REMOTE PATROL

Like Jesus and Joan of Arc before him, John Brown benefited greatly from the presence of a news media. Had Brown and his murderous raiders been wiped out at the siege of Harpers Ferry, he might have died anonymously. Instead, the weeks between his capture and execution allowed Brown to give dozens of interviews, write hundreds of letters and seal his legend throughout the North. That's just one of the revelations from tonight's new edition of "The American Experience" (8, Channel 19), which depicts Brown as a lifelong failure redeemed by martyrdom. His crusade would later be remembered as part of the abolition movement, but Brown was not like most abolitionists. He lacked wealth and privilege. He mixed socially with blacks. And he saw violence as the only way to curb the evils of slavery. @ART:Photo (uncaptioned) >>>