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Many
special thanks to the original reporters and dedicated
genealogists whose newspaper articles/transcriptions made
this compilation possible:
Kathleen
Wilham, Larry Sumpter and Kathy Bowlin. LPP
--------------------------------------------
The
Man.
James Hayden Brown was born in Cairo Township, Randolph
County, Missouri, son of the notorious Bill Brown, who
murdered William Penny in Jacksonville, Randolph County in
1865 and was afterwards shot and killed in Macon County by
his brother-in-law.
‘Hade’
Brown was said to have been endowed with an ungovernable
temper and had been an unruly, turbulent bad boy his whole
life. Ever ready to shoot, cut or kill whoever or whatever
crossed his path, he was always boasting of his ability to
whip or kill anyone who dared insult him. At the age of 19
he ran away with and married, against her parent’s wishes,
Miss Susan Parrish, the daughter of Dr. J.C. Parrish, a
respectable old citizen and highly esteemed gentleman of the
county.
Soon
after the marriage, Brown’s devilish temper and cruel
disposition was manifested towards his wife and resulted in
his whipping and otherwise shameful treatment of her. Susan
is said to have bore this treatment with fortitude until
forbearance ceased to be a virtue; she left home and
appealed to her parents for protection. They advised her to
return to her husband and live with him if possible. Susan
returned but Brown’s cruel treatment continued until one
Saturday in July, while he attended a picnic in Monroe
County, Susan again felt compelled to flee for her safety.
She went to her parents again and appealed to their
sympathies, protested against returning home to be beaten
and cursed liked a cur. The Parrishs, in their goodness of
heart, yielded to Susan’s entreaties and Dr. Parrish
carried her off to his son’s home in Howard County.
The Murder.
On
Monday, Dr. Parrish and a younger daughter were returning
from Howard County when Brown rode up, armed with a double
barreled shotgun. He was enraged that his wife had left and
his in-laws had afforded her shelter and protection. First
he ordered the girl to get out of the wagon, saying that he
didn’t want to hurt her. Then Brown addressed the Doctor:
“You
God-damned old scoundrel, you have got to die right here.”
“Why, Brown, you won’t shoot me, will you?” Parrish
replied.
“Yes, I will d--n you - I intend to kill you right
here.”
Brown then fired one barrel, the shot taking effect in his
victim’s face and left side. Dr. Parrish attempted to get
out of the wagon when the contents of the other barrel were
discharged into his right side and he fell out. He
immediately rose to his feet, however, and walked into Mr.
Bennett’s house, in front of which the shooting occurred.
Brown,
having emptied his gun, rode off swearing he would return
and finish the job. The tragedy had been witnessed by
several men who were at Bennett’s harvesting, and one of
them, young John Amick, got into a buggy and drove to the
Doctor’s residence to bring Mrs. Parrish to her wounded
husband.
In the meantime Brown had reloaded his gun, returned and was
endeavoring to gain admission to the house, to carry out his
threat of killing the Doctor. He was kept at bay by the
inmates however, and while trying to force open the door, he
observed his mother-in-law, Mrs. Parrish, and young Amick
coming up the road, and was heard to exclaim.
“There comes that d--n old b---h now; I’ll give her a
dose.”
Leaving
the house, he went out to meet them, and said to Mrs.
Parrish: “If you have anything to say, say it d--n quick,
for I’m going to kill you right here.”
Having
made this bloody threat, he leveled the gun and fired, the
shot taking effect in her face. She then got out of the
buggy and started to run, when the incarnate fiend let loose
the other barrel and shot her in the back of the head. She
fell in the road and expired in about fifteen minutes. While
she was in the death agony, the murderer stood near her
bleeding body and would allow no one to approach. Mrs.
Bennett was finally permitted to go to the slaughtered woman
and as she did so, Brown coolly enquired if she was dead.
Upon being answered in the affirmative, he burst into a
demoniac laugh, remounted his horse and rode off.
Young
Amick who was in the buggy with Mrs. Parrish, was
accidentally shot in the knee and will probably have a stiff
knee during life. On his way from the scene of blood, the
assassin talked freely to several parties concerning what he
had done, and announced his purpose, to kill his mother and
step-father, and Moses Osborn and wife, (the later being his
sister-in-law) and then carry his murderous work into Howard
County, and slaughter his own wife and her brother. Young
Mr. Parrish received a telegram informing him of the facts
early Tuesday morning and started at once for the scene of
the tragedy.
On the Run.
After the murder Brown made his escape, eluding the most
diligent search of the officers of the law for almost a year
until he was arrested in Rochester, Minnesota, in the spring
of 1878. The necessary requisition papers were soon
procured, and Sheriff Williams started for Rochester; he
returned with his prisoner and placed him in the Huntsville
jail. A Monitor reporter went up to Huntsville was
permitted to have an interview with the murderer. He said,
“Brown is a young man of about 21 years, blonde hair, is
about five feet seven inches high, and has by no means the
look of a dangerous character. He is quite pleasant in his
manners, and we had no difficulty to get him to relate to us
his travels west while a fugitive from justice. The
following is his story, very much in his own words:
“I
left the scene of the shooting and rode through Ike
Brown’s lane as far as Bill Baker’s, where I stayed all
night and next day in the brush. From there I went to Macon
City. On my way there I was overtaken by seven men from
Cairo, who had started out in my pursuit, but I had made up
my mind not to be taken and told them to stop and not come
up closer, whereupon the seven men withdrew from the scene.
Arrived at Macon City, I took breakfast and shod my horse.
Went as far as Kirksville that day and stayed there all
night. From there I rode along the railroad as far as
Ottumwa, Iowa.
From Ottumwa I went about one hundred miles into the
interior of Iowa. Stopped one week near the Minnesota State
line to give my horse and myself a rest. Had plenty money
all the time; made it by curing, breaking and training
horses. Only worked five days during my whole travels
--three days for an Irishman named Bowler and two for one
named Palmer, in Minnesota. Traveled in style; put up at
hotels. I charged from ten to twenty-five dollars for curing
a horse. People called me ‘The Horse Doctor.’ Was
arrested at Iowa City on suspicion of being a horse thief,
but they had to let me go. Went to Rochester, Ieota, Dodd
Center, Stockton and Winona, Minn.; crossed the Mississippi
into Wisconsin; passed through Hamburg, Black River Falls
and Greenwood, stopped a short while at what is called
‘101,’ a hunting camp in the pinery about 100 miles from
Neillsville. Went to Lacrosse, where I stayed two weeks, and
went back to Winona by way of Neillsville. Made all these
trips in company with a friend with whom I had got
acquainted in Iowa. At Winona we took the cars for Deadwood
City, where we staid from February 18th to March
23d. Made many acquaintances while in Deadwood--a man named
Thompson and Thomas Jackson, both from Macon City, two men
from Moberly and a stock man named R. J. Quinlan, from St.
Louis; only Quinlan recognized me but did not remember my
name. Went from Deadwood to Dakota in a spring wagon, and
back to Minnesota. Our intention was to go East. Stayed near
Minnesota State line three weeks.
Stopped at several small places in Minnesota and at last
started for Rochester, Minnesota, on Tuesday morning about
nine o’clock. Put up at the Merchant’s Hotel. Doctored a
horse and intended to leave on the train Friday morning at
nine o’clock. Was arrested about half an hour before the
train left. A young man by the name of Jackson, who had
known me when he was in the employ of a merchant (think his
name is Mose Baulm) at Macon City, recognized me on the
street and spoke to me. He telegraphed to Sheriff Terrill,
of Macon City, who sent back a message to have me arrested.
I was sitting in front of the hotel smoking a cigar, waiting
for the omnibus to take me to the depot, when Sheriff White,
Jackson, and two other men stepped up and surrounded me.
Jackson spoke to me and said, ‘Hallo, Hade, how do you get
along?’ I answered that I guessed he was mistaken in his
man; that I didn’t know him. I got up from my chair, when
Jackson stepped back and said, ‘Look out, Sheriff, he’ll
shoot.’ The Sheriff then said that he had a writ to arrest
me, and asked if I would go along with him peaceably, as he
didn’t wish to hurt me. The two men (deputies) who were
with the Sheriff were standing right behind me covering me
with their pistols. My partner, who was standing near by,
winked at me to strike the Sheriff, drew his revolver, put
it in his pants pocket and walked up behind the two
deputies, but I thought it best to go with the sheriff. A
great crowd had by this time assembled and accompanied us to
jail. I had a private interview with my partner, to whom I
delivered my papers. The Sheriff wanted him to give them up,
but he told him there were not men enough in town to make
him give them up. The Sheriff then searched me, but found no
weapons. Jackson, the fellow who gave me away, told the
Sheriff I had killed two men before, whereupon the Sheriff
became afraid I might escape and put shackles on me. He
asked me if I was guilty of the charge against me and if I
was from Missouri, and I told him that I was the man he was
looking for. He put me in an iron cell, and I stayed there
about a week, when Sheriff Williams came to take me to
Huntsville.”
The Trials.
Brown's first trial was in February 1879 and resulted in a
hung jury. The case was again set for December 1879. The
jury had been selected and the taking of testimony commenced
when one of the jurymen was taken seriously ill. The Judge
discharged the remaining jurors, ordered the Sheriff to
summon another panel of 40 men, and set the case for trial
January 26, 1880. The greater part of the first two days was
occupied in an effort to get a change of venue. The trial
proper commenced Thursday at 1 o'clock P.M. and by Monday
night following, all the testimony was in. Tuesday and the
early part of
Wednesday
was consumed in arguing the case. The defense was most ably
represented by Messrs. Martin, Priest, Christian &
Provine, while the prosecution was well conducted by Messrs.
Porter, Hall & Waller. The case was given to the jury
Wednesday morning. The jury was composed of the following:
D.E. Shirley, B.F. Sumpter, Jesse Lewis, J.H. Davis, J.W.
Newby, W.C. Johnson, J.B. Brooks, S.D. Lyon, D.R. Patterson,
T.J. Erskine, B.C. Knight and John H. Mosley. They were only
out some 15 minutes when they returned a verdict of guilty
of murder in the first degree.
Brown’s
attorneys later presented a motion for a new trial to the
Moberly Common Pleas Court, giving fifteen grounds why it
should be granted, which was overruled. They then made a
motion to set aside the verdict which was also overruled;
then they gave notice that they would file an affidavit for
an appeal. His Honor, Judge Burckhartt, then proceeded to
pronounce sentence on the culprit as follows:
“James Hayden Brown, you have been convicted by a jury of
your countrymen of murder in the first degree. Have you
anything to say why sentence of death ought not to be passed
on you?”
The prisoner stolidly replied: “Nothing.”
The Judge then continued: “The sentence of this court is
that the Sheriff take you into custody and safely keep you
until Friday, the 26th day of March, 1880, at
which time he will take you and hang you by the neck until
you are dead.”
As the last sentence was concluded Brown remarked in and
audible tone of voice: “He will never do it.”
The prisoner was taken by train to St. Louis for safe
keeping but the St. Louis jailor refused to receive him, or
rather informed the Sheriff that Brown would be sent to the
hospital and that it would cost $3 a day to guard him. The
Sheriff brought Brown back to Huntsville. By April, the
Sheriff believed it unsafe for Brown to remain in the county
jail so he was removed to Kansas City for safe keeping.
During his incarceration at Kansas City, Brown kept up the
character he had established, defying God and man, and
showing no signs of contrition for his dreadful deeds.
Her Suicide.
On April 21, 1880, Brown was visited in his cell by his
wife, Sue. What passed between them is not known and
probably never will be. It is known, however, that both had
made up their minds to perish by suicide. This plan had been
discussed before for all along had Brown, with the most
hideous oaths, declared he would never perish on the
gallows. These declarations did not particularly impress the
authorities, as Brown was supposed to be more expert at
threatening than at executing. Nevertheless, as is usual in
the case of criminals about to die, he was closely watched
and no means for accomplishing his self destruction were
suffered to come within his grasp. There were no suspicions
that the wife would convey to him any weapon or poison by
which his threats at suicide might be carried into effect.
Sue Brown was regarded as a quiet, modest, shrinking little
woman, one who would revolt at any such action which it now
appears she was so ready to perform, and of course was not
watched. The visit to the jail yesterday was for two
purposes. The first was to bid her husband an eternal
farewell, for she resolved to die. The second was to provide
him with means whereby he might end his life and thus escape
the gallows. The means she had to offer him were poison –
a heavy dose of morphine which, secreted in the folds of her
dress, she had no difficulty in conveying to his cell. Where
she obtained the morphine has not yet been developed. That
may come out among the dry details of the Coroner’s
inquest, but probably not. Brown took the deadly powder and
placed it in his vest pocket. It was decided between the two
that the wife was to die first; she probably told how she
intended to end her wretched life. She was to leave a note
for a friend and the friend was hasten to the jail and
‘tell Hade that Sue was dead.’ That was to be the signal
for the husband’s preparations for death to begin. He was
then to take the poison, retire to his pallet and pass to
his eternal sleep. The morning was to find his body dead,
stark and stiff in the cell.
The plot was in some respects a clever one, but it was most
terribly bungled. When the two parted, there was no unusual
display of emotion between them. There was not a look or a
gesture nor a word that was calculated to excite suspicion.
They kissed each other good-bye, and the wife said: “We
will see each other in the morning,” and those were her
last words to him. She had said the same words many times
before, and the guards took no particular notice of them. At
the door, she turned and looked back at him but said
nothing. The door closed and Brown went back to his cell.
Upon her return to Mrs. Fisher’s residence on 1305 Cherry
Street in Kansas City, there was nothing in Mrs. Brown’s
appearance or actions to convey even the remotest hint of
the dreadful purpose she had in mind. She ate her supper
with the family and conversed as usual. She talked of her
husband, of his goodness to her, of her love for him, of her
devotion to her child – in fact of all those tender, holy
subjects which are ever first and uppermost in the wifely,
motherly heart. After supper she took the child over to a
neighbor’s and left him there to play. She was observed to
embrace him and kiss him before she left him. The child went
about his play in his bright, nervous way.
She returned to the house and found Mrs. Fisher sitting on
the front porch talking with a lady friend. She passed into
the house and was not seen alive again. From the evidence at
hand, it is clear that upon leaving Mrs. Fisher she went
into the bedroom near the rear of the house and upon the
first floor. There she wrote the two letters found after her
death – wrote them in the dim, uncertain light of day upon
two slips of commercial billheads and in very uncertain,
scrawling choreography. This accomplished, she took a
comforter from the bed and with it made a pallet on the
floor. In one of the bureau drawers there was a small .38
caliber five shooter. It was Mrs. Fisher’s only defense
against burglary during her husband’s absence from home
and Mr. Fisher just happened to be out of the city. The
woman opened the drawer, took out the weapon, laid down on
the pallet, placed the pistol to her right temple and
discharged it. The bullet crashed through the bone and
lodged in the brain. Death was instantaneous; the poor woman
probably never suffered a pang.
When Mrs. Fisher fond her lying there dead, the body was
turned slightly over upon the left side, but the attitude
was so natural and easy that the repose might have been
mistaken for that of sleep instead of death. Mrs. Fisher was
terribly shocked. Naturally of a delicate, nervous
temperament, the awful scene was calculated to completely
overwhelm her. Her cries soon attracted the neighbors who
came pouring in and among them the little boy whom his
mother had but a half hour previously kissed goodbye for the
last time.
The Aftermath.
When her son saw her lying there, he tiptoed softly back to
the staring, frightened group of women and said softly,
“Mamma is asleep – we musn’t talk or we’ll wake her
up.” Everybody wept – the strong men as well as the
weaker women. A lady took the child up and carried him out
into the street, and there he romped and played as gaily as
if he were not indeed the loneliest and most blighted
orphans. Very soon an officer arrived, and shortly the
undertaker. A hurried consultation resulted in the decision
that, under the circumstances, it was best that the body of
the unfortunate woman should be taken at once to the
undertaking establishment, where it would be properly
preserved and where the coroner’s inquest could be held.
The arrival of Coroner Day determined this, and the remains
are now at Welden’s, where the inquest will be held.
Two letters were found, conveying the last wishes of the
unhappy woman. The first was pinned on the bosom of her
dress and read as follows:
“Mrs. Fisher, Please tell my darling husband immediately
will you, that these are my dying words. Please see that
(unknown) relations take me to the Swindell graveyard and
bury me with my dear husband, and in the same grave and
coffin. These are my dying words, good bye forever and ever.
Please see that my child is raised right, no matter who
takes charge of him. I forgive everyone who has wronged me
and ask forgiveness. Goodbye to Chris and his family and to
Moses and those sweet children; also my sister and dear old
father and Mr. and Mrs. Fisher, and last of all my dear
sweet child and husband. Oh forgive me, God, is my prayer,
for the time draws near when I must die. Goodbye my dear,
darling child and husband. This is written by Sue Brown.”
The other letter was found on the bureau, and was as
follows:
“To my darling husband and child and my friend Belle
Fisher, the one who has been so very good and kind to me. My
darling husband and I will both die tonight. My life is a
misery to me for I know James is to be hung, and I am very
near crazy over my troubles, they are more than I can bear.
Oh, how I hate to leave my darling, precious babe. I hope my
relations will take charge of him and raise him right, and
always be good and kind to him and for my sake never let him
be imposed upon. I love my dear husband better then the
whole world, and he can’t live and I won’t – we will
both die together. I want to be buried in my darling’s
arms, and in the same coffin with him. Mrs. Fisher, will you
please see to us and not let them separate us in death is my
dying wish. That my God will forgive me and take me safely
home is my dying prayer. I want my sister Sarah and Lucy to
have my things between them. A farewell kiss to my dear old
father one I love. Mrs. Fisher, will you please for my sake
and my darling’s have this published. I want you to take
the news to Hade, it making no difference who says no.”
Scene at the Jail.
The discovery and persusal of the two letters left by Mrs.
Brown let the authorities into the secret that there was an
understanding between the murderer and his wife and that
Brown himself had contemplated suicide and was probably in
possession of means whereby to accomplish that result. To
frustrate any such design, Deputy Marshal Freeman,
accompanied by Jailor Farrell, Sergents Deitch and Snyder,
Officer Barrons and several other patrolmen, made haste to
the jail and quietly slipped up in front of Hade Brown’s
cell. “Come outside, Hade,” said Freeman in as careless
a tone as he could feign.
Brown
looked up and saw the squad of officers. In a flash he
divined that something deeply effecting him had transpired.
He did not know what, nor did he care. As quick as lightning
he plunged his hand in vest pocket, drew out the package of
morphine and crammed it into his mouth. Before he could
swallow the fatal drug, however, the officers had seized him
and powerful hands had fastened their vise-like clutch about
his neck. Then ensued a frightful struggle. The baffled
wretch floundered and fought with the desperation of a
madman. His blasphemies and oaths and imprecations were too
terrible for recital in a public print. Alternately he
cursed himself and his assailants. “Kill me, you dogs of
h--l,” he shrieked. “I’ve got to die anyway next
Friday, and I might just well die here and now.”
It was a dreadful scene. The struggle lasted several
moments, till absolutely exhausted, blue in the face, his
eyeballs protruding from his head and the truth bubbling
from his mouth, the miserable wretch lay, feebly writhing on
the jail floor. As if he had been a beast, his mouth was
pried open and the poisonous package dragged forth. He was
hauled to his cell and placed under a heavy guard, and even
then, exhausted as he was, he continued to utter the most
revolting blasphemies and imprecations. It was decided to
tell him of his wife’s death the following day.
His Final Days.
The Supreme Court was later appealed to by the defense, with
the hope of having the case reversed. But on May 6th, a
decision was rendered that affirmed the finding of the lower
court and the day of execution was fixed for June 25, 1880.
When the paper was handed him containing the last decision
of the Supreme Court in his case, Brown called his fellow
prisoners around him and with curses upon the courts and
officers of the law, read in mock judicial tones the
decision that doomed him to die upon the gallows, and made
his little child the son of an executed felon. The Kansas
City Times printed this letter at Brown’s request:
“Mr. Editor – Please put this before the readers of your
paper. This is my side of this awful fate which hangs over
my head. I was arrested June first, and have been in jail at
St. Louis and Kansas City ever since the first of June, 1878
and have not been allowed to see my ma or my wife and child
two hours since I have been in their hands. Since my
sentence of death has been past on me I have not been
allowed to have my wife with me over an hour at a time, and
then I have been in my cell where I could not kiss her or my
child. She left me this evening to never meet again on
earth. Oh I write this with firm heart and with the promise
of our great Almighty God that he bring us home to heaven,
where all is love. The readers of this piece will remember
that I am charged with one of the coldest and most horrified
murders ever on record, but I will just say to the readers I
have no recollection of shooting, Mother Parrish, although I
have got to pay the penalty of the law.
I will just say I have just been handed my Moberly paper,
where I read that those blood-hounds have been fixing to
have a nice time when I have got to die on the scaffold. Oh
I will fool them. I would not give those blood hounds of
Randolph County the pleasure of seeing me dangle at the end
of a rope. I am going to take 3 ½ grams of morphine just as
soon as I can write this to your paper. All I want to say is
this, when I have been in jail in Kansas City I have been
fed two meals a day and coffee once ever since I have been
confined here. Is that the way your laws are in this world?
Just because one paper or one rich man gets down on a man he
has got to be mistreated by all? If this is humane treatment
I will say hell is a paradise to this place. Starve a man
and keep his family from him when he hasn’t got but three
days to live. By God, it is all the hell I ever expect to
see.
I
wrote to Sheriff Matlock requesting him to bring me up so I
could see my people, and he wrote me he would not. He told
me if I should ask him a reasonable request he would grant
it. He also wrote to the Marshal of Kansas City and told him
to keep my wife and child away from me. I don’t think that
there was ever a man treated like I have been treated since
my sentence was pasted on me. I am going to take my own life
this time. They say I took poison; it is not true, I never.
But I will say I am going to take it now. I can die and if I
was one of those people who is so eager to see me hung they
would shiver in their clothes. I suppose the people will say
that I am crazy, oh I have as good sense as any man. As for
the people of that county, I have not the least malice
towards them, and as for Dr. Parrish, he has caused all this
trouble.
I have to give up and made up my mind to take morphine. I
sent my dear wife home so I can take the deadly dose. I hope
I may get pardon from all and friends and relatives for this
rash act. I would not have took this if I had been treated
half white and like a man. They drove me to murder and now
they drove me to take my life just by mistreating me. I beg
pardon from all I have injured and I pardon all who has
injured me. Please put this in your paper.”
Yours truly,
J.H. Brown
His Last Words.
At 1 o’clock on Friday, June 25, 1880, Brown was scheduled
to be hanged on the Robert Smith place, near the No. 2 ½
coal shaft, one mile east of the courthouse and a half a
mile from the city limits, on the Huntsville and Moberly
Road. He was brought down from the Kansas City jail the day
before the execution. While on the scaffold in front of
10,000 people, he said:
‘‘Friends and Fellow Citizens – I am here today to
offer my life for a crime that the law says I committed. I
suppose I am guilty but have no knowledge of the crime. I am
satisfied to die because it is just that my life should be
given up. I am going to meet my own sweet wife in heaven;
she whom I wronged in life. God knows I tell the truth when
I say there was no agreements between us to commit suicide.
I did not tell her to kill herself; I loved her too much. I
ask the forgiveness of you all here assembled and have
wronged you of the dear daughters of her for whose murder I
die today. God knows I did not know when I killed her.
I am not well today. I spent a sleepless night last night,
and ask you to pardon me. I hope you will all pray for me. I
hope that no one in this crowd will hold malice towards me.
If I thought any of you held ill will towards me I would die
a miserable man, the most miserable on earth. I ask the
forgiveness of him whose life I attempted, the husband of
her who died at my hands. If he is here today, I hope he
will hold up his hand in token that he forgives me. I hope
that if Henry Fort is here he will do the same, and if Lutie
Parrish, Sarah Parrish and Chris Parrish are here I hope
they will give a sign that I am forgiven and that they will
let my poor soul go peacefully into eternity.
May
God bless you all and may we meet in heaven. If any of you
meet my poor child treat him kindly for his own if not for
his dying father’s sake. If you are all willing that I
shall be buried in the same coffin with my wife hold up your
hands. [This was to his wife’s people.] Thank God for your
(…unable to read next lines) (any) lady here who (will)
(…unknown) her hand and promise to see that this bunch of
flowers is placed in the hands of my dear, dear wife. [The
prisoner held up a bunch of faded flowers and some lady in
the duty asked.] I hope and trust all who hereafter meet my
child, my brother, or my broken-hearted mother will treat
them with respect, and not sneer at and taunt them with the
disgrace of my death. Extend them the hand of sympathy. As I
came along the road of death just now, I saw several young
men whom I knew in youth under the influence of intoxicating
liquor and acting badly (in) the presence of the public.
This caused me great grief, and I prayed to God to forgive
them and make them good men. My last request is to be buried
by the side of my blessed wife. Assured of this I can die
happy. I shall feel contented if I know that you will all
pray for me. Bless God for all his mercies to me.”
His
Last Request.
Hade Brown’s last request was complied with. The bodies of
Brown and wife were taken the following day from Huntsville
to Moberly by his stepfather, Jackson, accompanied by his
uncles, Isaac, Joseph and Edward Brown, and a few other
relatives. The bodies were taken into the gentlemen’s
sitting room at the depot and placed in one coffin, made
large enough for the occasion. They were arranged with a
hand of each resting on the other, giving them the
appearance of embracing. The flowers that Brown requested
should be placed upon them were then adjusted just as he
requested. The bodies lay upon their sides facing each
other. After every wish had been complied with, the coffin
was placed upon the M.K. & T. train and taken to Monroe
County, where the luckless couple were buried in the
Swindell Cemetery, four miles south of Madison, Mo.
According to the request of Mrs. Brown, in her letter to
Mrs. Fisher, Brown’s boy was taken in charge by his
wife’s relatives who would raise him.
Sources:
Compiled by Lisa Perry using articles from The Moberly Daily
Enterprise-Monitor, July 26, 1877; Howard County Advertiser,
July 26, 1877; Moberly Daily Enterprise-Monitor of
June 10, 1878; Moberly Daily Enterprise-Monitor of
December 29, 1879; Huntsville Herald of February 12,
1880; Kansas City Times of April 22, 1880; Huntsville
Herald of June 17, 1880; Kansas City Times of
June 20, 1880; Huntsville Herald of June 24 1880; and
other unknown articles from the newspaper article collection
of Mrs. Nannie Brown of Madison, Monroe County, Missouri. |
