The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-10

to the accomplishment of such projects
The raid on Harper's Ferry in 1858
was an effort to carry out the plan
which had by that time developed into
a purpose. Going to and fro in KAN
sas; raiding in Missouri; burying his
dead at OssaWa tonne; stirring popular
feeling in New England or stealing
under cover of the night from sta ton
to station of the underground railway
leading slaves from captivity to the
freedom of northern states or Canada,
he thought of arming the slaves and
leading them through a sanguinary war
for freedom. His fanaticism jubilateo
at the idea and he slept, ate and toiled
with it before him.
That was why in Collinsville Con-
necucut he decided upon the detail of
would equip his negroes. Seeing a
hand made knife. broad and double
edged, he conceived the idea of mount
ing similar blades upon staffs. He pro-
posed it to one Charles Blair and
wound up by giving him contract
for the manufacture of 1000 pixies.
This rather surprising and certainly
unexpected contract was undertaken
by the smith and was as faithfully car
1led out by him as was Browns end
of the contract. But 500 were actually
made and paid for because the monev
for the rest was not forthcoming The
contract was let while Brown was in
New England on one of his frequent
journeys which he made to tap the
rock of charity and sympathy from
which flowed the financial support for
his territorial operati lions. This was two
years before the pixies were called in
requisition, but Brown was looking
ahead.
The particular pike which has its
place in the Kansas collection was
wrested from the hand of one of
party of four negroes taken by sur
prise by party of Virginia militia in
the engine house of Harper's Ferry.
Twelve feet in length, surmounted with
blade that would measure the thick
ness OF mans body the weapon was
an ugly one in the hands of a man fight
ing for his life. But seized unaware the
four negroes are said to have been dis
armed before they could be brought
into play. Where the other four humid
red and ninety-nine are nobody knows
Probably some of them were taken to
Virginia homes and exhibited by strut
ting Virginia miliatiamen as the spoils
of war
No particular significance attaches to the
sword which occupies its place beneath the
glass in the state house. 1t was not car
rled with Browns own hands, but may
have been welded against the unfriendly
person of some Missourian by one of John
Browns followers who presented it to Otis
Potter of Lawrence in 1856. Its heavy,
three foot blade and sufficient hand guard
man Otis Potter's son gave it to William
Ferguson of Frankfort. Pa, and through
Mr. Ferguson it found its way back 10
torical society.
Our Frederick who sleeps in Kansas. y
John Brown calls his son who died at Osa-
watomie. the victim of raid by about 800
border ruffians upon Osawatomie. This
murder and that of another youth was
done in the dim early morning of August
80, 1856 the boys mistaking the ruffians
for a party of free state men. John Brown
was busy that morning. His trouble with
the rtIffians was anticipated and he spent
the night in company. with fourteen raw
recruits some three miles away from Osa-
watomie. Fastening with these and u or
10 more, he went into action. OF the in
cident he says in letter to his wife:
Il attacked them from wood with
thick underground. With this force we
threw them into confusion for about Is or
20 minutes. during which time we killed
or wounded from 10 to so of the enemy-so
I they say-and then we escaped as well as
we could. with one killed while escaping,
two or three wounded and as many more
missing. -Four five free state men were
killed during the day in all. Things seem
rather quiet just now, but what another
hour will bring 1 can not say.
This was the OSawatomie massacre
Later in the day Brown stumbled upon the