The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-12-05
JOHN BROWN OR HIS DOUBLE


| thought well. old fellow. l VIII get a
good trade out OF you by Mon1Ay.' The
cid man-his guest-was too smart for
| that. as ne added As soon as his moth
or saw him on Saturday evening. her
4 repugnance was such that she absented
| herself from the table until he left AZ
! ter the raid. Col. Armstead Long, In the
| upper end OF Amherst. and a West Point
graduate, asked him ~ he had seen old
John Browns likeness as that of Dr.
| McLain, who had been his guest? lie
| said he had not. when he showed him
enc. Tho circumstances under which II
was taken are unusually interesting and
| VIII very well hear telling. Col. Andrew
Hunter. who prosecuted Brown, and was
| the uncle of Porte Crayon." was asked
! by Brown. on the morning Of his execu-
ton, TO draw his will. Hunter said to
| him: Captain. you WELD "A ready pen,
take Il and l will dictate 10 you tes-
lament as TO this personal property
/ property In Virginia, that will hold good.
| II will be what Is called an olograph will.
| being written and signed by yourself II
| VIII need no Witnesses He replied:
Yes. but / am so busy now answering
| my correspondence OF yesterday, and this
| being the day OF my execution, haven't
| time. and wiz lie obliged TO YOU If you
! will write IT,"
Theroupon I sat down and drew the
will according 10 his dictation. After the
body of the win had been drawn he made
| a suggestion which led TO adding the
| codici II was drawn as he suggest
| cd, and VIII and codioil ore attested by
| John Avis and myself and were pr0bated
| in Jefferson county. This all occurred
q short time before the officers came TO
| take Brown out TO execution.
A evidence Of his GOODNESS and firm
rcss while I was drawing the will he
was answering letters with a cool and
steady hand. / saw no signs OF tremor
or giving away in him at all. He wrote
his letters each one of which was hand
ed TO me before IL went out while ! was
drawing the will, so as TO get done by
the time the officers came 20 take him
out. When they finally came. he grasp
ed my hand and thanked me In tho warm
est terms for the kindness / had shown
70 him from the beginning down 20 that
time.
left the Jail about 10 o'clock ana stood
at the corner above tho sail until the
procession was formed. The military
was drawn mp he was received out of
the Jail into a spring wagon, and the
procession moved around the corner OF
the Jail and out George street to the
field.
/ saw everything from beginning 10
end Of that mornings operations. and
preceded the procession 10y a few min
utes in getting out TO the field That
whole story about his kissing the negro
child as he went out OF the iail is utter
~ and absolutely false from beginning
TO end. lie was surrounded by soldiers
and no negro child could get TO him.
1 had a party of some fifteen or TWEEN
~. called my Suite" on that day. and
David H. Strother was among the num-
her. We were standing Immediately un-
der the scaffold when Brown was led for
ward and placed on the drop and Camp
bell the sheriff and Avis. the TAILOR, had
stepped back. l distinctly heard him
say, I'm "a plaintive toni. 81 hope they will
rot keep me standing here any longer
than necessary" Immediately on hear
ing which the signal was given 10 cut the
rope that supported the drop. which was
done, when his career ended.
Though very close TO Brown. we saw
nothing of tremor: his hands were clench-
ed. and he was as cool and firm as any
human being / ever saw under such
circumstances.
While the body was hanging. Strother
slipped up, raised the cap from his face.
and took sketch OF him hanging. lie
said that the celebrated Maria Chids. of
Philadelphia. had published that she
wanted to have n likeness Of Brown I'm
every condition OF life, 10 hang i'm her
room. and that he had taken the sketch
10 send her. that "she might have him.
too. whom he was finished" If he sent
it. she has the best portrait Of Brown
ever taken. That was the picture col
Long showed Mr.. OFT who understood
from him that "Old John Brown as Dr.
McLain. was under his roof although his
descendants do not seem TO have known
the fact
Note.-David IT, strother Porte
Crayon," though Virginian. sided with
the invaders Of his state. became an Off
Ger in the Federal army and served on
the staff OF General David Hunter when
he desoated the Valley of Virginia ed
Mr.. Nicholas Martin. near Gre enfield
in Nelson. told Mr.. OFT OF "Old John
Brown" and a prominent Baptist clergy
man meeting under his roof II was
my Investigation OF that fact that
brought out the letters OF BeN. j. NJ.
billiard Lieut. Governor Massey Mr..
John n. Martin. and cold john Brown"
There are few. l am sure south Of Ma
son and DiXOn's line at this late day who
will be prepared for this bit OF history
Ltout-GOVernOr Massey. before the war,
occupied a prominent position as min
lister In the Baptist Church. Soon after
the days Of Reconstruction ne Is found
taking an active part in politics. becomes
a ReadJuster, and under the Malone re-
gme the First Auditor Of the state. lie
split with Malone before the big Four"
was placed on the ticket with Gen. FitZ-
hugh Lee and triumphantlv elected.
When I heard that prominent Bap-
fist minister had spent a day and two
nights under the roof OF the late NichO-
las Martin. an extensive farmer ana mill
owner IN the Rockllsh Valley. I'm the
eastern part Of Nelson county. | wrote 10
Rev. James NJ. Dillard, a Baptist min
lister. at Tye River station. on the Vir-
ginia Midland railroad. in Nelson county
who replied:
"Tye River Depot.
January 2S. 81
my Dear Frlend.-T delayed replying
to yours of the 18th ult.. hoping TO get
more information In the line OF your re-
search, but by the intensely cold weather
have been confined TO my house. On
reading your letter. in presence Of my
family on mentioning "Dr. McLain's'
name. my daughter-in-law. sister OF
the present Ccunty-Court Clerk Of Am
herst county-Mr. Hill-sad he was AZ
her fathers, at Amherst Court House.
and sold him a truss for one OF ms ne
groes. | do not recall him myself
The Col. Long you speak OF as living |
near Lynchburg. is dead. but his son. the |
Row DIR. Long Is now professor in Gro |
zier College. Pa. I have known all the
Baptist preachers for 30 years who have |
lived In Nelson. Amherst. or Albemarle |
think, from my acquaintance with them |
that the Rev. Mr. Masseys now Lieut.
Governor. Is the only one who would as |
you suggest. have been likely to engage |
on such q discussion as YOU describe with |
Old John Brown as DIR. McLain. Mr.. /
Massey. about that time. was pastor Of
MT Ed" In Albemarle and "Adile'
churches. Ia Nelson the immediate sec
ton of country described In your letter