Trial of John Brown
Blog October 29th. 2009, 12:01pmRelated Posts
October 27, 1859
John Brown’s Statement:
“I will add, if the Court will allow me, that I look upon it as a miserable artifice and pretext of those who ought to take different course in regard to me, if they took any at all, and I view it with contempt more than otherwise. As I remarked to Mr. Green, insane persons, so far as my experience goes, have but little ability to judge of their own sanity; and, if I am insane, of course I should think I know more than all the rest of the world. But I do not think so. I am perfectly unconscious of insanity, and I reject, so far as I am capable, any attempt to interfere in my behalf on that score.”
Further requests were entered to delay the proceedings, but these were denied by the Court.
October 28, 1859
The defense pleaded their case and after several attempts to locate his own witnesses, John Brown made the following statement:
“May it Please the Court: I discover that, notwithstanding all the assurances I have received of a fair trial, nothing like a fair trial is to be given me, as it would seem. I gave the names as soon as I could get at them, of the persons I wished to have called as witnesses, and was assured that they would be subpoenaed. I wrote down a memorandum to that effect, saying where those parties were; but it appears that they have not been subpoenaed as far as I can learn; and now I ask if I am to have anything at all deserving the name and shadow of a fair trial, that this proceeding be deferred until to-morrow morning; for I have no counsel, as I before stated, in whom I feel that I can rely, bat I am in hopes counsel may arrive who will attend to seeing that I get the witnesses who are necessary for my defence. I am myself unable to attend to it. I have given all the attention I possibly could to it, but am unable to see or know about them, and can’t even find out their names; and I have nobody to do any errand, for my money was all taken when I was sacked and stabbed, and I have not a dime. I had two hundred and fifty or sixty dollars in gold and silver taken from my pocket, and now I have no possible means of getting anybody to go my errands for me, and I have not had all the witnesses subpoenaed. They are not within reach, and are not here. I ask at least until to-morrow morning to have something done, if anything is designed if I am ready for anything that may come up.”
October 30, 1859
Very near 2:00pm, the jury returned from their deliberation.
Gentlemen of the Jury, what say you, is the prisoner at the bar, John Brown, guilty Or not guilty?
Foreman–Guilty.
Clerk–Guilty of treason, and conspiring and advising with slaves and others to rebel and murder in the first degree?
Foreman–Yes.
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With these last few words, the fate of John Brown was almost certain. The just punishment for treason, murder and conspiracy to commit these crimes was none less than hanging. John Brown had convictions that led him to commit a very serious act. This fact continues to ignite emotion and debate from all quarters. Was he right in what he did? Was he a crazy lunatic? Read more about John Brown and decide for yourself.
For a much more thorough review of the proceedings and testimonies of John Brown’s trial, please visit the following link:
