The record-union., 1897-12-27

OlSpeTSeO. MTS. 9rOWu, lie ScSoAo
wife Of the condemned man, was at
this time staying at the little hotel IN
the town, and it is said by those who
were with her that she gave as little
outward sign OF what she must have
suffered as did her husband.
The trial of Cook, Coppie and the ne
groes was not prolonged. Cook, who
was brother-in-law of the Governor
of Indiana, was at the request of the
latter, defended by the late Senator
Voorhees,, who made every effort in the
power of man for the life of the young
prisoner, among other things urging
that the youth of the offender should
partly excuse his folly. His final elo-
quent plea for the life of Cook moved
every man in the densely crowded
courtroom to tears. and despite the
anger of the people of the valley
aroused such sympathy for the young
! criminal that had his crime been al
most any other than it was, the brill
liant eloQuence and touching pleading
of the words would almost surely have
saved his life so Well fought for AS
it proved, however, the efforts of law
yer and friends We're unavailing and
Cook was, with Coppie and the negroes,
sentenced to be hanged few weeks
after their leader
AS there had seemingly been no effort
on the part of the prisoners to effect
their escape from Jail, the guards had
| toward the last days of the prisoners
! confinement, somewhat relaxed their
WatchfulnesS and We're. therefore. taken
greatly by surprise on the night prior
J to the day fixed for the execution of the
four criminals by the near escape of
/ Cook and Coppie. These men had from
| some unknown source obtained tools
with which they cut holes through the
walls of their prison sufficiently large
| to admit the passage of a mans body.
| Gaining in this manner access to the
yard of the Jail, their next move was
to scale the high wall, which inclosed
| the yard, without attracting the at
tention of the guards stationed out
| side. A bold dash over the walls would
in all probability have effected their
escape, as the guards had grown care
| less as we'll as tired of what had by
| this time, become their enforced duty,
and with death on the morrow staring
| them in the face 1t would seem that the
prisoners had little to risk; but becom-
ing tlmld at the last moment they en-
| deavored, through rather peculiar
| means. to ascertain whether the guards
were still on duty. Placing his hat on
the end of long stick each man eau
| tiously moved it a little above and
along the prison yard wall. This after
while attracting the attention Of
couple of the guards, of whom Mr. Boy
er was one, the latter, thinking the hats
/ covered the heads of their prisoners,
! fired, and, the alarm being given, the
men We're again imprisoned until the
| next morning, when they suffered the
| same fate as Brown.
| The prisoner, Stevens, had during all
| this time been suffering from a severe
wound incurred during the raid, and
ms trial had, therefore, to be put off
until he was able to appear in court.
When the time of his trial came much
sympathy was expressed for him. This
was greatly due to the fact that time
had very much lessened the anger of
the people against him, as we'll as to
has long Illness, his gracious manner
and extremely handsome appearance
he was man Of fine physique tower
ing above all those by whom he was
surrounded, and with decidedly hand
some features. 1t was brought out at
the trlal that he had when the insur-
gents seemed hopeless of success, ad-
Vlsed the killing of their prisoners and
burning or the town, and whether this
was true or false, it turned the sympa-
thy OF the crowd against him, and, like
ms unfortunate associates, he, too was
sentenced to death. Hazelet had for
long time been in hiding in the North
put was hnally captured, and Sentenced
TO be hanged with Stevens. They were
executed early in the spring of 1860
OT the others who ESCAPED none were
ever brought to trial
rather peculiar incident occurred in
connection with the case of John
Brown 1t appears that at the time Of
the trouble in Kansas, Brown had or
dered the killing of five pro-slayery
men, and in the killing of one Of these
ne is alleged to have taken a hand The
man referred to was killed in the pres
ence or his sick wife and little son, the
latter boy of 10 or II years. On the
news OF Browns conviction at Charles
town reaching the town in which this
woman ana son resided a collection
was taken up by the citizens of the
latter place that the boy might Journey
TO the place of execution and place the
rope on the neck of his fathers alleged
murderer. The journey was made. but
the boy arrived too late. Brown had
been dead several hours.
| The gallows on which Brown was
executed was later purchased for
small sum by man named Cockerill.
living little beyond Charlestown. who
fashioned the lumber into a porch for
the front of his residence. During the
war few years later a company of
tnion soldiers made this ghouish house
their stopping place for a couple of
DAYS, ana before leaving the neghbor-
hood several of the men were greatly
reJolced at being able to secure pieces
OF wood from the tree under which
John Brown was hanged. being bliss
fully unconscious of the fact that the
porch on which they were at the mo-
ment comfortably and contentedly
resting had been Browns gallows.
A relative of Cockerill loaned the
porch having so unenviable a history
to Chicago for exhibition during the
fair, receiving, it is said, quite a good
sum for the loan. Several efforts were
also made and large sums offered to
secure the presence OF Mr.. Boyer at
the fair as being the only juror living
who had served at Browns trial. The
Wife of the old juror, however, would
not hear of his going. For the rea-
son." she seriously remarked that for
every dollar might come two bullets"
She apparently had no faith in the al
legged peace between North and South.
But then, what woman would like the
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