The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-12-05


That he had heard all about me was
very evident. as indicated In his imme-
date request 10 have me make an ap-
pointmsnt for preaching Yet the truth
OF the saying, Man proposes. Dut Sou
uisposos" was soon most strikingiy MUS
trated. As night approached the shy
became overcast, the mercury ran wv "
most rapidly. the wind shifted TO VIZ
north. and about Il. NJ. IL pcga" "
snow: continued all day Suhay' anu
what was most extraordinary III o,' ~,
latitude. the mercury was below go -,
day and that night. and the drums -.
the snow-s,ich ali over the State-'nat
In Richmond a dray or OMNIBUS u'u,i
reach Main street for a week. JNiies
river was frozen solid for six weeks anu
DIR. Cox a prominent physician across
the river. i'm Chesterfield. was 'roN'h y
death. The result was. ! was constrain-
ed 10 entertain DR.. McLain uiiui la'
Monday evening This memoraoie s'o, !"
was the 18th OF January, lsoi' auu "s oui
sister-in-law. Mrs. Jacob Snlrper II "
the opinion that the day after he left
her home he was pursued by MT. YIN
10 the Valley Pike. II il conclusiVe ina.
ne visited the Thinking Spring section .,
the county twice. as tine Wedtn,i
roads would not have admitted NJ ~"
terviewing the woman Evaline, or oelns
able TO get to the Valley Glke' do S''
said was the case. -
Reference has been made 10 tne std"
ment that he was threatened win lyhcn-
inc IN the RocKhsh Valley, In Nelson. a
gentleman i'm Nelson informs me tha' ne
interviewed "Iincle Charles, a Nenefd-
bic Baptist preacher, living near bates-
Vile in Albemarle Charles says ne Hie'
Dr. McLain several times in that helsh-
bOrhood. driving a very iine morse 10 a
light. fOur-wheeled vehicle lie stopper
him on one occasion and asked MN !
the colored people were not very oduIS
treated and very much dissatisfied II they
would not greatly prefer to be free, and
IL they were not ready TO rise ana thro"
on the yoke
Charles said when he asked him inc
questions. he got scared. rs he had inc
confidence and respect Of the white peo-
pie; he was afraid they would suspect
him of being mixed up with TINS man.
lie said he told the Doctor that the whi'e
PEOPLE had always been good 10 MN
and that he always intended TO stand ny
them.
When he saw that he couldn't move
me. he said TO me. that in less than four
years this whole country would How III
blood. and ! tell you. old man, these Dig
shareholders Will howl. He said ne
didn't tell HIM his name. or where ne
was from. but that he was doctor.
other persons who remembered Or. Nc
Lain were Mr.. James Harris. near Green
field in Nelson county: Major William
Woods. near Lodebar Nelson. and Mr..
w r. Rodes, Of the same place. who
fixed the time Of McLain's visit as In tine
latter part OF the summer and fall OF
1856: Garrett ". Martin. OF Covesville,
Albemarle county and Messrs. Thurmond
& Hudson. merchants. near Mr. Martin s.
also. Mr. John W Hill. a prominent mer-
chant on South Rockhsh
Mrs. Major VIM. d. Hart near North
Garden. Albemarlc. when she wrote 10
me. was on a visit 10 A sister IN Spo'tsNl-
vania county. December %. 81: cot
NcCue.-Am just IN receipt OF your let
ter-forwarded TO me. asking about old
John Brown | remember distinctly That
a man approached my husband one Sab
bath, at the Cove church introduced him
self az Or. NcLain. and requested the
privilege OF spending that evening with
him. which he did. He professed 10 have
been successful in curing hernia. and eN-
amined two of the servants. although ne
was informed that they were supplied
with trusses. | bought from him tin
box Of t-poison. he extoled very highly.
though | never used A. We did not sus-
pect him OF being anything else than
what he appeared, until two years after
he was hung. was on a visit to my
brother-in-law. the late Hon. Daniel {.
DeJarnette. nsCaroline county. He told
me or ms having been present at Browns
execution. and that the moment his eyes
rested on him ne remembered him as DR..
McLain. who had been at his house in
So selling trusses. In an instant l re-
called the name OF McIain. and 1 said
20 Daniel. hat he.had been at our house
in the fall OF IS. engaged i'm the same
business. From the description | gave
him he said he was satisfied IL was the
same man. pr. McLain-the veritable
John Brown. hope Mr.. Coles has given
you the desired information. II is pos
sible, though many years an invalid, that
my sister, Mrs. Daniel &. DeJarnette,
will remember the conversation between
her husband and myself. as also the cir
cumstances of DR.. McLain's two or three
visits TO their home in Caroline"
Mr.. Elliott DeJarnett replied for his
mother TO my letter. and says:
My mother says my father saw John
Brown in the Charlestown jail and at
once recognized him as the DR.. McLain.
whom. some time before the raid, he
had seen under his own roof several
times. He was for some time in this
county. "A short time before the raid. |
was young at the time. but / remember
the excitement about an itinerant preach
er. or doctor travelling through the coun-
try. whose views on the subject OF slavery
were not considered orthodox"
John II. DeJarnette. Esq. a brother OF
Hon. Daniel G.. DeJarnett before men
toned. near Bowling Green. Caroline
county. Va. in reply TO letter of mine.
says under date of March l. IS:
Dear Sir-Yours OF oath February is
received / do not personally remember
John Browns visit TO our community
but from my neighbor. John w. VOL
folk. Esq, have elected the fact that
such a person. beyond all doubt. passed
through this county. Dur
Ing his trial. or perhaps after his eXecu-
ticn, ne saw his likeness. that was AT
once recognized by himself and family
as a. striking one of the truss doctor
whose name he can't recall 1 myself
recall the fact that after his execution
1t was generally believed he was the
same person above referred to. l will
make further inquiry, and furnish you
any additional facts.
Wishing You success I'm your investi-
cations, / am Yours truly.
'JNO. III. D'JARNETTE."
Judge VIM. Pope Dabney at present
/'dg> OF the County Courts OF Cumber-
land a>d Powhatan counties. writes NE
as follow:
"Nwhatan c. H. March 2 'SS
My Dear Old Friend.-l have been
making investigations about Old John
Brown So many OF our old people are
dead can get but little. / remember my
self that during his trial it was said that
he had been in Cumberland county SELL
trusses. ! read your letter TO large
crowd at Cumberland G. H.. in the tav-
ern, after holding my last court there.
4 NJ c.iI t,f