The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1869-08-19
THURSDAY. AUGUST 10. 1869
The Musket that Shot Ellis.
worth's Assassin.

The Musket that Shot Ellis
worth's Assassin.
From the Troy Whia.
1t will be remembered that ut the
time of the murder Of Col. Ellsworth
in Alexandria, at the beginning o.
the rebellion, Jackson, Ellsworth
assassin, was shot by Frank Brown
ell, Of Troy. Some time after, Brown
nell was promoted to position in
tke regular army. He sought by
every means to retain the musket
with which Jackson had been shot
but the Captain in command refused
to part with it, and it was transfer
red to one of the soldiers remaining
in the company. Brownell kept
track OF the musket, tracing it, after
the abandonment Of the Ellsworth
Zouaves to a private in the regular
army, who bore it with him over
the plains, and many conflicts with
the Indians Brownell, at last, a
short time ago, by the assistance Of
an army friend, got possession of it,
There is no doubt oi its identity
Brownell's initials, cut upon the stock
years ago, arc still there, and other
marks and indications fully as irden.
tifying. On Saturday last Mr..
Brownell proceeded TO Albany, and
deposited the musket in the State
Department, where the coat and hat
of Ellsworth are now retained, and
where the battle SCARED musket will
remain memento of u terrible trag-
edy. In this connection we would
state a circumstance in regard to the
shooting of Ellsworth, not generally
known. Mr.. BrownelI states that he
saw Jackson just as he was prepar-
ing to fire the fatal shot at the
breast of Ellsworth. Brownell aimed
Immediately to!shootJ ] ackson, but the
sabre bayonet on his musket prcven-
ted celerity ofmovement, as he was
standing upon tho staircase. As
Brownell brought his musket to bear
upon the assassin the latter fred the
fatal shot, and almost Immediately
fell dead at the hands. of the aven-
ger. Had Brownelps musket been
without sabre, his movements
would have been unimpeded, and in
all probability Jackson would have
been shot, and Ellsworth's life SPAR
ed.
The PACIFIC CRY EXPRESS BoBBER.
We have heretofore givon our read
ers some of the facts in regard to the
express robbery at Pacific City,
Iowa, on the 18th Of July last. The
magnitude Of the robbery caused the
Express Company to use every pos
sible exertion for the recovery of the
money, and for the arrest Of their
dishonest and faithless agent. Cir
culars containing q minute descrip-
ton Of the man, Henry Brayton, as
he called himself, were distributed to
all parts of the country, and nearly
four hundred dollars expended in tel
egraphing. photographs of Bray
ton were also sent to the different
-oxpress agents, and to detectives
One of the circulars and photograph
falling into the hands of the express
agent of the United States Express
Company, at Waukesha, Wisconsin,
he came to the conclusion that q
certain man who had just returned
there from the west, was the right
one, and caused his arrest. On Sat-
urday last, j. Sheperd, Assistant Su-
perintendent of the United States
Express Company, started from
Waukesha with Brayton in charge,
and arrived here yesterday on the
G. r. /, Il Pacific, at noon, with the
prisoner, on his way to Pacific City,
whore the robbery was committed
The amount of money taken was
nearly s11, 200. After his arrest he
acknowledged all, and gave up S., 500
found in his satchel, and also pair
Of horses and buggy, for which he
had just paid $1,000. His wife, who
was with him, also decided a piece of
land in Troy, which is held in her
own name. The Express Company
will thus recover the greater portion
Of the stolen money, losing perhaps
between two and three thousand
dollars, including expenses.
At Pacific City the prisoner. pass.
cd under the name of Henry Bray
ton, but 1t seems his real name is
Hezekiah Broughton. He removed
from Vermont several years ago to
Wisconsin, where he left his family
and went to Indiana and married an.
other wife, leaving one in Wisconsin.
He subsequently went to Pacific City
where he married again. At the
time of the robbery he was postmas.
ter, express agent, and also carried
TIE express matter from Glcnwood to
Plattsmouth. With his i'll gotten
money ho returned to his first lrwful
wife, and family. 1t seems he has
three children, u son %, daughter
II, and another son IL years of ago
State Register.