OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, MARYLAND.
 

287
 

CHAPTER XIX
 

YING upon the table before me as I write
is a copy of "Headley's Life of Washing¬
ton" whicli is connected with one of the
most startling events in the history of the
United States.

One evening in the early Autumn of 1859,
as a quiet family in the Tilghmanton District of
Washington County was gathered around the first
fire of the season, there came a rap at the door.
The visitor, upon being admitted, announced him¬
self as I. Stearnes, a book agent, selling Headley's
Life of Washington and a life of Napoleon Bona-
part. A copy of each book was bought from hiiti,
and his request for a night's lodging was cheer¬
fully complied with by the hospitable farmer. The
man was in appearance a typical Yankee from
down-east—lean, thin visaged and of a sanctimon¬
ious countenance, but of 3'outhf ul appearance When
supper was announced, the "'grace" pronounced over
the meal by the stranger was of such inordinate and
-extravagant length that the patience of the child¬
ren of the family became nearly exhausted. After
supper Stearns made some excuse to leave the room
and was shortly hard conversing with the negroes
in the kitchen. It was afterwards learned that
he was inviting them to join an insurrection, kill
their master and obtain their freedom. The prop¬
osition was rejected with horror and" indignation
by the faithful servants and the emissary return¬
ed to the sitting room discomfited and crestfallen.
This man was Captain Cook, one of the emissar-
ries of John Brown.

One day in July, 1859, Judge Jacob Fiery,
of Washington County, was just finishing his har¬
vest on his farm, three miles south,of Hagerstown,
 

as an elderly man with a grizzly beard, accom¬
panied by a young man, came up to his house.
He introduced himself as I. Smith, and thg young
man as his son. Air. Fiery was at that time ad¬
ministrator of the estate of Dr. R. F. Kennedy,
and had charge of a farm near the Maryland
Heights, three miles from Harper's Ferry. Smith
as he called himself, told Mr. Fiery that he had
been livng in the North and had been suffering
from the extreme cold of the climate, and had de¬
termined to locate in the South, and he had called
on Mr. Fiery to purchase from him the Kennedy
farm. He believed there were valuable minerals
in the mountain, he said. Air. Fiery told him that
he could not sell the farm until the court passed
a decree, so he rented the place, paying the first
quarter's rent in advance. He paid this bill, as
he afterwards did all his bills, in gold, saying he
was a stranger, and wished to pay as he went, and
pay in good money. Several times Air. Fiery had
occasion to visit his strange tenant. Upon one
occasion he observed and remarked upon the lame¬
ness and gentleness of the cattle. Smith replied
that wherever he lived he had everything around
him to love him. Upon another occasion a man
brought some cattle to sell to him. Before he
would negotiate at all, he went into the house and
had prayer. He said he made it a rule never to
enter upon any business transactions without first
praying. Later on, upon visiting the farm, Mr.
Fiery saw a large number of draw knives and asked
what he proposed to do with them. The answer
was he had iDcen in Chambersburg and saw them
very cheap and bought them, knowing that when
he began his  mining operations he  would need