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

|
my eyes rested on him. set him down as
an impostor. and so expressed myself 10
| my father. and my own family. My Ia
ther and mother had both been worked
upon by MIS- plausible palaver. his reaui-
ness In quoting Scripture. at which, as
you know the devil is said TO he an adept.
Paufs writings he had at his finger, ;
ends, and quoted In every breath. lie
saiu or the Scriptures they were un-
| equally distributed. a very large. class.
meaning the slaves. were cut of nom
| them altogether Here, YOU treat them
fairy well, | suppose. but In other parts
OF me state, they are led up 10 ,he
| I told him It was as false as anything
could be, they were humanely treated
everywhere i'm the South My having. ior
many years. been sufferer from hernia
| which he protested never to fail in cur
Ing. caused my father TO bring him TO my
| house to sell me truss Such was tne
| prejudice and aversion | had for MN, 1
very reluctantly consented to wear one
| CT his trusses. He had besides. hlich-
| ing strap" which he tried very hard 10
| sell my husband. that would prevent inc
| morse attached TO a vehicle. dong IL any
| injury, when hitched. Said he sold many
! OF them, but my husband couldn see IT'S
| merits. He made me a prescription OF y
tea ! must drink, the only ingredient OF
| several that composed II, that can re
! call, was the bark from hazel-rocts. lie
/ wrote IL out for me- and signed his name
| DR.. Lazarus Il. McIain. Lisbon, w. 10
| 1t. think may have it, and Will make
| diligent search. and it viii give me much
| pleasure to find II for you.
Yes. remember the Rev. Mr. Lee and
| wife spending day with me, some tline
after the war, while John BTowns vist
10 me was discussed | retired with Mrs
Lee. and exhibited to her the truss IN
which she manifested great interest
said, If IL had not been associated with
that arch impostor / might have believ-
ed was more benefited by II.
As soon as we heard OF the Harper
Ferry affair. l said TO my husband. 1
felt sure that we would hear that Or. Nc
Lain was at the head of II, when pres
emily Harpers Magazine made its APP
pearance. and sure enough, there he was,
the impersonation Of "old John Brown.
Did you know. sir that about the time
he was here. the report came through MI.
George Key, now deceased, that IN pass
ing through one of the Coles neighbor-
hoods Greenfield. I'm Nelson or North
Garden. I'm Albemarle. I do not know
which. he narrowly escaped being mobbed
because OF his tampering with the slaves
| replied | had not heard II. Continuing
her narrative. she said. Your uncle,
John McCue. called Squire fed ana mar
ketted each winter quite a number OF
fat cattle? We assented. You remember
one OF his negro men. Dick? i said l
did John Brown must have spent
night at your unclcs. as he interviewed
Dick early one morning. whilst tefdlng
the cattle and said to him he tDickl,
Knew tlidt MS people were Utlu III NiHf'i -
which was all wrong. but the time would
soon come when all would be free. mat
he must keep tho matter TO himself. hut
look out. a brighter and better day would
soon come when all would be
free. Dick went down that night
10 your uncle. Col Franklin McCue's.
who hadf as you remember. two negro
women Big and Little Sal. The former
and Dick were very intimate. ana ne com
municated TO Sal. all that John Brown
i II II ct,t. ID
found secrecy. She was. no doubt, faith
ful to tho trust
Immediately on the close Of the war, INC
majority of the negroes I'm all TINS re-
gion as YOU know staid al their old
homes. Sal moved near to me. and did
nv washing. 10 was then she told me
about old John Browns talk 10 DICK,
but. lar Miss Jane. while J thought /
moueht be free some day, / didn't believe
Il was dat close
believing that he spent the night after
he left her hcme. at her neiehbor' MI
John Laymans. she said that he set out
the next morning towards the valley
pike from Stanton 10 Winchester. pass
ing Mr. Thomas Turks on Long Meadow
run. as YOU remember, negro trader
very early In the forenoon. he encounter
cd Aunt Evaline. the old family ser
want. that nursed Mrs. Turk. at the wood
pile he engaged her in conversation. that
lasted so long az 10 arrest Mrs. lurk
attention. looking through the window.
When she eItefFn the klicNtnf Sic h1h-
ed Evahne who that old man was VINO
discoursed her so long. and what was he
talking about? ! don't know what his
name was. Mistuss. called hcselt Doctor
and was talkin about ms nigger-i SAID
you know you all got a hard time, white
people got no right &c hold you slaves,
that the time would come soon when you
all make your masters howl. ana deyl
wish dey had nebber been born. Dat we
must listen and keep our ears open, dat
we would soon git good news from far-
pers Ferry and we musf all be ready 10
iine EN- and a heap more. can't mind
all he said. Mr.. Turk returned 10 dinner
when his wife told him Of the occur
renee. lie scarcely took time TO eat his
dinner when he set ont In pursuit OF the
old man. He traced him 10 the Valley
McAdamlzed read, and 10 tol-eatc
above the village OF Mt. Sidney. the fe-
male who collected toll. Informed him
that a man answering his description.
passed through several hours before
down the Valley. did not pay his toll. say
ing he would 90 so as he returned. NCt
long after Turk passed through. 3Town
came back By a by-road. by whicn they
failed 10 meet. She told him OF Mr. TURK
enquiring for him. Brown evidently knew
all about Turk his aVOcatiOn, size. char
acter. &c. and understood very well his
purpose Paying his tell. he crossed inc
pike. turning his face towards the Noftn
Mountain. After an hour or TWO TURK
returned. and learning the direction Brown
nose. Brown eluded him. She said 10
me- knowing Thomas Turk as well as
YOU did YOU will concur with me. when ]
saw had he OVCrtaken the Old man, the
Harpers Ferry Raid would never nave
come off and the country would have
been saved bood-shed. excitement, ana an
enormous expense" ] assouted. that II
was very probable. and the encounter
would have been desperate enc. with
men Of very nearly equal size doout the
same age and in almost every respect
well-matched.
may remark here. that IN John
Browns conversation with Evaline. IS the
first and only time. in all my investiga-
tons where the words Harper ferry
were ever used by him.
If Mrs. Jacob Swisher made any refer
encc to a brother Of her husband, Mr..
John Swisher. 4 few miles below Naynes-
bore. | do not remember it, lie learned
through some source | was Investigating
John Brown. and sent me word that ne
could give me Information ! round a re-
markable looking man. near eighty years
old, possessing a fine. open countenance,
an expressive eye, and vigorous mental
powers.
Introducing the subject. he said that he
was indebted to John Brown" alas DR..
L. Il. McLain's visit. as he believed, FOR
the fact that he was victim OF hernia.
and that his brother. Jacob. had given
him the information. He called early in
the daN. Saturday. 90 dlr ruff~ualiN ni"re-
ant for the season the 18th January. 1851.
lie was driving 4 fine sorrel stallion. 70 a
Jersey wagon. containing mis- baggage, a
number OF trusscs some patent medi-
cines. &c. His trunk or box was very
distinctly inscribed with his name. DR..
Lazarus g. McIain. Lisbon. o. Brown
was. in his estimation. rather ilne-look-
ing. tall stalwart. near 200 pounds IN
weight A heavy suit of hair tingeu With