The Washington herald., 1909-04-11
Trial of John Brown Described
by Eyewitness of Stirring Event

try whose rights ere disregarded By
wicked cruel. and unjus; enactments.
/ submit So let it be done.
Two sons Fall by side.
Then passed the narrowing days whe7
John Brown awaited the execution OF The
sentence meted out 20 him. IN the in
terim he spent his days On arranging his
affairs as best he could IN jail He has
E little 10 leave 70 his family which was
unusually large. as De had been twice
married and had had twenty children.
TWO of the sons died in the attack on
+ iiarpe7s Ferry. after his little band had
seize3 the place over the body OF one
+ ~ taem The a5olltionist Is said by other
authorities 90 have wased wax that was
4 only saenced when the sword OF Lieut.
Stuart. striking him in the face. rem
dered him unconscious Previously. he
/ had been backed By swords and bayonets.
for the battle was only ended with
I hand-to-hand conflict that reduced the in
Z vaders 20 masses of insnimated humanity.
I or wounded men. unable longer 10 con
I tnUe the conflict. Literally. Il was A
I battle 90 tire death. FOR the survivors
suffered the grewsome fate Of their lead
er
One of the letters. which with nrrfurss
I OF scenes IN the stormy life of John
/ Brown. Mr. Avey has been Al much mains
To collect. indicates his regardlessness 81
1 self. and his interest 81 those near %
| him u was written % Mrs Maria
/ Chilas. who had sent him a letter proHar-
/ ing her services IN nursing him He de-
scTlbed the need Of nurse. told her how
Z iimpracucabie would lee her efforts 10 Be
I AZ his side and closed with an appeal
that she should, instead. give moderately
OF her means. and induce other abnlf-
/ tionists 10 do the same, 10 create a fund
FOR the livelihood of his wife. and r.
naming children. singularIy dependent.
The two sons who died al his side I'm
The effort 20 free slaves had left widows
and CHILDREN. A son-in-laW had become
incaVacitated Tor work during The stirring
experiences OF border warfare in bleed
Ing Kansas Tie other daughters were
under sixteen years Of age. He had bea1
so busy In his efforts 20 serve humanitg.
as he understood II, that ne had accum1-
lated nothing.
His Last Hours.
When Che date Of his execution sr-
preached he visited al but one 81 his
comrades in The seizure Of Harpers Fe--y
and gave 70 each quarter of q dollar.
saving that he would have no further
use for money The one omitted he did
mot recognize as having been a member ~
his party. This mar. Hasklns. wss later
executed.
Bd0wn-s warrant OF death had Indicated
the time o. the execution as between 9.se
a. m. and p. m The abnitiouist spent
the morning up 20 1G-39 o'clock. in wit
ing letters. Then he was told that The
hour had come when ne was % be taken
10 the gaIloWs. He calmly laid aside lis
J writing materials and prepared himself
for his Iast glimpse Of the open air cOu7-
Try fOr which his ancestors had fought
in Tie war or TIE Revolution. and Jpoa
which he was laying down his own Hfe
a martyr 10 what he believed 70 be right
Every preca ution had been taken
against Tumcred attempts o. the part of
sboli-ionist Syupathizers 20 save him
from bis unrimelv end Three thousand
militiamen had been assembled by Gov
Wise. They formed 2 solid phalanx. SUI
rounding the wagon in which John
Brown. heavily guarded and with the tln-
0ertake- who was 70 care for his re-
mains. and the walnut casket that was %
hold them, was beng conveyed % the
scsffold
Because Of the fesr or an attack 10
others than soldiers and the officials
D. charged with theiv Erewsoue duty were
permitted about the structure on which
The militant Puritan was 20 meet his iz-
noble end But Avey ard others. stand
ing n considerable distance away. watch
ed the proceedings with the interest o.
youngsters imbUed with the 51tenseness
. of the times.
saw Every Movement.
Avev. with a pair OF field glasses be-
longing 90 his employee. was able 10 see
every movement clearly. From those
. nearer ar hand he has since obtained
John Browns last words.
The abOlitionist was the first 90 rno-n.
the scafoId- His arms and legs were
pinioned and. on his refusal 10 say any
thing further than he had already writ
( ten or spoken. the white cap was sd-
justed. Avey saw the sheriff afix the
moose. and. with knee on the bod 0f his
victim, draw the knot JaUt under the left
ear OF Tire doomed man Brown was
standing in the rear Of the trap
That the soul Of this old Puritan war
. rior marched on. according 20 one of
the songs used in the periious DAYS of
the civil way 10 stir patriotism, can never
be denied.
In his book Ar Avey has reproduced
many Interesting pictures Of scenes con
/ U7cted with the rempesIuoUs life Of John
I Brown The author also has been an ar
dent collector OF relics Of the man whose
death produced so deep an impression on
his young mind
The virt.iity % the man, the ample faith.
and the mate mOdesty have struck a re-
sp5nsive chord in the hearts OF the ma
j0rity Of patriotic citizens Of the re-
/ united country Fanatic he may have
been. Il is not beyond argument that he
. was mistaken IN his zeal But 10 man
= may read ghe true story OF JOi5a Brown 3
/ last DAYS. as depicted by probably the
only surviving eyewitness and faI 20
admit that lie was a man
Why steel Is Painted Red.