The Cavalcade of America presented by DuPont, maker of better things for better living through chemistry. To the millions of American men and women who have labored, and today labor still with hand and mind and heart, to build and to preserve a great free nation, the Cavalcade of America proudly dedicates the unending story of a new way of life in a new world. On this program, the Cavalcade of America presents John Brown of Ossowatome, an original radio play written by Robert Tallman. Starring in the role of John Brown, the strange zealot who stalked the land in the cause of abolition, is John McIntyre of the Cavalcade Players. The Cavalcade Orchestra and the original musical score are under the direction of Don Voorhees. DuPont, maker of better things for better living through chemistry, presents John Brown as our drama on the Cavalcade of America. John Brown is a legend, but that legend was a man, a wrathful white bearded giant of a man, rangy of frame and with eyes that burned relentlessly, mercilessly with prophetic fire. It was late in the fall of 1855 that John Brown strode into the territory of Kansas. There were around a dozen men lounging about the stove in the parlor of the Border Inn, and there were rifles across their knees. The innkeeper scurried to the door. Come right in, sir. I'll help with your boxes. I have the strength to do my own carrying. I thank you. As you say, sir, you'll be wanting lodging? I'll be wanting a plain bed for sleeping. You a preaching man? Hang the preaching. The words in the book were all to read. Well spoken. There'll be too many hypocritical Bible reading freestaters in these parts. I didn't catch your name, sir. Tava's my name, and I ain't no freestater. Well, sir, my name is John Brown. I read the Bible, and with the Lord's help, I aim to make Kansas a free state. Do you hear that, boys? So you're going to make Kansas free for the slave runners and abolitionists. Where do you aim to start, Mr. Brown? In Ossowatomie, where my sons live. Well, boys, maybe we'd better break the news to Mr. Brown. You're a teller. Mr. Brown, take a look at this. A rifle, I believe. You're a smart man, Mr. Brown. Are you still aiming to settle in Ossowatomie? That's right. Well, you ain't, because you won't live to get there. Mr. Brown, you're coming to town. Hold your tongue. You can take these boxes now. My hands have other work to do. Mr. Brown. Take the boxes. Now, Mr. Garver, listen to the word as it's written in the book. The Lord is a man of war. The Lord is his name. Thy right hand hath been glorious in power. Brown, I'm warning you. Thy right hand, O Lord. Hey, hey, what are you doing? No, no. My right hand, O Lord, hath diced in pieces the enemy. You'd best get a doctor for that man. I fear he may be badly cut. That I will, Mr. Brown. You may show me to my quarters now. There's much work for the morrow. Well, Pa, it's good to have you here in Ossowatomie. What do you think of Kansas? What you seen of it? It's a good land, son, but there's a blight upon it. Aye, you speak the truth, Mr. Brown. They're out to finish us settlers and they may yet succeed. The slave-staters, you mean, Mr. Thompson? No question of politics, Mr. Brown. We're living under a shadow here. You speak strangely. Come to the door a minute, Mr. Brown. I'll show you something. Better stand back a piece till I see if it's all right. Penn, shut that door. Have you gone deaf? It's all right, Welty. Step outside, Mr. Brown. Now look across those fields. What do you see? I don't see anything but darkness. That's it, nothing but darkness. Used to be on a clear night like this you'd see a light on that ridge over there. Two or three to the north. A few miles along the road past the forks. About a dozen in all free-staters' cabins in this section. What happened? Listen. Welty, put out the lamp. Horsemen. They ride through this section every night like that. Sometimes the settlers pack up and leave when they ride past a place the first few times. They don't leave, well, some get shot and others just get burned out. Depending if they put up a fight. Who are the men who've done this? Some of them are hired hoodlums from the border. Some are settlers from these parts. They're the ones who burnt the town of Lawrence. Kansas is bleeding, Mr. Brown. Write down the list of those settlers, Thompson. We know pretty much who they are. This Doyle, he lives back at the forks over on Pottawanamie Creek. Prepare the list, Thompson. Write down all their names. It's part of the Lord's work. Now that we're all gathered together, we'll have the box placed right over here. Pretty heavy, Pa. What's in it? You'll find out later. Now we will proceed. And without further ado, we'll begin the process of the process. We'll start with the first step. We'll start with the first step. We'll start with the first step. Now we will proceed. And without the women, if you please. As long as my husband's going to stay, I'll stay too. Very well, then. You will keep silent. Now I ask you men, how long do you think you'll keep your homes with the devil's terror abroad in this land? Maybe the army will help us. The army sent men to Lawrence. Did that stop them from burning the town? Now listen to me. We've gathered the names of those settlers over on the Paatawanamie Creek. Settlers who are riding and murdering out there on those plains this very night. Striking down three men in the name of slavery. I propose the ruthless and systematic killing of these instruments of the devil. Mr. Brown, I'm afraid you don't quite understand. We come here as peace-loving men to till the soil. Hens right, Father Brown. There's no blood on the hands of our men and we don't want it. It says in the book, thou shalt not kill. Aye, the book. An eye for an eye. I put on righteousness and it clothed me. I broke the jaws of the wicked. My judgment was a robe and a diadem. Who is it? Who is there to say we are not righteous if we act? Salmon, fetch the box over here. Here, Pa. Take this key and open it. Sabres. Aye, sabres. Then you carried them all the way from Ohio. The eye, the sword, and the weapon of the Lord. C.B.S. Sabres ready, men? Follow me. Yes, sir. Watch the horses, Jason. Aye, Marla. Who is it? It's I, John Brown, for the Lord's vengeance. Who do you... Fetch your menfolk, Mrs. Doyle. They're sleeping above. Then call to them. What do you want of my menfolk? Call them. Well... Call them! Jonathan? Jonathan! Wake up, Jonathan! What? Yeah, yeah. What is it? What do you want? Come down here, Jonathan. There's... There's trouble. All right, all right. Cotton-blued blazers. What are you on here? Hand over your rifle, peaceable Doyle. I have all the... We have to take... Throw this rifle outside in. Sammy, fetch the others. Your turn is first. Your turn is first, Jonathan Doyle. What's the matter? You rode with the Rangers when they murdered the Weaver family in their beds. You set the torches to the house of my son's God-fearing neighbor. Look at your hands, Jonathan Doyle. My... My hands? They're covered with blood. You don't see it, but the Lord does. So start praying. Start praying, I tell you. Praying? The Lord's Prayer. If you can remember it... The Lord's Prayer. And start walking. Out through that door. Oh, well, Jot and Heaven, hallowed be the name. That kingdom... Morning, Mr. Lincoln. Morning, James. The papers from New York, I put them on your desk, sir. Thank you, James. You reckon them papers will have more about that John Brown and all his killing of them folks out in Kansas? James, what do you think of this John Brown? Well, I don't right know what I think about John Brown, Mr. Lincoln, sir. There's a colored man right here in Springfield. He been to school. He don't even know what to think. Well, Mr. Horace Grayley thinks he's fine. Says the Easterners ought to send him money and guns. And what do Mr. Abraham Lincoln think, sir? He's wrong, James. He's wrong. They'll be out after him like a hunted animal. No matter what, he thinks he's right. There can be no justification for his kind of violence and bloodshed. Yes, James, I reckon old Brown will go down in history as about the wrongest right man who ever lived. Wanted dead or alive, John Brown, murderer, assassin, arsonist, and traitor to the state of Kansas. Any information leading to his apprehension will be listed and any information leading to his apprehension will be liberally rewarded. A hunted animal and the search went on. A specter of terror and violence was abroad in the land and men feared it and whispered of John Brown as they would have a whirlwind of fire. But to John Brown, it was the hour of vengeance. In the East, he appeared and vanished at secret meetings rallying men to his cause. And the search was at its height in the summer of 1859 when a white bearded old man who said his name was John Smith settled with his family on a farm in Maryland that nestled back in the hills, the hills that rose to the west towards Harper's Ferry. Good morning, Mr. Cheever. Good morning, Miss Smith. How's things going out at the farm? Oh, fine, just fine. Here's the order for our week's provisions. You can just leave it if you like. I'll be coming out your way later on. I'll fetch them for you. Oh, no, you mustn't do that. I mean, just put them on the buckboard. I don't mind. As you say, Miss, there's a right smart lot of provisions to carry that way. How many menfolk you got out there anyhow? Well, there's father and the girls and my brothers. Well, there's a baker's dozen of us anyway. Well, they sure eat more than any family I ever heard of. Guess that's the way they grow up, North. What state you say you all hear from? Oh, Pennsylvania, that is. Oh. By the way, here's a newspaper from Washington. Maybe your pa would be interested. Tell him the item on page three. Got it marked there. Goings on. Right around here. He said it was on page three. Here it is, Pa. To John Floyd, Secretary of War, Washington, D.C. Sir, I have discovered the existence of a secret association having for its general object the liberation of the slaves of the South. The leader of the movement is John Brown, late of Kansas. Oh, Pa, you'd better read it. But they know all about it, about Harper's Faire. Daughter, I've told you never to say that name aloud. Sorry, Pa, but I'm afraid. Terribly afraid. The Lord will see to it that our work is done. The Lord is gonna see to it that we got the men and arms we need, too. Dolph Thompson, you blaspheme. Hold your tongue. Ah, Dolph's right. The abolitionists have let us down. And if we don't do something soon, we'll lose the few men we've got. Are you certain of that, Stevens? I am, sir. They're sick and tired of being cooped up in this place hiding. They'd like anything better. Anything. Very well, Stevens. You may tell the men we carry out the original plan as regards Harper's Faire tomorrow. The morning of October 17, 1859. Hey, Phelps, what's wrong? We didn't send no word for Number 16 to stop here. Ain't got no time to talk, Jerry. Send this telegram to Washington. Oh, well, what's the matter? Don't talk. Just send this message. Train held up five hours at Harper's Faire by insurrectionists say they have come to free slaves. Leader says this is the last train to pass Bridge East... Lieutenant Stewart reporting to Colonel Robert E. Leigh for duty. Here are your orders, Lieutenant. Follow them to the letter. Become direct from the President. The President? Yes. Your job is to capture the men at the West Bridge, alive if possible. The capture of Brown himself is entrusted to me. Do you have your orders, Lieutenant? Yes, sir. Harper's Faire, the old engine house. The night of October 17, 1859. Captain Brown. Yes, Caggie. What do you see? The troops are split in two. One and two cordons. We must be making way for the cavalry. There's nothing to do now but wait. I can't understand why we failed. I was so sure that the slaves would join us when they heard. The cavalry is coming into the enclosure now, Captain Brown. Stewart's dismounted. You better come up here and have a look. I will. Captain Brown! Captain Brown! You have your last chance to surrender. Send one man under a flag of truce. We'll admit him. Caggie, unbar the door. Tell me your business, sir. Colonel Robert E. Lee sends his terms for surrender in this paper. Your men will be escorted from here in safety, awaiting the orders of the President. No. No, I prefer to die here. I will deliver your answer to Colonel Lee. What did he say? He won't surrender. Captain Brown! Yes? The crowd outside. They're pulling through the gates. They're coming this way. Stand down there, Caggie. We'll make them at attention. John Brown, you have been found guilty of treason, of conspiring with slaves to rebel, and of murder, in the first degree. Have you anything to say why sentence should not be pronounced upon you? I have, may it please the court, a few words to say. Had I interfered in the manner which I admit has been fairly proved, had I so interfered in behalf of the powerful, the intelligent, the so-called great, or in behalf of any of their friends, and suffered and sacrificed what I have in this interference, it would have been deemed all right. Every man in this court would have deemed it an act worthy of reward, rather than of punishment. But because I did what I have done, in the name of those who are helpless and oppressed, it has been called by another name. The The The The The In here, Governor. Captain Brown? Yes. I am Governor Wise of Virginia. Oh, I believe we met at the first question. I hope they have been kind to you in the prison here. It was my instruction. Yes, very kind. I thank you all. Naturally, I cannot approve your actions and all the beliefs which prompted them, Mr. Brown. But you did what you believed was right, with courage, humanity, and integrity of purpose. I would like to shake your hand. Goodbye, John Brown. Goodbye, sir. Are you ready, Captain? Yes, quite ready. We... we go out this way, Captain Brown. What a great crowd of people. I had no idea my hanging would be such an event. Aye. This way, Captain. The scaffold is well made. You're Virginia Pine, I believe. As your president, Sheriff. Stand over here, please. Certainly. No, wait. Don't put the blindfold on, Fish, yet. Well, what is it? Nothing. Just the hills from here, and the morning sun. God, listen. This is a beautiful country. John Brown of Asawatome, a zealous firebrand who flashed across the country in an angry time. Ageless reminder that principle and conviction are the things for which men live and die. It is this spirit, shaped by time, guided by wisdom and law, that still flames in all the people of this land. And it is this spirit we salute on the cavalcade of America. Our thanks to John McIntyre and the cavalcade players for their performance of John Brown of Asawatome on the cavalcade of America. And now the DuPont Company brings you its story. Tonight's story from the wonder world of chemistry is about a few of the diverse ways in which chemical research helps to make and keep you healthy. A new health weapon invented in a DuPont laboratory and made available to industry at large is an electric nose that works much as does an electric eye. Industrial workers using volatile solvents are sometimes endangered by the fumes. This electric nose, an ultraviolet photometer, detects the presence of as little as two drops of certain solvents in an average-sized room, thus permitting scientific control to ensure healthful working conditions. All important in the diagnosis of many diseases is modern X-ray practice. Research is continually carried out in DuPont laboratories to improve X-ray film and make the diagnosticians work even more accurate. Studies in physiological laboratories often make valuable additions to medical knowledge through techniques involving X-ray photography. Thanks to a new method of rendering blood opaque, the X-ray may be used today to photograph blood while it is actually circulating in the veins. Dentists use DuPont film in X-raying your teeth because it is fast and there is little chance of movement blurring the result during a short exposure. Clear X-ray pictures of a broken bone can be made as it knits if the doctor has set it with a splint of lucite, methyl methacrylate resin plastic, that crystal-clear, light, practically unbreakable substance made by the chemist from coal, air, and water. The fact that lucite does not appreciably absorb X-rays is one of its unique advantages for this use. The most intriguing talent of lucite, transmitting light around curves, makes it ideal for self-illuminating instruments which are a source of cool light in whatever spots the doctor, dentist, or surgeon wishes to illuminate. Today, one manufacturer of medical equipment alone supplies more than 50 different lucite instruments to dentists, surgeons, and physicians. And so this crystal-clear substance, which began by making the world simply a handsomer place, is now making it a more healthful place as well. It is on a thousand fronts that advances are made for your better health by scientists working to bring you better things for better living through chemistry. ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] And now Ted Joyt of the Cavalcade Players to tell you about next week's program. Ladies and gentlemen, next week, we shall present a play written by the noted author Stephen Vincent Benet, starring Raymond Massey, known everywhere for his portrayal of Abe Lincoln in Illinois. The story will be one never told before, the story of the 3,000-mile, unfortified borderline that divides the United States and Canada. The title of the play is The Undefended Border. Cavalcade of America feels especially proud of the privilege of bringing to you so great a star in so great a play, built around a historic fact that carries with it the greatest hope for the future of our world. Thank you. ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] On the cavalcade of America, your announcer is Clayton Collier, sending best wishes from DuPont. ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] This is the National Broadcasting Company. ["The Star-Spangled Banner"]
