From Chicago, National Kansas Committee secretary H. B. Hurd sent John Brown a copy of a resolution passed by the committee on April 1, 1857: first, in light of the fact that the public was no longer contributing to the cause, the committee could not continue its normal operations; and second, the secretary was to inform major donors that the committee would necessarily close "operations unless immediately sustained by liberal Contributions." Thus, Hurd could not send Brown the $500 dollars requested (apparently to cover the first payment to Charles Blair for the "spears").