Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-05-19
STORY OF JOHN BROWN
Career Of Man Who Tried to Tree
Southern Slaves Is Recalled.
He WAS HUNG 6s YEARS Ago

Refused Legal Counsel and Made a
Dramatic Speech In His Own Defense
-convicted and Hung at Charles
Town, w. Va.
The school kids sing about "They
Hung John Brown on Sour Apple
Tree" But how many know the de-
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. II
> had become the greatest issue since
the Revolution. While Horace Gree
lev wrote stirring editorials to free the
slaves, John Brown took an even more
violent course He tried to free the
slaves by force. II was national IS
sue.
George d. Moore, former proSecut-
ing attorney in Charles Town, W. Va"
writing in a local paper; says ia part;
During the early summer of 1859
party of strangers arrived near Har-
per's Ferry, then part OF virginia
With. them MAS an old man of venera-
bic appearance who called himself
Isaac Smith They represented them
selves as prospecting for minerals ana
took long and frequent rambles over
various parts of the Blue Ridge noun
tains near by. After lew weeks they
removed to what is known as the Ken
nedy Farm, about five miles from
Harpers Ferry. on the Maryland SIDE
of the Potomac river, and established
headuuarters. They were amiable
people and soon made number OF
friends. In the meantime a large duan-
tity of arms and ammunition was
smuggled into them. ~.
Excitement Prevailed.
Twenty men descended upon Har-
pers Ferry on the night of Sunday
October el6, 1859. They shot men IN
the streets and took possession of the
town. Nobody seemed to know what
II was all about. Later one OF the at
tackers declared they had como 10 tree
the Virginia slaves. They said they
had the means to accomplish this plan.
News of the attack on Harpels Fer
ry was flashed throughout the nation
The Virginia militia came, and GOV
ernor Wise of Virginia, took personal
charge After threetday fight the
little army was captured. Its leader
, was recognized as John Brown.
Brown and his followers were tax
en- to Charles Town, where the grand
Jury was in session Virginia and what
is now known as West Virginia were
then one state.
THE old Virginia law required hve
,days' lapse between the preliminary
examination and the submission of the
case to the grand jury, 80
"a whole nation was wrought up 10
the tensest pitch during those hVe
days of suspense 1t was rumored eV-
erywhere and particularly through the
South, that John Browns little army
of twenty men was but the forerunner
of a mighty army from the North 10
come down and free the slaves and
that a powerful secret organization
was planning revolt by riot and muir
der and the Brown gang was to be re-
leased from Jail.
Rumors Travelled Fast.
These rumors grew; they Travelled
fast. 1t was argued that John Brown
would not have dared attempt such
bold thing as the capture of Harpers
Ferry unless he knew he had ample
backing.
"On October 26 the preliminary hear
ing opened, with the courthouse heav-
lily guarded by militia troops. Every
where the town was jammed with
strangers. There was a little army OF
newspapermen.
Brown, it is believed, fully realized
3 what was to come. The courthouse
was across the street from the jail
Brown was marched out from the front
door of the Jail, grim undetermined
~