The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-12-11
JoHN BROWNS FUNERAL
Burlington Minister Was ostraeisec
for Preaching Burial Service

for Preaching Burial Service
The December number of THE
Congregationalist" contains an inter
esting article on the theme. When
John Browns Body Came Home" by
Rev II. J. Kilbourn OF Everett, Mass,
a one-time Bradford resident. The
SIND anniversary of John Browns
death occurred December 2. Ex-
tracts from this article are given be-
low
Far in the heart of the Adiron-
dacks, AZ miles west from Port Kent
on Lake Champlain lies the Swiss
like Lake Placid with its lovely sis
ter, Mirror Lake Cliffs which lead
the eye from the waters edge up to
the purpling peak Of old Whiteface,
a sea of pine tops sweeping up to |
the heights, the odor of balsam and
cedar breathing out from the forest
as you row by, all make this one OF
Gods very palaces of rest and joy
But there Is a deeper enchantment
than these. Daily for so years a qui-
ct, increasing stream of travellers
from all parts of the world has been
arriving at Lake Placid village with
the inquiry, Where can we get a
conveyance to take us out TO John
Browns grave?'
The writer describes the grave of
John Brown near his weather beaten
house which the state of New York
has purchased at North Elba and
traces the steps which brought John
Brown to this lonely place in his in
terest for the colored race, the 1900
men he expected TO strike with him
against slavery and the % who re-
sponded and who with him were dead
scattered or imprisoned next day
John Brown was imprisoned A days
and Hugo wrote from Europe 81 fall
upon my knees weeping before the
Great Star Spangled Banner of the
New World, and with clasped hands
| implore the illustrious American
Republic to see to the safety of the
universal moral law, to save John
Brown" The appeals were in vain
Upon arrival of the funeral party
in Philadelphia, the mayor owing to
public excitement, refused to let
them stay in the city over Sunday
While a crowd numbering hundreds
of negroes increased around the sta
ton. the mayor had a long tool box
borne on the shoulders of six police
men to a hearse while the plain pine
box with the body was secretly hur-
ried off on the next boat to New
York. There the cortege rested over
Sunday. In the morning they went
by rail to Troy Tuesday they reach
ed the little city of Vergennes, VT
where the body was received with
every mark of public respect The
bells were toled and a procession
Of leading citizens escorted the party
in carriages to the shore of Lake
Champlain, where a small steamer
: took them across to Westport, N. Y
in the meantime young Vermont
minister of Abolitionist fibre, an ar
dent Anti.slavery worker and speak
er. determined TO be present as q
} mourner at the closing scene. Arriv
ing at Vergennes on Wednesday af
, ternoon, he found himself ten hours
behind the funeral party. He pushed
on at once. crossing the Panton ferry
I in the bitter cold OF a winter mid
night. He secured sleigh and drove
swiftly on into the night AT 2 a. m
EliZabethtown was reached Chang
ing horses. he sped on. up the pass
amid the weird glories of a moonlit
dawn, and at nine o'clock. Thursday
December 8, the day of the funeral
halffrozen' as he says. having tasted
no food for twenty-four hours, he
broke from the edge OF the clearing
and reached his goal, the farmhouse
door
| ALREADY the great-hearted Wendell
4 Phillips had arrived from Boston and
the house was full of sorrowful con
: pany whose loved ones had gone
South with John Brown and would
never return. But no minister OF the
gospel had taken the effort to come
save the young Vermonter, Joshus
Young
Five newly made widows OF North
Elba were among the company, anC
ii is not strange that they united IL
asking him to read the Scripture ant
offer prayer at the coming service
'ln his own words THE funera
} took place at one o'clock The ser
vice began with a hymn which haC
been a favorIte of Mr.. Brown, anC
with which he. had successfully suns
all his children TO sleep:
BLOW we the trumpet, blow.
The gladly solemn sound,
Let all the nations know
To earths remotest bound
The year OF jubilee is come,
Return. We ransomed sinners
home"
"Sung to the good old tune Lenox
II was at once recognized and al
who could sing joinedin; while, heard
above the rest. were the plaintivt
voices OF the deeply moved negroes
who. most OF them fugitive slaves
constituted quite one.half of the com
pany. After the hymn came IN,
prayer, Then followed one OF Wen
dell Phillips speeches Never wer,
his lips OF music more eloquent will
tenderness and sympathy; and when
from addressing the widows and faith
erless children, he arose on the yer,
wings of inspiration into passages