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r, Thursday, September 14, 1882UliTenil DDAlAf ftl I : he sallt;t: I nee that Me of tlie teeth wn* not until recently I nr in the nn-Vvnl 9(in DnUWIl ! have been broken out, but that tin* been j fern tbat It was I-clog contemplated todone aince death. Cl to the time of , rear a monument to the memory of herHit Bed,ty-ThrM Y«ar« after Death, hy the OWeet Brother.Visit of iobn Brown. lr„ to Martinsville.He Fully Identities the Remains in the Posoeselon of Dr. Johnson es Those of Hie Brother,|lt;/ 48247 8II8lt;C j ' '-waww^ va m-w ■hi* death, 1 Judge, hi* teeth were per-1 huslxmd, and that she knew nothing of feet, and that he never had one extract-1 the remain* of her son*,, that I ndterm-ed.,; “Tlmt I* true/’ *aM Mr. Brown.; l*ed to write lo the Cbiewgu Tribuue Mr. (Viet t then said that from the de-! *d make public the in (urination. I velopment of the skull he judged thin have never tried toeoneenl tlie fact, but i person to have been strongly developed have nlwaye talked freely in regard to i In the perceptive faculties; that he had the matter; and several year* ago our j manv of the sturdy iiimlitlesund strong- J IochI paf*r puUkdml an artkde in rela-1 developed points attributed to old John : U«n to the bfsly belngtn my po§ eedou.' Brown; that lie evidently had much of -1 uow freely mid gladly, without price ■ the high pride and benevolence which i or re want, surrender the said tmdy to tmtke men martyrs; that the physlog-! John Brown, Jr., in order that it may nomy indicated that be acted not from b® Interred in free soil, aud glad aui I roiiclu^ionn ilrawn from rta*onlng from that I haver bevo the nienuHof tuufi pre* : cause and effect, but from impulses and serving It for that purpose., Ids own sense of what was right qult;! “Jarvis J. Johnson, M. I).1;ju„t. Sworn to aud *ut*cribed *efore meThe Professor then railed attention to this 11th day of SepLeiiiU*r, 1882, and IAnd Removes them to the* Family „ , ,Burial ground. InttieAdlron - .“U '2““lw awnwiM, , ^orniH|) nose, and it is a necullar fea*-- ture of the Brown family.WHICH ONE IS IT’Our little city bus lecii enjoying a Mr. Brown having by this time be-;sensation the ftfist week. Hhe awoke come fully confirmed In the belief thatthe other morning io flint henaelf .ult;1-1 ‘hi* i» the tiody of one of hi. brother.,. , , , , . i„ . , „ -was very anxious to ascertain Dr. Col -denly famous, oud being published all, opinion as to which it Is—Watsonover the world. The papers everywhere j lt;r Oliver. He himself was convincedare having something to say alout Martinsville now, and she is enjoying a wide-spread notoriety. The way it came about Is this: It has been known to many of our citlx *n« lor years thut Dr. J. J. Johnson, of this city, had In Ids possession a skeleton which heclaims Is that of one of John Brown's sons, who was killed during the insur-tlmt it w»* that of Wutson, and knew Hint he would feel certain of it should Dr. ('ollett agree with him. Accordingly photograph* of the two brothers, taken shortly I adore their tragic deaths, were given to tlie Professor. Without any Information asto which Mr. Hrowiihuu decided upon, after a few minutes’ careful scrutiny of i*th photographs ami skeleton, hi* pronounced the remalus to* PIkj those of Watson Brown. Prof. Colreel ion at Harper’* Kerry, Virginia, in j Jett then made careful measurements ’October, 1850. A large numtorbelieved j of the skeleton, from which measure-t he skeleton to be what Dr. Johnson metits he concluded tlmt'Watson Brown,claimed for it, while others were skeptical, tsdieving that I)r. Johnson, while very sincere in Ids belief, hud been im-jM*sed upon. The doctor, however, has always insisted ujhui tlie genuineness of tlie Issly, and id last lias I wen able toI wove his story Iwyond qu«*stion. The dstory of the Issly, and how lie came in jHwsession of it, is given in his sworn atlldavit, which we publish below.Some w«*eks since, when the widow of oid John Brown was in Chicago, I)r. Jo((ti*on wrote to the editor of the Chi-whcn living, was full six feet, one and| one-half inches mil. Tlmt was nlxmthis height,” said Mr. Brown; “I re-’ member when he used to talk to nte he would look down Into my eyes.” Ke- turning to the subject of the nose, Mr., Collett remarked, “There is hardly another family in the world which has this peculiar Homan nose.” A-we left ; the room, Dr. Collett remarked to Mr. Brown: “I don't see any reason to doubti the authenticity of these remains, and I Ulieve them to be those of your broth-cugo Tribune, stating that he had ltd* er, Wutson Brown.”Ixsly, and would deliver it to Mrs. Brown if she desired it, with ample and conclusive testimony as to its genuineness. This list to u corre*(joudetice in regard to the matter, and lost Saturday . morning who should walk into the ItK-rr it Lie an ortlce butJOHN HltuWN, J It.,i Of Put-in-B»y, the eldest sou of the ' heroie martyr of Harper’s Ferry ! He I had come from his Northern home to | Investigate the report that the body of one of Ids brother* was here. Boon the j knowledge of his presence spread throughout our little city,and hundreds i of citizen* crowded around to grasp the ’ hand of the man whose father they delighted to honor.Mr. Brown is sixty-one years id age,| and is Uule and hearty. His {lersonal I appearance is quite striking. He is j alsmt six feet high, strongly built, with ! blue eye*, white beard, and iron-gray | tialr. In conversation lie is intelligent j and original, ami has a vivid recollee-! tion of the events which brought hisTill. HOMY REMOVED.Mr. Brown hud the liody carefully arranged in a coflin, and left with it on the evening train for his home at Putin-Bay. The relatives will take it from | thence to North Kibu, New York, utid , lay it to re-t in the family buriul ground lieside the remains of the illustrious ' fu tiu r.I.KOAI. TESTIMONY.The following attldavits were given Mr. Brown in eontirmation of the iden-tity of the Ixnly, u* well as emlsMlyiiig the story of how it came into the jxw-1 session of Dr. Johnson, and its history since thut date:AFFIDAVIT OF OK. JOHNSON.Stale of ItttliaiiA, Mortfm c-mntj'. .*»: ?Personally appeared before me, James H. Jordan, a notary public in and for the county and State aforesaid, Dr.Jarvis J. Johnson, who, leliig by me' first duly sworn, according to law, deposed as follows:‘‘My name is Jarvis J. Johnson; my age is 54. I reside in Martinsville, Mor-Jumily into such prominence. He was ; gau county, Indiana. My profession isi*eptt1tynrn*s•r1-r-trity-ititfoMliOinr.vil-d.•r-erutyitiltn-eirhsMilonen:ednyI oil to»with jiis father and mother lt;luriug tin troublesome times in Kansas and Missouri, but at the tlmeof the insurrection at Har|er's Ferry he was in Canada, engaged in trying to get some of the colored men who had escaped from the South to go back to help in 1‘tlie cause,” in accordance with his father’s plans. He says the uprising at that time was a great surprise to him, for it was not ex-jieoted until much later. Heaflerwurd returned to the States and commanded a company in the service. Since the war he has lived at Put-in-Bay, where lie is engaged in gram? culture.TDKNTIFYINO THE IIOpY.The skeleton was fully six feet in height, and the lionet* were clothed in the remnants of the muscular system,tlmt of a physician and surgeon. I have beeu engaged in the practice of medicine for over thirty-two years. I wa« the surgeon of the -7th regiment of Indiana Volunteers in the war of 1881, and served in that capacity during the years of 1881 and 188-. In tlie spring of l*f»-, (ienerul Banks’division moved up the valley of the Shenandoah, and entered the city of Winchester, Va. Sly regiment was a part of tlie said division. After we iiad entered the city, I took possession of the medical college situated therein. In the museum of said college I found a large, symmetrical and anatomical human body or frame. It had been well prepared for preservation, and contained all the muscles, arteries and nerves. By per-liaving the appearance of fibres of wood,; mission oMieneral Banks, I took chargethe hosier, cou-The arteries, which, in therfpreparation of tlie sjieeimen ami removed it to of the body, nud iieen injeeteil with red I Academy Hospital in Winehesi eheinieals, were visible. Tlie left half; which hospital was then under mycof the skull had lieen sawed out for the removal of the brain, ami had been lost in tlie bundling of the liody. The toes and Ungers were missing. A large bullet hole in the muscles of the buck, tie-side the spinal column, is visible in a front view*, hut the course of the bull was not directly through. This coincide* with the wounding of Watsontrol. After its removal to the said hospital, a number of the prominent citizens of Winchester called H|maii me at the hospital, aud each and ail declared that it was theremaius of a sou of John Brown; that the said son had been killed at Harper’* Perry, Va., in Oeto-\ ber, 1850, at the time of the insurrection. One of tlie professors of the said col-Brown, who was shot in the region of! lege also culled upon me in person, audtlie lower part of tlie stomach. The wound is below tlds organ, hut was evidently received while in a stooping jxisture, and the exit of the bull bears out tills conclusion.demanded that I return the specimen. He then gave me all of the details of the manner in winch the body had been prepared, arid said that he did it himself, He told me that after youug In continuing tlie insjiection of the j Brown was killed at Harper’s Ferry, heed them ; had the body sent to Winchester, audhereby certify that the affiant. Jarvis J. Johnson, Is a person of credit und respectability, and in gtssl standing In this community, and mat the above statement is entitled to full fulth and credit.Witness my hand and official seal,James H. JokDan, Notary Public,AFFIDAVIT OF FLETCHER D. HI NDKI.U Sut« of ladUn i, Morgsa Count/, w.Personally uppeare*l before uie, James H. JoMati, a notary public iuand for the c‘ounty aud Btate aforesaid, Fletcher D. Bun Jell, who, lodm* duly sworn according to law, upon hi* oath state* and depose* a* follows:“My name is Fletcher D. Huudell,and 1 am forty-three yeafs old. I reside in Martbifcvilte, Morgan county, Indiana. I was a memlier of cotniauiy '(J./ of the Twenty-seventh regiment of Indiana Volunteers, in the war of 1881, ami held tlie rank of sergeant, aud was promoted und commissioned flrst-lieutetiaot in the suid company. I am wellacouainted with Dr. Jarvis J. Johnson. He raised com fm ny ‘(Pofwiid regiment aud wa* c/iiimissioned ant! served a* surgeon of the raid Twenty-seventh regiment. 1 well remember tbat while the said regiment was oncuiu|ted at the city *f Winchester, Va., in March, 1882, of Dr. Johnson, then the surgeon, informing the chaplain of the regiment, Thomas A. Whitted, that tlie skeleton of one of tlie sous of John Brown was in the hospital or medicalcollege at the said city of Winchester.I also heard several of tlie prominent citizens «»f the said city, the name* of whom I have forgotten, say that the skeleton was that of one of the Brown Isiys, killed at Harper’s Kerry, Va., it' IHoft, at the time of the insurrection. Dr. .Johnson t»sk charge of the subject, and shipped it to his home In Morgantown, Mo/gan county, Indiana. The men iu the company freouently talked alout it lieing the skeleton of John Brown’s son, I left the army in I8f?, on detached service, and returned home to Morgan county. I saw the skeleton in about two weeks after my return, at the residence of Dr. Johnson. I Imve seen it frequently since the war. I saw it again on last .Saturday and recognized it as the s.iiue. Johnson always told me that it was the skeleton of Brown’* sou. In my own mind, judging from the facts within iny knowledge, I have nodount hut what it is the remains of tlie son of John Brown.Flktciiek I). Hundkll.”Sworn to and subscribed before me, this Utli day of September, 1882, and I certify that the above affiant is a person of respectability und iu good standing iu this community, and is entitled to full credit and liellef. In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name and aflix my official seal.J as. H. Jordan, Notary Public.FURTHER TESTIMONY.We, the undersigned, citizens of Martinsville, hereby certify thut several years ago we were informed thut Dr. Jarvis J, Johnson, of this city, hud in his possession the body of the son of John Brown, who hud been killed at Hari*er’H Ferry, Va.; that the Doctor had obtained tlie same at a medical college in Winchester, Va., during the war. While we never doubted tlie statement of Dr. John.sou as to where and how he got jKjssessiou of the body, still we thought perhaps he had beenimposed upou ami deceived by tlie citizen* of Winchester, and consequently we never gave the mutter any thought or concern.J. H. Jordan, Attorney-at-Law,B. D. Black.stone, M. D.,Samuel Mitchell, Hanker,H. S. ItouiNaox, M. D.,T. H. Parks, First National Bank, H. fcATTEKWiriTE, First Nat. Bank, John Hardwick, Deputy Clerk,M. H. Parks, Attoruey-at-Luw,R. H. TAKLEroN, M. D.,J. P. Baldwin, Druggist,F. P. A. Phelps, Attbrney-at-Busv.?rt.In Tuesday’s Journal Mr, Brown pubMartinsville, Ind., Hept. if, 18S2.remains, Mr. Brown remov from tlie Ixix, holding them in hi* own hand* and making tlie most minutethen upon consultation with the other professors of the college, it was decided examination. The absence of a part of j to prepare tlie body of youug Brown the skull troubled him in forming his lt;that it might be preserved in tlie mu-j conclusions, and especially a* beseemed , *emn of the college a* a specimen undin some doubt us to it* width: search foras an object of iuterest aud note. Thethe missing part was made where tlie professor strongly appealed to me, iu liody had been kept last, but w ithout | the name of my profession ami in the success. Tlie more closely he examined | interest of the same, and a* a friend of the remains the better satisfied he seem- j science, to return to him the *aid body, ed to become, and finally announced :, He said that when the war was over,“Gentlemen, it is Watson, I believe.” Turning his attention lastly more particularly to an examination of the back part of the head, where the development was quite full, he said: “I am satisfied, geutlejuen, that it is one of my brothers, and I am inclined to thinkthat It in Watson.” The remains were then replaced in the box and left.the college, which hud been burned, would le rebuilt, and thut it should again be deposited therein. He cited the fact that the son* of John Brown hml been killed white engaged with their father in the attempt to overthrow Virginia’* cherished institution of slavery, and hence Virginia was enti-giled to the laxly as an object of warningtiate’hobyWe should have stated before tbat and curiosity. Iu answer to the 'de-Dr. Johnson was not at home. He was: mand and appeals of the professor*, Itelegraphed for, and Mr. Brown decided ... . .....to remain over until Monday. This hequiet wav.Jr. Johnson returned home on Sunday evening, and Dr. Collett, the 8tate Geologist, arrived cm Monday moruing,lished the following card:Tu tlie Editor o{ the Indianapolis Journal:Permit me through the columns of your paper to say to the public who care to kuovv of tlie result of my late visit to Martinsville for the purpose of identifying tlie remains iu the possession of Dr. Johnson, of that 2viltage? claimed to be those of one of my two brothers who fell in the attack of Harper’s Ferry, October, 1850, that I am convinced, firstly, tlmt the unatomicul preparation shown to me by Dr. Johnson is of one of those two brothers; and, secondly, that of the two, the evidence leaves scarcely any room to doubt its lieing that of my brother Watson. Those remains have been duly delivered to me as representative of our family, and as soon as practicable will be placed alongside the fathers’s grave at North Elba, iu the Adirondack Mountains of New York.I would further, at this time convey my heart-felt thauks to the good people of Martiusville, who without distinction of party, have vied with each•lr kitsuid thut the memory of John Browu and id* sons, aud their heroic battle at dici, spending the 8abbath herein a ! Harper’s Ferry for the freedom of the j other iu their kind and generous atten-siaves, were held in too high esteem for tions to me, and in rendering most valine to leave the body upon ttoe slave uable assistance in my work of accused of Virginia; hence I should send it mulating the evidence which 1ms, as I«• w- 1t^e free soil of my own State, India- think, established identity. No people. having been requested by Mr. Brown ; mi. I afterward, in the summer of 1882 could have shown deeper interest orjlr J11° c°iw* here aud aid him lu identify- j shipptxl the said body by express via more klndl----------........— -1—md rcpydiMi. Hr., Collett is proba- ( Franklin, Indlanu, thut point being the J they haveble doubt, that these remains are reallytodw,ca-jeymgter.myx?.”an-th-ry.amMy the highest und lest authority on such mutters iu tlie State, if not iu the West. Before Dr. Collett came, Mr. Brown expressed himself fully satisfied as to the identity of the body, and Ann lu the belief that it is that of his brothernearest express oltice to my own home, tbeu at Morgantown, Morgan county, Indiana; aud tlie said specimen buslOWoorWatson, who was killed at Harper’s ■ heroic John Brown. 1 would have no-Ferry in 1850. He desired, however, to j tided the mother or brothers of young ascertuiu the judgment of Dr. Collett. Brown long ago that I had the body iu About 10 o’clock Prof. Collett and Mr. my possession but for the reason that Iwas not aware of the fact that there was a brother living, and feared that the information to the mother might simply renew the great mental anguish which I felt nssurreci she had endured about the sad results in years past. ItBrown, accompanied by Dr*. Black-stone, Robinson and Jonnsou, and the a*l Repuhliuan representative, visited Dr. Jobusou’s residence. Dr. Collett proceeded to make a minute examination of the remains. Iu regard to the teeth,what bus been claimed for them.To Dr. John Collett, the worthy and been in my possession and under my eminent geologist of your State, I owt control ever since, and I have no doubt especial thanks. His suggestions aud whatever but that it Is the son of the hints In the matter of evidence hatbeen of the utmost value. In the na ture of the case, the evidence Is of thai kind termed cumulative; therefore, stil further light may fall upon it. To thi/ end, 1 would invite communication tlt; meat Put-In-Bay Island, Lake Erie O., of any fact or recollection bearlni upon the question.John Brown, Jr. Indianapolis, Heptember 11.
Newspaper Details
Martinsville Morgan County Republican
Martinsville, Indiana, US
Thu, Sep 14, 1882
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Daniel E.
FL, USA 29 Oct 2020
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