Studies in American History 
245 
by the Governor. The machinery of the law was speedily 
set in motion, as the regular term of court began the same 
week that Brown was captured. He was indicted without 
delay by the grand jury on the separate counts of murder, 
treason, insurrection, and inciting slaves to insurrection. His 
case was called within a week. Local counsel were appointed 
to defend him, and these men were aided by eminent northern 
lawyers retained for his defense. His counsel proposed at 
first to defend him on the ground of insanity. He was still 
weak and suffering from the effects of bayonet wounds. He 
was carried into court on a stretcher and lay on a pallet while 
there.®® The old man struggled in an attempt to raise him- 
self from the pallet on which he was lying. Resting upon 
one elbow his eyes flashed as he said with emphasis and dig- 
nity, ‘T am perfectly unconscious of insanity, and I reject, so 
far as I am capable, any attempts at interference in my behalf 
on that score.’’®^ 
His lawyers worked for him faithfully and made eloquent 
pleas in his behalf on technical grounds, but all to no purpose. 
The jury was out only forty-five minutes and returned with 
a verdict of guilty on all of the counts. Exceptions were taken 
to some of the rulings and an appeal taken to the superior 
court at Richmond, but the lower court was sustained. 
On November 2 he was brought into court to receive his 
sentence. When asked whether he had anything to say why 
sentence should not be pronounced upon him he said in a dis- 
tinct voice that he denied any intent to commit treason or 
murder or to destroy property or to incite slaves to rebellion. 
He said further that he would admit, as he had done from 
the start, a design to free slaves. Continuing he said : 
If it is deemed necessary that I should forfeit my life for the further- 
ance of the ends of justice, and mingle my blood further with the blood 
of my children and with the blood of millions in this slave country whose 
rights are disregarded by wicked, cruel, and unjust exactments, I say 
let it be done. 
The judge then sentenced him to be publicly hanged on 
Friday, December 2, just a month from the day on which 
sentence was pronounced.®® Dr. Von Holst conveys the im- 
Villard, op. cit., 479 ff. 
Sanborn, op. cit., 575. Colonel Donovan once told the writer that he never could 
forget that scene in the courtroom, or John Brown’s manner of rejecting the plea of 
insanity. 
Villard, op. cit., 498, 499 ; speech reported in Neto York Herald, November 3, 
1859. 
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