Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1899-08-04

Interesting Letter From nm Eye wit
ness and Participant

i"'sres''"E Letter From nm Eye Wit
ness ana Participant.
james w. Hunter, OF Miartinsbur,.
West Virginia, one OF the few pcrsons
living who witnessed the stirring
events OF John Browns time, Inns
written story Of the dave OF 80 for
Thomas DIV. Williams Of La Grunge.
The account wns written in Ortuber
1893, but never has been printed, Fol.
lowing il the story:
-Early in the fall OF 1859 John
Brown, with 4 small force of men. 10.
Gated in the s;utc Of Maryland. about.
two miles from Hnrpcrs' Ferry. lie
profcsscd 10 be prospecting for ore,
and remained :hcrr seven or eight
weeks.
"lIc cs,abli he'd his hCndquartr-s in
an old log school house where we
atterward found about 400 spears. the
weapons lie had provided his men tn
fight with.
II saw him every week ms he came
to the riill whcrr was va, kruy fnr
his nonr and rrrI Y, nu. Lrc,,neI
that he intended tn srizc uarpcr's
Ferry. but about II O'clock ON. San
day NIGHT hc. Nith :wenty.t.yn armed
men, biacl, urJ white tu,l, ,,s,ss;n,,
or the Government works and mr..
morics at that rlnrr. He placed sem
tincIs over the arsenal and Govern
ment arms, with orders To tire il Mt
tackled.
There was great excitement when
the citizens learned whn, had taken
place. Ile army officers rushed
down to see what the trouble WIS and
the sentiuals placed them under Ms.
rest and put them in the old engine
house, which wns Broyn's bend,u,r.
ters Mt that place. No one could get
back to tell what was gong on. Tho
first man killed was negro who
worked at the Baltimore and Ohio
depot. Browns men wanted him to
take part with them, but he refused
to do SO. believe his name WIZ Hay.
wood.
~ man named BurIcy went down
to shoot the sentinel but was killed
by the latter instead. Tho next was n
man ndmcd Turner, from Charlcstown
who came down with gun and was
shot by the same sentinel. Then
cnme the mayor OF llarpcr's Ferry,
whom they let out OF the guard house
on parole OF honor to get something
To cat. lie did not return, aud while
walking on the railroad wns shot from
Browns headquarters. Then the
sentinel was shot and killed by DIR,
Starry with shotgun,
"Dr. Sinrry ebot from store win
dow.
"Mcnnwhhlc the citiZ'ns had or
ganlHcd 100 well armed men who had
divided into four companies. One
company was sent across tho Potomac
.,'' T''''" :" 'ho ''l,!' I'll" 'hirn 10
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