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TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD.
The Harper’s Ferry Investigation—Testimony of Realf, Senator Wilson, Mr. Blair and Mr. Callender.
NEW YORK, Jan. 24th. (Tribune’s Washington Correspondent.) No testimony has been given before the Committee of Investigation in any way complicating Republicans with Brown. Mr. Realf states emphatically that the movement was known but to few persons, as Brown was a secretie man and kept his own counsels. None who accompanied him to Harper’s Ferry but Kagi, was informed of the plan, which did not contemplate insurrection, but running off negroes. He says also that Brown and those in his confidence, were radical abolitionists who denounced the Republicans; when Senator Wilson made his speech in Lawrence, thy assailed him for failing to approach their standard of duty.
Mr. Wilson appeared before the Committee and states he had written to Dr. Howe of Boston, for the original letter, which had been referred to by Realf. That letter was written in May, 1858, and substantially tells Dr. Howe that information has reached him to the effect that Brown intended using arms furnished him for Kansas by the Massachusetts Aid Society in a manner not contemplated and advises that they should be withdrawn from him.
Mr. Blair of Collinsville, who manufactured the pikes which figured at Harper’s Ferry, states that they were ordered during the Kansas troubles as weapons of protection. Mr. Callender, Cashier of the Bank at Hartford, proves that Brown had funds there which were drawn to furnish supplies for Kansas. Neither had the remotest ideas of the movement in Virginia till it was published.
It is evident that some members of the Committee have been disappointed in Realf’s testimony, he having testified that he knew nothing of any importance that was not before is evidence.
Mr. B.B. Newton, the member of the National Kansas Committee, and previously the leader of a colony at Mapleton, Bourbon Co., Kansas, confirmed the testimony of Mr. Aruy concerning the refusal of the National Committee to furnish arms to Brown in 1857. When he commenced testifying in relation to the invasion of Kansas by armed bodies of men, he was stopped.
Senator Wilson went before the Brown raid Committee to-day and informed the Committee that if they would allow him time, he would produce a copy of the letter he wrote to Dr. Howe concerning Brown’s movement, based upon the information he received from col. Forbes. He sent to Natick for it.
The Chairman informed him that they were willing to give him his own time to prepare his testimony.
(Herald Correspondence.) Realf concluded his testimony before the Committee to-day. It was a detailed account of the organization of the Brown Provisional Government in Canada, which has already been published. He testified that he went to England in 1858, and knew nothing about Brown’s operations after that time. He was requested to examine certain letters found in Brown’s bag, to see if he could identify them, but testified that he knew nothing about Brown’s correspondence or the authorship of the letters.
