Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1898-01-13
JOHN BROWN IN AUGUSTA.

Some very interesting papers have re
Gently come to light which tell of Johl
Browns presence in this neighborhoo(
just previous to his memorable raid d
Harper S Ferry. The papers were col
lected by the late Col. J. Marshall McCue
and portion of them, which we publish
will prove very interesting to our readers
Mentioning to friend what Col. knight
communicated to me, why, sir" sait
he, II slept in the same room with JOIN
Brown, under the name Of Lazarus B.
McLaiu, NJ. D., Lisbon, o., specialist
curing hernia, at VIM. S. Hangers, ol
Christian Creek. Mr. Hanger writes mt
as follows:
Moscow, VA. Oct. p, 1887.
Dear Sir-Y our favor was received
some days ago. You were correctly i'll
formed by Mr.. Samuel Life. touching
Old John Browns, as DR.. McLain. Wis
it to my house He drove up to my house
one evening in an open vehicle, might
term g Jersey wagon, aud asked If he
could spend the night. Meeting my son
John, he said to him, DO you know, my
son. what have p he said he did not.
Well, sir. have very hungry horse.
1t was cared for, the vehicle put under
shelter, and on the box or trunk, con-
tanning his baggage, l recall the name
DIR. Lazarus McLain,' as having been
inscribed very plain. We had company
that night, and Mr.. Samuel Life was one
of our guests. He was much more in
DIR. McLain's company than 1 was.
About the time for retiring, he came to
me and asked if that man, as he called
him, could conduct family worship.
replied, Certainly when the Doctor read
a chapter, sang and prayed.
MI. Life slept in the same room with
him. You inquire if he was at my house
after he was at Thinking SPRING? On
leaving my house he went in that direc-
tion, and [ heard that he preached there
afterwards. Of it's correctness [ do not
know. In the morning when he left, as
my children had to cross the creek OIL
their way to school, he carried them over
and sang "A. b. c. for them, the first
time, L doubt not. it was ever sung il
our section, and they haven't forgotten
it. rode behind his carriage some dis
tance, and on parting he went in the di-
rection of Thinking Spring. l cannot re
call the date, yet [ doubt not, Mr.. Life
can. Very truly yours,
VIM. s. HANGER"
append Mr. Lffe's communication
He is an intelligent, progressive farmer
and brother of Rev. VIM. Life. d. D..
at Tye, Westchester, New York, so long
and familiarly known as the principal OF
its celebrated Female Seminary:
ELK RUN, Augusta Co., Va, Dec. 3, g,
Dear Sir-In reply to yours making in
quiries about Old john Brown, alias Dr..
McLain, remember the the fact of call
ing at Mr. VIM. S. hangers when resid
ing On Christians Creek, to spend &
night. Meeting cordial welcome, he
said to me. we have guest, a Rev. Mr.
Nc Lain, who is also doctor of medicine
The doctor and myself spent the evening
in a free and pleasant conversation. At
the hour of retiring, I. perhaps, conferr-
ed with Mr.. Hanger about his conduct
ing family worship. which he did. We
occupied the same room, yet such has
been the lapse of time cannot recall any
point in our diversified conversation. He
was selling truss, for the cure of hernia
and l was struck with remark he made
as touching the negro. that as a class he
was more subject to that disease than any
other. You ask if he preached at Tink
ling Spring? 1t was the generally ac-
cepted belief in the neighborhood that ne
did, and the Rev. Mr.. See, the pastor al
that time, will no doubt remember The
fact. l thought little about him unit
after the Harper's Ferry raid, when one
of the pictorials, having the likeness O
those executed. l at once recognized tn,
Rev. DR.. McLain as John Brown. | have
no data by which can fix dates, but il
| was several months before the John Brow
raid. Very truly yours.
SAMUEL LIFE.
The Rev. g. S. M. See, for fifteer
years, perhaps, pastor of Thinking
| Spring, writes me:
Milford, Ellis County, Tex,
November 30, 1887.
Dear Friend Your interesting let
ter of October 3Oth was long time OF
the way. We have been trying hare
to recall all that was said and though
of Dr. McT.ain, alias John Browns
trip through Augusta county, and tn
Thinking Spring neighborhood.
| am satisfied that the impression tha
DR.. McLain took part in the publ
worship at 7. S. church is erroneous
John Brown affair, and the genera
opinion that DR.. McLain was job
Brown in disguise, to have forgotte
the fact that | had been in the pulpi
with him The man who was mistake
for him was a Rev. Mr.. Lackey,
travelling agent of the American Bibl
Society, or of the American Sunday
school Union, Of whom | formed S
poor an opinion that l discouraged hi
canvassing the congregation. He wa
in the pulpit with me and took som
part in the services.
l remember quite distinctly hearin
of DIR. McLain's having been at Jaco
| SWishpr's hOnSe q son in. law of M