The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-19
JOHN BRoHN,s PISTOL.
History or . Weapon In the Possession OF n
Dealer In Curios In This city.

Bintory OF q Weapon In the Possession OF n
Dealer in Curios In This city.
In the window OF u curiosity shop in Third
avenue is exhibited the pistol which John Brown
used at Harper's Ferry. II is a loag-barreiled.
short.grip S2-calibro revolver of the "ChiCopee"
make. and all but one OF its seven chamber con-
tain loaded cartridges. That one chamber holds
an exploded shell, and from 1t was undoubtedly
fired the leaders last shot before he was over
powered by the marines in the engines house at
Harper's Ferry. Tho weapon is just as 1t was
when in 1889 Browns raiders were defeated
and killed or captured in their first encounter.
Arms had been sent to Brown while he was In
Kansas fighting the Border Rufians and ma
tn ing his plans for freeing the slave These
arms were mostly pixies, but some rifles and re-
volvers were sent by friends in Massachusetts
through the agency o! a Mr.. Brewer. and this
pistol was in a consignment from that source.
After the first attack at Harper's Ferry. Browns
men retired to the engine house. taking with
them a number Of prisoners, among them Capt,
Drngerdcld OF Virginia. pa ymaster Of the United
States Army, who was Browns first captive. At
that time Brown was armed with a rifle and the
Chicopee revolver. Captain. atterward Major
DanVerield, had known Brown slightly. and be-
came much better acaLaiuted with him during
the brief period when he Was IA prisoner. He
has written the most accurate account extRnt OF
the charge OF the marines under Col. Robert f.
Lee, tho breaking in of the engine house door,
and the capture of Brown after he had fallen,
with a dozen bayonet wounds in his chest and
arms.
At Browns request, the pistol found on him
was presented TO Capt. Dangerfeld as a me-
mcnto; 1t remained in his possession uninter-
ruptedly until 1854. when Thomas Hovenden.
tie artist, who was killed u few years ago At a
railroad crossing in New Jersey while trying to
rescue a child, was at work on his painting
Last Moments OF John Brown At that time
ever, could make no use OF 1t in the picture. SO 1t
was returned to its owner. Subsequently 1t
came Into the possession OF a relative of his. and
was by him transferred TO the. dealer in curios
in part payment OF a debt. Not long after the
weapon came into the dealers possession his
shop was visited by Edward G. Brewer. son OF
the man who had bought the arms for John
Brown. Tho de tler mentioned the fact that he
had John Browns pistol.
SHOW i TO me" said MI. Brewer. IF 1t is
genuine It should be a Chicopee with a hand
somely figured cylinder"
The curio dealer produced the revolver, which
his visitor examined with great interest.
THAT IL the pistol. without doubt" said Mr..
Brewer. Il can identify IL positively"
Somo time ago William II. Schicffclin offered
! Tho dealer values 1t at $500. A Chicago collec-
tor and dealer once wrote TO him 10 send tho
pistol, for, inspection. saying that he would
PROBABLY buy y nj the owners price, but tho
his shop and nowhere else.
1t is too easy 10 initiate such a weapon says
the dealer. He might have kept the original
and sent me back n fac-simile. That WAS done,
as | happen 10 know, In the case OF one OF the
most famous shooting cases in the history OF
of a certain person who quietly substituted an.
other, and the person who now congrstulates
himself on the possession OF tho pistol that
Killed so and.so simply owns a bogus article"