The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1865-01-05
"st,,n,py Brown
Justice Slow But sure
From the London Once a week

From the London Once n week.
About forty years since there lived
in the town Of Woodbridge. in Sufolk
a shor, sharp teature:, w;ry li,tle man
who apparently had no occupation, bas
proteesel to he farm laborer, and
really got his living principally b,
roaching. His proper name was
Richard Brown, but the townstolk of
Woodbridge. from some fancy or other
prob .blv on ac:onn, Of his short statute
had changed the Richard to Stnmpy,
and by tha, name he vas always known
Every one Was afraid Of STUMP, Bros an
he lived in the outskirts Of the town,
on the Mar,lesome road, and rarely
troubled himself ,n converse much with
his nciyhbors. When lie did, it was
generally 70 dispose II a hare, or game
pt some description, which he nearly
always had in stock. dis dress, in "a
ii,,on to the knee breeches Of the peri
Oh, and the usually bright co!orcd vest !,
WIS long brown coat Of very shabby
appearance, and loose frl, ha', which
he wore over his forehead while his
cold grey eyes glanced malignant,
from nndc, its brm n, one cnn'd
say any harm Of Brown, beyond that
he was a surly, il! conditioned fy!I "
who shunned his nei.hburs acd Wa II
known ppanh"r, bat yet there were >u>
pici,ns and rusnors ahronl ah,u. him,
which, ii true, " ,ull have t.rnn. III him
10 the gal|ows. Some tsw years bcfnre
the time of which I speak ,hrec mar
lers had occurre. at varis.us interval.
III the hcighhn,hnol of Woodbridge
which, considering The nature and size
1t the town, was very startling cir
cumstancc. Uf none Of these was tho
perpe,rator known. An officer Of Il
regiment qnarier.d 10 Woodbridge had
been drinking in the Red Lion public
hoasc "n ;l.r Iar,lesomn road IA had
been seen and recognized here on The
following morning lie was fsuni IN a
ii,ch near bv. his throat cut and his
pockets empty. The Captain ef 4 Nar
~egian trading vessel, then lying III
tie port, after Ii. hsl heen m. ssiny tnr
ten days, was found il a pu'rccent con
,iiior at the bottom If the river. tied
mp in 4 sack, without the least .lne as
:e whore or by whom he hai been
murdered. Tasty, J. farmer of 'he name
of .Ai.h;an, whose property was Il the
ne.lborhnoa, was known ,o have gone
into Woodbridge on the market dav ).
he did not return home III the evening
bat on the following morning his b ,ly
was found in barn bv the side nf the
roai behnl The town, which /; was
necessary for him 10 traverse on his
way back. His head had been batter
ed in, apparently by som" biant ins.rI
meni, and his pockets rihcd. More At
tentioH appears to have been excited
by this murder than in the two former
cases. The officer and the Captain
were strangers III the town. and with
regard to the wegian skipper's case
it was the general opinion that some
nr tho t.ncpnHa 4 l.
the matter. But in this instance the
victim WIS no stranger. Farmer Aigh
ton was we'll known and respected in
Woodbridge, and had been seen and
spoken rs by many Of lis friends on
the very day Of his assassination. The
inquest was held "a in the two othe,
cases, but no evidence was adluced as
to the author Of tic crime. Justice ap.
pears to have been tmdy in those times
at any rate in that quarter Of the world
now adays it would indeed astonish IA
should three undiscovered murders
spread their dark shadows Of suspicion
and fear over a single small town with
N the course of ten years. Although
no evidence had been brought before
the authorities, tending to ineuipate
! any individual with the murder al
A,shton, yet the finger Of suspicion, as
'lirec'ed'by the good people of Wood.
bridge. pointed 70 Slumpy Brown. H.
WAS known to have poached on tue
farmers grounds, and hal been prose
cnted by him, and threatened SitI, q
second summons. Stnmpy was 4 sour.
mou,hed fellow, and had been heard
10 say that he would .do for' any per
son VINO intertered with what lie con.
sidered his privileges, and in conse
quenco OF this. many farmers and
ncighbors had refraincd from prose.
cutting B-own, absolutely through fear