Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1925-09-09
BROWN RAID DESCRIBED BY
EYEWITNESS
c. c. Conklyn Was One of Six Who
Carried Him. Wounded. Into Court
room For Trial Later
At Mordington. the Charles Was

AT Mordington. the Charles Wash,
ington place in Charles Town. w.
Va. lives c. G. Conklyn. SO wears
old. who remembers the John Brown
raid, trial and hanging and who Is
said TO be the last man now living of
the six who carried Brown on n litter
from the Jail TO the Courthouse.
| found Mr.. Conklvn in an arm
chair out under the trees on his his
toric. shady lawn. Behind him in a
wing Of the house is the room where
the brother Of George Washington
died, while on the slope TO the east is
grave of this parsonage. The place.
replete with memories, was an APP
propriate setting for an account of a
later epoch OF United States history.
Brown, Mr.. Conklyn claims. was
not the saint that some historians
portray him. In fact, Mr.. Conklyn
describes him as s'the hardegt-look-
ing case of human kind ever saw.
If I'd met him alone on the road I'd
pulled my gun on him.
In Varied Disguise..
Before he began to cut up so
much around here. particular friend
of mine. George Dnvis. saw him in
Kansas. He was cutting up out there
with raids and murders. He would
go out with two or three suits of
clothes. Once he dressed up like a
minister. then he was miner with
high boots.
George saw him in a tavern where
they gambled and sold liquors. He
was with hard crowd NV friend
said, You are John Brown and
point his pistol at him. And Brown
answered. None of your business
Then all the candles went out and
when they were lit again Brown was
gone"
A month later Brown appeared in
Harper's Ferry calling himself Smith.
He rented farm in an isolated spot
about four miles up the mountain In
MARYLAND. claiming that he and his
band of twenty men were prospect
ing for minerals.
Start of the Raid.
After four months reconnoiter-
ing collecting Of guns, torches, iron
plies and ammunition Brown and his
colleagues one rainy Sunday night in
October. 1859. Travelled down the
rocky. dark country road from the
farmhouse. cut telegraph wires,
crossed the bridge over the Potomac.
took watchmen prisoners and seized
The United States Arsenal. Rifle
Works and Armory at Harper's Fer
~.
News of the raid travelled rapidly
Mr. Conklyn was then young man
Of 10, living in a small village near
4. II. af-.4 n IL
try was in rebellion, he and his bro
Their and q Lieutenant Green hasten
ed to offer their services. being mem
hers Of the volunteer treons of the
jefferson Guards under Captain Row
en-.
1--WE concluded we'd bunch our
women folk and see what was going
on" Mr.. Conklyn said. 81 rot out
my Springfield musket and rubbed It
IN. We made our own cartridges in
those days. ! bit off the tip and
commenced practicing. when the
musket kicked and near broke my
jaw bone.
Robert E. Lee Called.
1--WE walked to Halltown and there
got word to halt for further orders.
The Secretary of War had ordered
Col Robert f. Lee to protect the
United States property.
Several killings had occurred.
George Turner, United States retired
officer, kind of cranky, too, stepped
out on the platform with his spyglass
to see what was going on and he was
shot. Then the colorcd baggageman
at the station was killed"
Lewis Washington, who lived at
Fairview in Halltown, great-nephew
of the illustrious George, had been
captured as hostage and had been
forced to surrender George Washing
toms sword.
Washington was a very tall man
and a dandy Jim. who outdressed
creation" Mr.. Conklyn said. At
is chair that belonged
to this gentleman. but it is Of no use
to Mr. Conklyn for, as he says, my
legs are not long enough to use It.
It was the dawn Of Tuesday before
Colonel Lee and his marines arrived
from Washington and found Brown
with his sons and four Of his men
in the engine house in the
Armory yard With them we're for
tv imprisoned white hostages. Fifty
slaves had rallied to his cause.
Offered Protection.
Under flag of truce Lee offered
Brown protection from the mob and
a fair trial If he would surrender
But Brown stubborniy
refused and threatened murder Of his
hostages if attacked He returned
to his fort. though his cause was lost
and he knew it.
Arriving upon the scene Of action
morning, Mr.. Conklyn wit
messed the breaking in of the door Of
the engine house. Sledge hammers
proved Intellectual, and a ladder.
by ten men. five on each
side. was rammed against the door
until it gave.
Lieutenant Green was the first man
In. when Lewis Washington shouted.
'tThpre,s BROWN under the engine -