 principle for which he sacrifices much or everything. Mine is Prohibition. Abolition abolished It's too early in the day to say that Prohi- bition is not going to prohibit. It will | when there Is a Moses inspired of God to lead the children out of their bon dage to drink I don't feel the call as did my father. But it took the essence of abolitionism concentrated through ten generations of Browns, to produce my father. It began with Peter Brown, the carpenter who came over in the Mayflower. None of the family ever owned a slave, though the custom was common enough in the north in colonial days, and the Browns were always prosperous men. I remember once my father reading the Constitution of the United States to his seven sons, and saying: Some one will arise and se- cure to the black man the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness guaranteed in that document. Home of the free
 What mockeryp can remember a hundred times in my youth how we were thrilled by my fathers tremen- dous earnestness. As we grew older we noticed that he prayed often alone. We believed in him as the family of Ma homet believed in the prophet, and would have followed him unquestion- ingly at any time When Kansas was | opened for settlement, and the slavery question was being agitated, he said
 Now, boys, is the time. Kansas needs freesoilers who will fight and die if ne cessary.' Without a word of argument Jason, Owen, Frederick, Salmon an6 myself-iive Brown brothers-went tc Kansas with seed, fruit trees, live stock implements, our young families and two squirrel rifles and a revolver.
 Six thousand border ruffians from Missouri had voted at the election oi the spring before. There were les: