Executed
John Brown
John Brown was held in a jail and then taken to a gallows before troops and a crowd. An eyewitness account, including a letter from an officer on duty with the Virginia Military Institute cadets, describes him as steady and motionless while he waited on the platform, and says his bearing was composed and free of boasting as the rope was adjusted and a cap was placed over his face. The account says the execution was carried out about fifteen minutes after the trap was sprung.
Cause of death, as reported: Executed by the state
Reported by: eyewitness accounts, including a letter from an officer on duty with the Virginia Military Institute cadets (witnesses).