The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-21

| In few weeks, so that whatever is
| done must be done at once. They have
| a large quantity of arms at their rem
devious, and are probably distributing
| them already AS | am not fully in
their confidence this is all the informa-
ton l can give you. l dare not sign
| my name to this, but trust that you
will not disregard the warning on that
account
Before the committee Secretary Floyd
testified as follows, in explanation of
his having dlsregarded so definite q
warning.
Il received this letter last summer
in Virginia. My attention was a little
| more than usual attracted to it. and
laid it away in my trunk. L receive
many anonymous letters and pay no
attention to them. l do not know but
that l should have paid attention to
this, Notwithstanding it was anony-
nous, as the writer seemed to be par
ticular in the details; but 1 knew
there was no armory in Maryland and
supposed he had gone into details for
the purpose of exciting the alarm of
the secretary of war and having a pa
rade. l was satisfied in my own mind
that scheme of such wickedness and
outrage could not be entertained by
any Of the citizens of the United States.
L thought no more of the letter until
remembered it and believed the first
| intelligence that we received from
Harper's Ferry to be true, because /
recOllected the contents of the letter.
| had shown the letter to nobody eX-
ccpt a member Of my family, until the
outbreak at Harper's Ferry. Immedi-
ately after the outbreak the letter was
hunted up and published. The object
in publishing it was to show that the
raid had more significance than mere
local outbreak. and that the country
might be put on guard against any
thing like a concerted movement.
had no means Of knowing who wrote
the letter. A gentleman in Cincinnati
whom l knew wrote to me for the let
ter, believing that the handwriting
might be traced. The writer was not
discovered, but they had strong sus-
picion that a certain person somewhere
in Kentucky had written it,
Before the investigation had begun
detectives were at work trying to trace
it to it's author, the slavery men belieV-
ing that if they could find him he could
be compelled to disclose the names of
the persons from whom he learned the
facts mentioned in the Floyd letter,
and evidence could thus be secured to
implicate prominent Abolitionists and
Republicans in the conspiracy. Sus-
picion was directed against Hugh
OIOSS, JOHu DIOWu OElll master,
against Edward Babb, of the Cincin-
natl Gazette, against an unknown Gin
cinnad reporter who had procured the
information from a Hungarian refugee
who had fought under Brown in Kan
sas," indirectly against John Edwin
Cook, of Browns forces, who was said
to have talked too much, and against
Richard Realf. the poet, who was an
associate of Brown at Springdale. Not
the faintest inkling of the real author
ship of the letter was gained.
Just before the writing Of the letter. 1t
must be remembered, John Brown had been at
Springdale, To-, which is largely a Quaker
| settlement and had made many warm friends
among the Quakers. who were strong Adolf
| tionists. Several young men of the village
| had Joined Browns little army. In August
! 1859, a short time after Brown had left the
| place. three young men of Rock Creek To-,
| drove over to Springdale, to visit Moses Var
| ney an old Quaker friend of theirs Every
| body in Springdale was talking of the mystic
| rious expedition of old John Brown. and the