The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1895-10-04

~ "hiSu nc ntu lallen, and lean
ing on two men because of weak
ness from five severe wounds.
Virginia could not wait till he
could stand an eminent foreign
writer had said. He legged for
a short postponement, until he
should be in a little better state
of health, and until he could
make reasonable preparations
for the defense. when / was
taken prisoner he said, Il did
not ask for quarters; did not
ask that my life be spared" But
the Governor of Virginia had
promised him a fair trial; and he
impiored the Judges, for their
own sake, rather than for his,
/ not to make a sham of ii. IF
you want my blood" he said,
you can have it, at any
moment without going through
with a mockery of trial. / have
no lawyer; i haye been unable TO
take advice of any one. There
are extenuatlng circumstances
which l would adduce in our
favorif we could be granted a
fair hearing; but if you wish to
force an empty form upon US
you had better spare your pains.
| am ready to meet my fate" The
Courts answer to this appeal.
which the Prosecuting Attorney
called "trifling," was that the
trial must proceed at once.
Two lawyers were assigned 10
Brown, and they entered a plea
of insanity in his favor without
consulting him. He promptly
expressed his disapproval of such
a defense. Il look upon it, he
said to the court, as a miserable
artifice and pretext OF those who
ought to take a different course
with regard to me, if they took
any atall, and | view itwith con
tempt more than otherwise. ]
am perfectly unconscious of in
sanity, and ! reject, so far as /
am capable. any attempt TO in
terfere in my behalf on that
score. i There was no dispntel
about the facts and only a few
witnesses were introduced. Dur
ing most of the argnmentsBrown
lay on a pallet, with his eyes
closed; and when the verdictof
guilty" was read he said not a
word, but merely turned to adj.
just his rude bed, and then com.
posedly stretched himself upon
it. Then he was removed TO
prison until the next day, when
he was again brought into court
and called upon TO say why sen
tence of death should not be
pronounced. His reply was the
famous plea, which has been de.
clared by competent judges to
be a masterpiece of simple and
effective oratory. He disclaimed
any design except that of freeing
the slaves, and offered as his
justification the law of God, the
teaching of the Bible. The plea
was an unavailing one, of course
and he was sentenced TO be hang
ed a month hence, on the I'd Of
December.
When the fatal day arrived,
several thousand miltiamen, in.
fantry and cavalry, were assemb.
led, the loaded cannon were post.
ed so as to command the gallows
and the principal streets of the
town. No stranger was permit
ted to come within two or III roo !
miles of the place of execution. |
During several Proceedings days,
the hapgmau's rope had been ex-
posed to the morbid gaze of the
populace. Three States mad
contended for the doubtful honor
of furnishing it, Kentucky had
won, on the ground that her
hemp was stronger than the cot.
ton of her competitors. Brown
was busy up to the last moment
with the making of nis will.
When the parting with his com
panlons came, he exhorted them
to be brave and steadfast, and
gave to each of them-with the
exception of Cook who had tried !
TO save himself by falsehood--a
twenty-five cent piece, 'since he
had no more use for money" He
mounted waiting furniture
/ L:oIe LIZ