Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1901-03-27
JOHN BR0WN'S TRIAL
One OF the Two Survivors of the
Jury Gives some of His
Rocollections

The Warrrnt"n, Va, correspond
ent of the Richmond Dispatch
writes a. follows: Living in this
county, near Drlaplane, "A station on
he Manassas Division of the South
FRA Railway. : aA old gentleman
who can be Rightly termed a national
celebrity. For years he has lived IN
practical obscurity, and il known tn
very few even among his own coun
trymen. That cruel master "Adver
slty' soon rrleSates TO the rear and
'bliierates from the public mind
those who have been SO unfortunate
To become its victims. Such l. the
caSc with this honorable old gentle
NAN, aud while not blessed with an
abundance of this worlds goods. vet
he lives comfortably and Is following
his trade, that Of whcelwright. for
Ia, support 1t - interesting to
know that the subject of this sketch
Is William 4 Martin. one Of the two
surviving members of the John
Brown jury, and when II is recalled
what stirring events followed this
memorable trial, this old hero can
we'll take his place among those of
The South whose names have been
made immortal Tie is uow M his
Fist wear. auj for a man OF his age
n'S faculties are we'll preserved. His
rrc"liecuonS OF the ,rlsj are very Wv
i and II is exceedingly interesting
ga hear him give lu drtail his cen
nec,iou with 1t. Forty Years has
passed since that time. vet. TO him.
he says, at seems but AS Yesterday. -
The narrative following is his per
.onal account Of the trial, given the
Dispatch correspondent. aud Is the
first time he has given il out to IN,
public.
AT the time of the trial, which
commenced on the 18th day of Oc
'uber. 1859, WAS living Mt Middle
way, Jefferson county. W. Va, at
that time part of Virginia. did
not go to Harper's Ferry at the time
IT the raid, anu, of course cannot tell
anything about it. only as the evi
Irnce was given in by the witnesses
who were many, aud they were all
f one accord. 1t was proved that
about eighteen months before John
Brown made the raid on Harper :
Ferry he came there with two Of his
,nns, under the assumed name of
Captain John Smith (some writers
nave it Bob SMITH but that makes
no difference. he came all the same.
lie claimed to be hunting for iron
md other minerals, and this ruse
Enabled him TO become thoroughly
acquainted with the neighbOrhnOd
lnd TO the citizens of that section
lis true mission was not suspected
until Sunday night, October 10th. or
rather Monday morning about 1876
o'clock. when Haywood Shepard, a
cOlored man, who WAS night watch
man at the railroad brider, woke uI
aud told the telegraph operator that
he heard noise and It WAS too soon
Tor the train, but he would go out
md see hat was the matter. When
he got to the gate, he saw rifles
pointed at him, aud the command
came TO stop. He turned to run aud
they fired, the ball piercing him
through the body. He reached the
Office fell ON his couch and said: i
am dead man Ia five minutes h,
Vas dead. Now let me go back d
ntIle. When Captain Smith, alias
John Brown, was prospecting foI
IRON, he had several heavy boxe'
shipped to him at Harper's Ferry
.nd on being asked what they con
timed, he replied that they contain
tools with which to operate the
mines.
ut was afterwards proved tina
they contained Sharp's rifles anC
spear handles. Now | have u ques
ton TO ask, which has remained an
answered to this day, and neithe