Evening journal., 1908-01-29
STORIES OF THE
LATE Mr.. KENNEY
How He Guarded John
Browns Body Through
Philadelphia

II. F. Kenney, formerly superintendent
Of the old Philadelphia. Wilmington and
Baltimore Railroad, who was buried the
other day. was a fine type Of the operat-
ing railroad man. who was developed by
the exigencies Of war.
The Philadelphia, Wilmington and Bal
timore railroad was at that time the only
direct rail line between the North and the
South, and. while its traffic was outgrow-
ing its facilities in time of peace, it was
foreseen that with the outbreak of the
conflict It would require a skilled and
resourceful hand to direct it's affairs from
the operating standpoint.
Samuel NJ FELTON,, then president Of the
road, recalled some notable work Of young
Kenney on the Fitehburg railroad, and
Immediately engaged him TO take charge
OF the roads operation. BY his abilities,
skill in handling men, his close attention
to the details of operating, his readiness
in meeting conditions and resourceful-
ness in surmounting obstacles he soon
revoluuonized the system Of operation
and placed this most important transpor-
tation line in shape to handle the largely
increased traffic, both freight and passen-
7
TO It. His strong personality was undoubt-
edly based on his Plymouth Rock an
cestry and his ready methods of overcom-
ing difficulties was doubtless an inheri-
tance from these same ancestors, whose
struggles in the early days Of settlement
for the protection OF their property and
their lives made them watchful and
wary.
The manner in which ne eircumventad
the supposed plotters against the life of
Mr. Lincoln, while en- route from Philadel-
phla to Washington for his first inaugu-
ration, is well known and illustrative OF
his courage and determination. He not
only started the train bearing the Presi-
dent-elect at a different hour from that
which had been publicly fixed, but he
cut the telegraph wires to prevent inter
ception, and rushed the train through to
Washington on a faster schedule. so as
to land the distinguished passenger in the
capital hours before he was expected to
arrive.
Another story of how he safeguarded
the body of John Brown through Phila'
delphia is typical Of his resourcefulness.
John Brown was executed by hanging,
at Charleston. w. Va, at his, Friday
morning. December s, 1859. The body in
cased in a fine oak coffin, inclosed In an
ordinary pine box, was conveyed under
military escort to the depot, where It was
placed on a special train, and forwarded
to Harpers Ferry, arriving at p. m. It
reached Philadelphia over the Philadel
phia. Wilmington and Baltimore railroad
about noon of Saturday and the excite
ment which the event produced was no
less marked in PHILADELPHIA than else
where throughout the United States
Large crowds OF excited negroes assem-
hled in and around the passenger station
at Broad and Carpenter streets to pay
tribute to the remains while a mass Of
white men assembled in Kensington with
sullen determination that honors should
not be paid it during the transfer Of the
body TO the Philadelphia and Trenton
Railroad, az Front and Berks streets.
The tuation was alarming, and large
and bloody riot was imminent. At this
juncture Mayor Alexander Henry turned
TO Mr. Kenney for advice and assistance
in averting the danger. No sudden emerg-
ency had yet been too great for Mr.. Ken
ney to meet. and the one the Mayor pre-
sented to him was no exception 70 the
rule. His action was cool. prompt and esr
fective. Obtaining a rough box he had it
driven Off on a wagon in the direction Of
tho Kensington Station, and then while
the decoy was being followed by the
negroes, he had the remains placed on an
express wagon. taken to Camden and
quietly started eastward over the Cam
den and Amboy railroad.
Even before the stirring times Of the
war his undaunted determination was
manifested IN many bold acts. In the Sc
we're winter OF 1853 the susouehanna river
was frozen over so tightly for weeks that
the old transfer steamer Maryland was
powerless to move the passengers and
/ freight between Perryville and Havre de
Grace. AS this was then the only line OF
rail communication between the North
and South II was important that it should
be kept open, so Mr. Kenney laid his
track on the ice and ran his trains over
the ice bridge for several weeks. AS rare
as photography was in those days he
was enterprising enough to have the
scene photographed and the novel picture
hung in his office TO the day Of his death.
! -phfladalphia Record