The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-05-03

Charlestown, W. Va. May 3-Once more, after 63 peaceful years. this historic old West Virginia county seat is the scene of a trial of nation wide interest.
 The underlying issues of more than half a century ago and today are not greatly dissimlar in principle.
 In 1859 John Brown and his fol- lowers faced trial here for treason. The issue was slavery.
 In 1922 a hundred or more men, mostly union workers, are being tried for alleged treason, instruction, in citing to riot, murder and scores Of oth&r serious charges.
 Freedom liberty Those were the watchwords in 1859; they are in volved in the issue now on trial here
 John Brown and his followers sought to free the slaves in his day, and he seized a United States arsenal at Harper's Ferry, W. Va. to accom- plish his ends. Slavery was legal then. John Brown used illegal meth ods to destroy slavery, and they hang ed Brown aid his followers for att
 In the fall of 1921 union men sought to march upon some non union coal fields and make them union. An army of 5000 or more West Virginia. The men of the non union fields and the authorities of several counties opposed this march.
 Pitched Battle Fought.
 A pitched battle was fought and some were killed. The non-union miners wanted a free labor situation in their field. Those who participated in the march now are being tried for alleged treatson against the state or lesser crimes. If the men now on trial are convicted on the treason charges the death penalty may be imposed.
 John Brown and his followers were tried here in the quaint little old courthouse and hanged in the court house yard
 The school kids sing about ''They Hung John Brown on a Sour Apple Tree" But how many know he de-t tails of the trial, conviction and hang ing of John Brown in Charles Town
 Sixty-three years ago the nation was rent with dissension over slavery. It had become the greatest issue since Greeley wrote stirring editorials to free the slaves John Brown took an even more violent course. He tried to free the slaves by force. It was a national issue.
 George D. Moore, a former prose cutting attorney in this county, writ ing in a local newspaper, says in part:
 During the early summer of 1859 a party of strangers arrived near Harper's Ferry, then a part of Vir- ginia. With them was an old man of venerable appearance, who called himself Isaac Smith. They repre- sented themselves as prospecting for minerals and took long and frequent ranbles ram over various parts of the Blue Ridge Mountains near by. After few weeks they removed to what is known as the Kennedy Farm, about five miles from Harper's Ferry, on river, and established headquarters They were amiable people and soon made number of friends. In the meantime a large quantity of arms and ammunition was, smuggled in to them.
 Excitement Prevailed.
 Twenty men descended upon liar pers Ferry on the night of Sunday, October 16, 1859. They shot men in the streets and took possession of the town. Some of the townspeopIe were made prisoners. The greatest excite ment prevailed in the town. Nobody seemed to know what it was all about Later one of the attackers declared they had come to free the Virginia slaves. They said they had the means to accomplish this plan.
 News of the attack on Harpers Ferry was flashed throughout the na- Ion- The Virginia militia came, and Governor Wise of Virginia took per- sonal charge. After a three-day fight the little army was captured. Its lead er was recognized as John Brown
 Brown and his followers were taken to Charles Town, where the Grand Jury was in session. Virginia and what is now West Virginia were then one state.
 The old Virginia law required five days lapse between the preliminary and the submission of the case to the Grand Jury
 A whole nation was wrought up to the tensest pitch during those five lays of suspense. It was rumored -Ga1~x -tlear and through the South, that John Browns little army of twenty men was but the forerunner of a mighty army from the North to come down and free the slaves and that a pow erfu1 secret organization was plan hing revolt by riot and murder and he Brown gang was to be released rom jail.
 Rumors Travelled Fast.
 These rumors grew; they travelled .ast. It was argued that John Brown would not have dared attempt such ] bold thing as the capture of liar oers Ferry unless he knew he had lmple backing. 1
 "On October 26 the preIirninar,. hearing opened, with the courthouse heavily guarded by militia troons everywhere the town was damned | with strangers There was little | trn1y of newspaper men,
 Brown, it is believed, fully realized l what was to come. The courthouse vas across the street from the jail | 8rown was marched out from the i ront door of the jail, grim and de- ermined. A double file of soldiers him. He presented a re narkable picture.
 Whether he was legally right or not, he believed his cause inst He vas six feet tall. stoop-shouldered oid' bareheaded and wore a long shaggy gray beard. But his pierc- ng old eyes showed no signs of fear. He had faith in God and his cause. lis condition is described as feeble md bystanders gaped in silence as 1e moved slowly along, manacIed.
 'The courtroom was damned with i've or six hundred people. Eight | justices of the peace conducted the preliminary hearing. They consti- uted the court of first resort: upon heir say so would depend whether ohm Brown. avowed Abolitionist | mould be set free with his comrades ,r whether they should be held for 1 he Grand Jury.
 Great Lawyers Prosecuted.