Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-07-03
TEEE LATE RADICAL MURDER
AT MILAN.
How willie Brown was Killed
Result OF the Judicial
Investigation.
A COId-BIOOded and DeIIber-
ateIy Planned Murder.

The following communication Is from
a gentleman who was in Milan at tn
preliminary examination Of Sam, Mere
dith snd Tom Wheeler, on the charg
Of numbering Mr.. Willie Brown, son o
our esteemed fellow-citizen, Jesse F
Brown, Esq. It will be seen it fully cor
rOborates, in almost every particular, tn
statement Of the affair first published il
the APPEAL, and gives the unequivocs
lie to the miserable, biack-hearted scOun
drels, who, not content with numbering
the body OF s defenseless and Harmless!
youth, have, by lying letters, befouleC
mis- memory, and attempted to murde
his reputation
MEMPHIS. Tenn, ] ly I, 1858.
Editors Memphis Appeal:
AS two or more communications abou
the killing Of young Mr.. Brown at Milan
have been published in q city paper 0
Memphis, it is due the public aud csus
Of truth, and especially the friends 0
the young man and his memory, tina
the facts ia the case should be mad
known.
The affair was fully Investigated a
Milan on Friday last, the 20 b ult., aDC
the writer Of this was present. The fol
lowing are the facts and circumstances
as ELECTED on that occasion:
There was meeting of a number o
men calling themselves the Board o
Mayor and Aldermen Of the town o
Milan" I heard it said, outside, tha
these eight men had been elected with,
out opposition by one vote outside o
their own votes for each o>her, this wa;
not in proof This state of thing
caused the boys of the town to give
them what they called a "serensde.'
So, very indiscreetly, but like boys, they
gathered q considerable company, snG
with bells, tin pans, and other noise
making instruments, they made great
deal Of discordant music. After the ad.
journment of this body of men, the boys
visited the premises of Mayor Shep
herd who, together with his wife,
came cut and invited them to come in,
telling them if they would do so they
would get some good whisky. On their
refusing, Mr. Shepherd proposed to wait
on them at the gate, il they would
drink. To this some Of the boys replied
that they some OF them had too much
aboard now, already. After q little
while the crowd dispersed.
The Board for some purpose appointed
a meeting for the next night; and Sam
Wheeler, one Of the memb ers of il, for
some reason, informed some of the lead
ers of the ssTeEads that the meeting
would be st Shepherds store, and in
vited them to bring out their bells. They
promised him another serenade. When
night came, Sam Wheeler's two BROTH
ers, Meredith and Tom, came with
dOuble-5aTTel sbOt-guns. Maj. Shepherd
testified that he requested them to
bring their guns and act as police
that night. After dark, much
smaller company of boys gathered
and marched around with their
discoTdant notes. When they came op-
pOsite Shepherds store Sam Wheeler
came out and ordered them to go away /;
some je6ring words passed and the crowd
dispersed After al had become quiet
sam Wheeler came along the street and
found young Brown and Mr.. VsnhOOk
nearly opposite Clark's store, where
Brown was clerk, and passed them. He
turned back and came close TO them and
stopped, staring clCssly full into the face
Of young Brown, who asked him If he
Brown wss the man he wss looking
Tor. Wheeler replied that he wanted
nothing 10 10 WIN him, and began to
curse him, when II. Wheeler came up
and leveled his gun and fired, but Brown
caught and threw up the gun so that the
charge passed over his head and while
IN this struggle Tom Wheeler came up
and shot him through the body, killing
him instantly. Brown did not attempt
TO draw & pistol, or any other weapon, as
was fully proven. The two COM
municatiOns in s Radical shSst, of
your city, one signed " Republican and
the other Citizen Of Trenton" we're
written, I am informed, the one by 8
lawyer psmed Hail, who defended these
murderers, and il his speech said " II
they had killed the last one OF those
boys they would have been jIstitiable."
WHAT would such q man fan to say or
write il he was paid for it? That same
Hall was once rebel, sO-called, in the
Tnirty-tirst Tennessee, ran for Captain,
was defeated, then for nearly every Of
fee down to fifth Corporal, failing every
time; then got into another regiment
and ran the same role with like defeat.
This double test Of his standing led him
to seek his level by joining the Fedsrals,
and by putting himself on a level with
the lowest down negro by joining the
Radical party. The writer can furnish
ample proof f0- ell that he has written,
and Of 9 good many other taCts in Halls
history.
Wine Brown was the son Of our es-
TENED fellow-citiZen Jesse L. Brown,
E.q., and Was in his twenty-fir year
when he was so foully and cruelty cut
off by the HANDS Of Radical assassin.
He was in the Confederate array tine
two last years OF the war, and stood
above reproach as g high-minded, up
right and moral young man, and was
known to be fearlessly brave. He hsd
been living for more than q year in the
family of Rev Mr.. CLARK, q worthy Bap.
tist preacher, ana wealthy merchant in
Milan, Gibson county, Tenn. bar, CLARK,
who was Union man during the war,
now opposed TO Rsdicalism, told me, as
did also bis excellent wife, that they had
never seen q more upright and agreeable
young man than Willie Brown that
they loved hin almost as one OF their
own children, Besides, Ia Yse much
in that whole community.
% gR DIV NSETT.T.F