James Redpath, The Public Life of Captain John Brown

[387] throwing them into the fire upon finding them to be anonymous. Recently he reads no anonymous letter. Any communication, however, applauding him as a martyr to the anti-slavery cause, he carefully files away. Referring to his execution this morning, during his conversation with Mr. O. J. Wise and Colonel Smith, he said he was not to be executed, but publicly murdered.

Reporter. Does he profess any religion?

Official. Yes; he says he is a member of the Congregationalist Church, and represents himself as a good Christian.

Reporter. Have you any idea whether he has written, or intends to write, any thing which he would wish to have published?

Official. He has written nothing that I am aware of, except a short note to a gentleman across the street, stating that his commentaries on Beecher's sermon were not published as he gave them. Some of his commentaries, he said, were omitted, while others were materially altered.

Reporter. Does he exhibit any lack of firmness when spoken to on the subject of his approaching doom?

Official. I remarked to him this morning that the question was frequently asked, “Whether there was any caving in on his part,” and his reply was, that there was no caving in about him; that he would hold up to the last moment as he did at the start.

Reporter. What does he say regarding the prospects of his rescue?

Official. He said he was sure his sons could hardly contemplate his fate without using some efforts to rescue him; but this, he presumed, they would only do if he was allowed to remain in jail without any thing more than ordinary precaution to prevent his escape or rescue being exercised. He said, however, that such an attempt would not be made in view of the precautions now taken. He had no idea that any attempt at rescue would be made with so large a military force as he understood was now present.

Reporter. Is he aware that he will not be permitted to make any speech from the scaffold?

Official. Yes, he is; and when informed of that fact, he said he did not care about saying any thing.

“In all his conversation,” wrote another reporter, “Brown showed the utmost gentleness and tranquillity, and a quiet courtesy withal, that contrasted rather strongly with the bearing of some of his visitors.”