Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-18

all against him. The trial began octo-
Ferry the night Of October 16. ana
Capt Robert E. Lee. at the head of the
marines. got there the 18th, and his ar
rest followed.
Did Not Curse the Jury.
John Brown, at the conclusion of his
trial when the jury had pronounced him
guilty as indicted did not call down
the wrath OF heaven or utter an anath-
ems against the twelve men, as has
been said. He received the verdict In
glum silence. According to the laws OF
Virginia a culprit could not be executed
until thirty days had elapsed since his
conviction. The authorities hanged him
the thirtieth day after sentence had
been pronounced against him. He was
executed by himself. the others being
taken to the gibbet in due course OF
time after their conviction. did not
see any Of the hangings, but made haste
to my home after the trial. The trials
and executions were held at Charles
Town, the county seat. seven miles from
Harpers Ferry. The town was filled
with excited men and women, and great
caution was taken to prevent violence TO
the prisoner, who was roundly denounced
by all
THE jurymen were kept locked up IN
the attic of an old tavern and on sun
day Judge Parker gave the sherifrs who
were guarding US permission to take Us
to a meeting In a Presbyterian churcn.
where We heard old Elder Dutton preach.
but he was not allowed to refer 10 the
entered the Confederate army was J. W..
Boyer"
Negro Browns First Victim.
Singularly enough, although the main
purpose OF Browns movement was to
free the negroes. according to Mr.. Mar
tin, the first man killed by Brown and
his raiders was free colored man-Hay-
wood Shepherd
Haywood was the night watch at the
old railroad gate at Harpers Ferry" Mr..
prevent persons from going through the
gate where there was danger OF their
being killed or MANNED by the cars. On
the night Of October IL he heard a noise
at the gate and went out Of his shanty
to see what was the matter He found
Browns raiders at the gate with their
Sharp rifles leveled through it. He did
not know who they were. and started to
retreat when they shot him. Haywood
had bought his own freedom with money
he had saved, and was generally liked
and respected by the citizens Of the place.
The people had unbounded confidence in
him. and the mayor of Harpers Ferry.
MIR. Beckham. was his bondsman. the
should furnish bonds for their good be-
havior. Almost the next man slain by
the raiders. while firing from the old
engine house. where they we're barri-
caded. was the mayor who was leaning
from John Browns Fort as the engine
house was termed
Near to Disagreement.
Mr. Martin also related piece of I'M
written history concerning the trial. He
said the jury came near being hung by
the attitude Of one of the members who
could not understand Judge Parker's
charge that IF the jury found from the
evidence that John Brown was guilty they
should find him guilty and nothing more;
that II the evidence showed him to be not
guilty, the jury should so find and moth
ing more" One of the jurymen con-
strued the courts remarks to mean that
there might be loophole through which
the prisoner might escape hanging. He
wanted him executed. This was straight
ened out by the judge who informed the
juror that sentence Of guilty carried
with 1t the death penalty. This suited
the juryman and he voted with the others
for conviction.
Mr. Martin. the sole survivor Of the his
toric jury, is an intelligent man of the
rural order. He has many of the char
acterstics and the dialect Of the true
Virginian. although he was born and
spent his early boyhood in the Keystone
state OF Pennsylvania. He related some
thrilling wartime experiences and said
the first southerner killed I'm actual hos
tilities in the civil war was Capt. John
Q. MARI, who commanded the Warren
ton (Va) Rifles. He lost his life in q
brush with a party of Union troops who
were rafding near Fairfax Court House
before the first battle Of Bull Run.