Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-31
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN The STAR

An. incident Of the John Brown raid
at Harpers Ferry, which at this
time. fifty years ago. was
Washington's the most important topic
a-o-d OF public discussion. is
noted in the course Of an
editorial paragraph in The Star Of Octo-
Der "a, 1850:
Brig. Gen. Lewis Washington, not
long since commissioned with that rank
in the militia Of Virginia. was called from
his bed and seized by four armed aboli-
tionists only after all the physical re-
sistance which he was capable Of making
AS they were carryin ing him a prisoner to
Harpers Ferry he kept up lively war OF
words with his captors. denouncing them
for cowardly miscreants. offering to en-
counter them one after the other with
their weapons and defying them TO use
their weapons upon him. all OF which they
are said to have borne with imperturbed
good humor. When Ossawattomie Brown
insisted upon the forced loan OF Gen.
George Washington's favorite sword. that
he might have the satisfaction of WELD
ing 1t in the cause In which he was en-
gagged. promising TO return 1t after vic
is is said said to have become perfectly
furious for the time being; his ire be-
ing rekindled every time he caught a
glimpse of old Ossawattomie struttine
about with the revered sword of the
father Of his country girded on his loins. y
4
The trial Of John Brown and his as
magistrates court al
Browns Charles Town. w. Va.
Tr;., dhen virginia., as pre-
lminary to the grand
jury inquisition. The Star reported the
proceedings in detail throughout. In the
issue Of October g. 1859, ID a review OF
the initial session Of the court. The
preliminary examination was concluded
shortly after noon and at 2 O'Clock the
circuit court OF Jefferson county assem-
bled. the. finding OF the magistrates court
being laid before the grand jury. The
Stars dispatch concludes:
The trial will commence tomorrow
morning beyond all doubt. though much
difficulty IL anticipated in obtaining jury
Capt. Browns object in refusing counsel
is said to be that II he has counsel he will
not be allowed to speak himself and
southern counsel will not be willing to
express his views. The reason given
|
the whole county are kept In a state
OF excitement and that q large armed
force Is required to prevent attempts
at rescue.
ut is presumed that they will demand
separate trials. After conviction 1t is be.
lieved that but few days will be granted
them before execution. It is believed
that all but Brown will make full con.
LESSONS. The prisoners as brought into
court presented a pitiable sight, Brown
StAVRnQ Ia So, -
without assistance. Brown has three
sword or bayonet stabs in his body and
one saber cut over his head. Stevens has
three balls In his head and had two in his
breast and one In his arm. He was also
cut on the forehead with a rife bullet
which glanced or
In a few days the local community had
sufficiently Gained its nerves to be able
to discuss other matters
<'iVer than the Harpers Ferry
Plans. instruction. In The Star
OF October Is, 1885, Is q
comment upon q report filed with the
Secretary OF the Interior by Civil Engf-
neer Rives concerning the question OF
navigation on the Potomac river above
Washington. The Star said:
Thus 1t appears that even above
Georgetown as we'll as below the flats in
front OF US there is depth Of water enough
to float the largest ship that sails the
ocean. And yet between those points
the channels have been allowed par
TALLY to Ill up with alluvial deposits. To
remedy this evil It Is clearly necessary
after removing tho distractions now ex-
listing, only to conflno the water within
the channel limits. and this, happily,
= a. rner% IT,, 4,
Improvement Of the Georgetown or Vir-
ginia channel the board of aldermen
passed an act last Monday evening ap-
propriating $1,000. with the understand
Ing that Georgetown would provide a like
amount. We are well aware that our
citizens arc not united In support Of this
measure. a large number regarding 1t az
conducting to the building up of other in
terests at their expense, which is no
doubt to some extent true. And yet, IL II
be impracticable at present to undertake
the improvement Of the Washington chan
mel, We are quite willing for present pur-
poses to advocate the improvement OF
the other, presuming that the people OF
Georgetown will meet us in. the same lib
eral spirit and do what they can to rem
der our expenditure remunerative to us az
we'll as to themselves"
-
AS is Inevitable In the case Of an cpl
sode Hike that at Harpers Ferry. some
confusion attended the
browns bestowal of credit to
Capture. oso VINO parl'c'pa.eo w
and his party at the old engine house.
The Star OF October ., 1850. says:
I'VE have received some conununica-
tons alleging that the credit due to the
onlcers who supported Lieut.. Green in
the attack upon the armOry at Harpers
Ferry has not been Justly apportioned.
a soldier In tho storming party writes
US that while Sergt. McDonough doubt
less did his duty. he was connected with
neither storming party, and thus could
not have been In the building as soon as
represented. In regard to this point we
apprehend that Serst. McDonough may
have entered the building and taken a
hand In the assault without orders. Our
correspondent says: There were two
storming parties. consisting Of ten files
each, the first under Drum Major Roach.
the latter under Sergt. Mundell, as di-
rected by Lieut.. Green, commanding the
battalion, under direction Of Col. Lee,
U. S. Army, and who SO calamity led
the charge through the breach made in
the doors Of the engine house and was
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