On the night of March 12, 1859, Frederick Douglass and John Brown met with Detroit abolitionists at the home of William Webb (historical marker on University of Detroit Mercy campus) to discuss the best means for ending slavery. Earlier in the day Frederick Douglas gave a speech at City Hall. John Brown had just arrived, excorting runaway slaves from Missouri on their way to Windsor. John Brown was also on tour trying to raise recruits and support for a strike on Harpers Ferry in July. John Brown’s attempt to incite slaves to rebel would fail, and he was executed for murder, conspiring to incite slave rebellion and treason against Virginia on December 2, 1859.
Sources :
Frederick Douglass, John Brown and George DeBaptiste, The Night Train, June 8, 2010.
This Is Detroit: 1701-2001 by Arthur M. Woodford google snippet.