Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-05-19

\ double file of soldiers guarded him.
He presented remarkable picture. ,
Whether he was legally right on
not, he bcicyed his cause just. He
was six feet tall, stoOp- -shouldcred, old,
bareheadcd and wore a long, shaggy
gray beard. But his piercing old eyes
showed no signs of fear. He had faith
lin God and his cause. His condition is
described -as feeble and bystanders
gaped i'm silence as he moved slowly
along, menaclcd.
The courtroom was jammed with
five or six hundred people. Eight JUS
tees of the peace conducted the pre-
Aminary hearing. They constituted
the court of. first resort; upon their
say would depend whether John
Brown, ayowed Abolitionist should be
set free with his comrades or whether
they should be held for the grand jury
Great Lawyers Prosecuted.
Charles Harding was the district
attorney. Governor Wise Of Virginia,
appointed Andrew Hunter as assistant
prosecutor Hunter was great law
yer, wonderful pleader and man of
imposing appearance.
Prosecutor Harding demanded to
know whether the prisoners were rep
resented by counsel or whether they
wished the court to assign counsel.
"Then came one of the great dra-
matte episodes of American legal his
tory.
"Old, shaggy haired John Brown,
feeble and stopped, apparently ready to
tottcr upon the floor, did not like the
tone in which the question as asked.
He might be old, he might be feeble,
but he was man withal. And the
haggard old man slowly and feebly
arose from his chair. His 'steely eyes
swept the breathless crowd with scorn
as he'cxclaimed:
Virginians! ! did not ask for
quarter at the time | was taken. Gle
was badly wounded). | do not ask for
quarter now. do not ask to have my
life spared. If you seek my blood you
may have il at any moment without
the mcckery Of a trial. l have no
counsel. II. we are to be forced into
a mere form of trial-a trial for execu-
tion-you might spare yourselves that
trouble. am ready for my fate beg
no insult, nothing but that which con-
science gives or cowardice drives you
to practice. l again ask to be eXcus-
ed the mockery of trial.
"Then John Brown sat down. Ee,
in that short speech not only address
ed the court, but he flung challenge
at the pride of old Virginia.
Auditors Amazed.
His auditors were thrilled and
amazed. They even respected the dar-
ing old man.
when the second days court open
ed an attorney for Brown informed the
court that he had received telegram
from an Akron, Ohio, man who declar-
cd that there was good deal Of insan-
ity in Browns family, and he desired
to investigate the statement.
while the. defense counsel was max
ing this plea John Brown interrupted
him. The old man struggled forward,
his eyes blazing with wrath and his
voice shaking with emotion. In un-
mistakable language he repudiated his
attorneys plea and denied there was
any insanity in his fathers family
though some of his mothers people
had been mentally afflicted. He re-
fused any such subterfuge of defense
in his behalf. He was out in the open;
he had nothing to hide, nothing to eX-
cuse and no apologies to make. The
court ruled that there was no testi-
mony supporting the statement, the
insanity end would be disregarded and
the trial proceeded.
Several witnesses described how
the armed band came across the bridge
at midnight and took possession Of the
United States arsenal at Harpers Fer
ry. They described in detail the stir
ring events of October 16. II and Is.
The raiders took possession OF one
of the nearby plantations and made
the slaves and plantation owners pris-
oners Of war. The night express train
was held up on the bridge and the
porter shot. Men were shot down in
the streets the witnesses said, and the
M THIS FROG.