Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-03-24

some property beionging 70 me and hanged
them When / went out the next morning
1 saw them suspended from a tree.
John Brown always kept back IN the
dark and did hts work through his men.
Diok DID not get started very soon be-
cause they did not have enough negroes for
the expedition The postmaster at Weston.
Mo, wrote 70 me that Dick was al Law
renee and was 10 be taken In a few days to
Canada They were Boing TO start on a
certain day, 80 as 70 reach a noted spring
by certain time. / got four other men to
cooperate with me, one Of them John
Woods noted for his lighting qualities, and
we planned that when they came 20 the
spring we should take them prisoners, II
possible, and at least capture Dick, whose
wife and children were about crazy over his
long absence. From our place there was
a ferry crossing 20 Fort Leavenworth. We
made arrangements with the nerryboat cap
tain 70 wait and take us back into Missouri
that night.
Caught Mt the Spring.
The country was prairie and barren Of
| trees, but around the spring there were
bushes where we secreted the horses and
]
cealment when we saw three covered wag-
ons, prairie schoOners. coming; and these
all stopped at the spring. Soon who
should appear but Dick. sent down to the
spring with two pals for water.
THAT is Dick" said.
Are you afraid 20 speak TO him?"
NO" answered; and then, advancing a
little, I said, Hello, Dick"
Hello, Mas'r Rockwell"
do you want to go back TO wife and
children7" l asked, "or TO go with John
Brown7 You can do as you like" though
had no idea Of letting him go
Il want to go back home" he answered
"All right" 1 said. who is up there in
those wagonsT'
John Brown and sons, his son-ln-law
and others, about sixteen men"
Are they armed7" / inquired.
John Brown has a pistol" said Dick
but l think no others are armed"
We got on our horses and rode right up
and found John Brown driving one Of the
wagons. He held up his hands at our de-
mand and gave UP his pistol The rest read
fly submitted to our show Of force, and be-
fore 10 p. m. we put John Brown on one Of
our horses and. while 1 rode by his side,
drove TO the ferry. To our establishment
made any complaint. As for Brown, all that
he seemed afraid Of was that he would be
lynChed. Once across the river and in wes-
ton, we found that the crowd had stake
driven and a fire made ready to burn him.
Saved by n Speech.
One-hah of the population were Germans
and they were union men, whose sentiments
somewhat Offset those of the rest of the
people. John Brown begged hard and said
that he was willing to be punished by the
law II we would only not let the mob do
him violence. We kept guard over him
In the hotel over night In the morning he
wanted to make a speech in the public
hall. The news went all around and men
came in from the country for their negroes
whom they had lost, 1 made all agree that
not enc Of the negroes should be abused
or punished on being taken back. As for
Dick, he cheerfully went back to his family
and his work. The multitude gathered in
the hall and John Brown made his speech,
and at the opening. II you could have let
those men loose whose negroes he had kept.
they would have devoured him. He had
ruined many and many a farmer there,
whose only means OF support was their ne
groes and what they earned. 1t was like
running a farm with no horses to try to do
the same with no slaves. So when this tall,
dark complexioned, coarse featured man,
looking like a regular old farmer, at last
stood before them to begin his address, they
would have voted. to a man, to hang him.
But when he had finished speaking, and
the vote was taken as to whether to take
him to St. 10 and leave him in Jail till he
could be tried by the law. there was not a
single vote for lynching.
The Rescue.
In Kansas they knew what we were doing
all the time Men went upon the west side
of the river as far as St. 10 and crossed
over above the city where we had him in
Jail Procuring horses, three Of them rode
at II D. m to the jail, and having placed
handouts on the wrists of one of their num-
Der, and a second representing himself as
sheriff OF Holt county, they applied TO the
jaller for safekeeping for this pretended
notorious horsethief. The jailer readily ad-
mitted them and was about to lead the way
to n cell when TO his own wrists the hand
cuffs were dexterously transferred, and the
three men called out, John Brown" The
abolitionist answered from his cell. whence
he was Immediately released and hustled
over the river into Kansas.
John Brown did not remain In Kansas.
but the next that we heard OF him was at
Hnrpers Ferry. where he performed his
most famous exploit, October 16, 1859. in
capturing the arsenal, for which he was
hanged at Charlestown, December follow
| ing His body lies on his old farm in the
! Adirondacks, near Saranac lake, at North
Elba, once the Mecca of the fugitive slave,
In those earlier days when the old hero
nnade his brave ATTEMPT at founding a negro