Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-07-19

lNAhNAHhNh SoAANopouuchl VI AHe Doetoh OAobe+l
A week of excitement. An event in which the
startling, the horrible and the sad enter as ele-
ments, occurred last Sunday afternoon. The
Rev. Samuel j. Browne, a citizen for seyenly-siX
years, local minister once in the Methodist
church, man now eighty-four years old on
last Sabbath afternoon, shot and killed twelve
year old boy who was in a part OF his grounds
at the same time that other boys whom he had
accompanied were stealing the old mans pears
under a tree in another part of the same grounds.
The lad Frank Shick, was shot through the
heart and fell dead. His companions fed in
terror. A mob assembled around the house.
One of its number, half brother to the boy, had
a rope in his hands and the Infatuated crowd
cried out, Chang himl hang the old wretch!'
The police took the old man out the back way,
and saved him from the moo. Hewas admitted
to bail in the sum of $4,000. Higher bail was
never required in this city but it was gwen.
Both bOndSmen were Germans. One OF them
happened to be brewer On Monday, on Tues
day, on Wednesday and yesterday his Deer
wagons came back to his immense brewery load
ed. The German saloon keepers had refused to
buy his beer. Last Tuesday the two Germans
withdrew from Mr. Brownies bond, and Amerl-
cans took their place. On Wednesday night an
indignation meeting was held by the Germans.
The resolutions passed were mild, because
crafty managers wishing TO control the crowd
drew them up. The resolutions condemned the
Judge who accepted bail and there stopped. To-
day the preliminary examination took place in
the police court. Upon the facts there devel-
oped, construct the story of the tragedy.
The Rev. Samuel j. Browne lives on a hill
side in the northwestern part of the city. His
grounds comprise two acres of tangled shrub
berry and fruit trees. They have been allowed
TO grow pretty much at will. The hand Of cul-
tivation touched them lightly and seldom. The
old homestead is in keeping with the grounds.
Old, weatherworn, dilapidated, it stands length
wise imbedded in the sides Of the steep slope,
two stories with verandas staring up hill into
the tangled shrubbery, three stories on the OPP
posite or down hill side with each a veranda
facing the midday sun and overlooking the city.
The fence that surrounded this little patch of
wilderness had the same look of neglected age
as the building. Its rotten posts and boards
leaned hither and thither ms if worn out and
weary, they would like to lie down and rest
There was fruit within always tempting to boys.
For years it has been their habit to relieve the
weakest posts of the fence from further service
during fruit time and make raids through the
breach upon the old mans fruit. For years the
old man has used the gun to scare off the intru-
ders No one was ever harmed until last Sab
bath.
On Sabbath noon some boys went to the
grounds by a new approach. 1t was from the
upper side of the hill. The fence was down, and
they went through and picked up pears under a
tree ten yards from the rear of the house. Ed
die JenniSon, fifteen years old grandson of Mr..
Brownies, who had been sent to watch the
boys, informed the old man, and he shot from
the veranda. No one was hurt. He sent Eddie
to gather the pears, so "the boys would have
nothing to come in for" The grandson obeyed,
but the boys stoned him away from the tree. At
two O'Clock another group of boys came, and
the old man shot, harmng none Of them. They
lett Twenty minutes later group of fifteen
boys entered by the same way. Eddie Jennison
reported them to his grandfather, and the old
man said, ''Pll fix them this time" He had fired
his shot gun before this. Now he took long
old, smoothbore rife. He went to the second
story verauda on the rear of the house. Ten
yards distant, at the foot Of the slope, plain in
view, were three boys picking up pears. The
rifle had TO be depressed to bear upon them.
Eighty yards distant, leaning against null
berry tree, was Frank Shick, a German lad
twelve years old, who had entered the grounds
with the other boys. He said he would not
steal pairs, but would wait awhile under the
mulberry shade The foliage hid the veranda
from his view and him from the view of the old
man on the veranda. The old man aimed his
rifle and his grandson stood behind him. Eddie
says he pointed toward the boys under the pear
tree, but he could not be sure he was aiming at
them. Bang went the gun and the boys ran,
all but Frank Shck, eighty yards away in the
shade up the hill.
Presently man entered the grounds at the
top of the hill, and the old man fired. A few
minutes later two men came walking down the
hill toward the veranda. Snap went the cap of
the shotgun in the hands of the old man. If
killed his own sou. The two men were his own
son and the half brother of Frank Shck who
lay dead under the mulberry tree above, and
they were coming to tell the old man what he
had done. His grandson testities as to how be
received the intelligence. "Well, | can't helpit,
these boys have been botherng me so much
he said; then, turning to members of his fam
lily, he told them not to tell anybody about it,
To-day he was held in $4,000 by preliminary
court to answer before the common pleas court
to the charge of manslaughter. He is an exile
from his fruits and thckets and tangled vines
and the old homestead friend in the city
keeps him to save him from the fury of the
mob. The necessity of this precautOn may
have passed, but this is so uncertain that to
trust him to return to his home would be indiS-
Greet.
The Rev. Samuel J. Browne is a mld-looking
little old man. He is below medium stature
One of the oldest pioneers, his property has
grown in value until it is now estimated to be
worth considerably over half million dollars
With his neighbors Mr.. Browne has become
very unpopular by his peculiaritieS, chiefly his
coseness in money matters. His general repu-
tatiOn has been good. AT pioneer celebrations
he has been given an upper seat, and among old
citizens of similar are has been held in esteem.
He was born at Bristol, England, and came 10
this city when il was all a wilderness. The
affair has excited rage among the Germans, es
pecaliy those Of the lower classes. Among 9TH
ers the feeling is mingled There is pity for the
old man, but no apology for his offence. A
charitable view which the testimony aids is that
he meant to Overshoot and scare the boys, whom
he could see under the pear tree near him, and
in this accidentally shot the boy under the null
berry tree, whom he could not see or know to be