The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1877-12-25
DAsrARDLY MURDER.


From the Hickory County New Era
Again has the soil Of Hickory county
been redde.,ed BY the blood Of man this
time the victim il Gordon K. Brown, Of
Tyler township.
As stated in the Ner Era last week, Cor
don X. Brown was to be tried last Saturday,
before O. W. Butler. Esq. upon the charge
OF disturbing the peace Of some ladies Who
were waiting on his (Brovn's) wife. At the
trial considerable trouble was experienced
in getting jury, and it vas not until sun
set that complete jury was empaneled.
The trial was had, and the evidence being
plain and clear against him, the jury, after
n few minutes deliberation, brought in q
verdict Of guilty, and assessed fine Of
$500. Brown would not pay the fine, and
the Justice ordered him to be conveyed BY
the constable, T. II. Fletcher, to Hermitage,
to be confined in the county, Jail until costs
and fine we're paid. The trial was had at
Union Hill school house. and between and
8 o'clock, p. M, the constable and his
deputy, Jacob Scarborough, with E:own,
stepped out Of the door Of the school house.
intending to 60 to the residence Of the CON-
stable. thence to Hermitage.
There we're no persons, ~ far Us could be
ascertained, outside Of the house Who had
been inside during the trial. Brown, "a
though fearing assassination or q mob, for
he was in i'll repute in the neighborhood,
chung close u the constable. The parties
had gone but few feet IRON the door, when
some person stepped up behind Brown, and
pointing a navy revolver toward him, fred,
and then ran into the brush close by.
When shot, Brown had both hands in his
pants pockets, and fell forward on his face
dead. He did not move after being shot,
so deadly was the wound he received. The
constable was so close to the assassin when
the shot was fired that the side Of his face
vas powder burned and he was deafened
by the report, and had not recovered his
sense Of hearing last Tuesday. The deputy
constable, Mr.. Scarborough, saw the fash Of
the revolver and the extended arm that
held it, but the dash Of the pistol 30 blinded
him that he was unable 10 distinguish the
features OF the man. Scarborough. the only
person who saw the shot fired, was unac-
quainted with the majority Of the citizens
in that township, and il the murderer was
one Of them, he was precluded from recog-
MIXING the man BY his general appearance.
So sudden and unexpected was the attack,
that the officers could not recover
from the shock ill the murderer
was beyond their reach. The
Sheriff Was in the house at the time Of the
killing, and With one or two men followed
for some distance, but the pursuit was fruit
less. Upon an examination OF the body,
It Was found that the shot, navy ball. had
taken effect in the back OF the neck rang
ing up, and that il did not come out.
No clue has yet been obtained pointing
TO the party who did the killing. The
facts in the case are, that Brown had be-
come notorious rascal, and had, by .
systematic course Of devilment, incurred
the i'll will Of nearly all Of his neighbors,
and only few weeks ago he committed an
abortion upon his wife, which nearly re-
suited in her death. lie had 50 cruelty
treated his family that his vile did not
want his corpse brought to the house and
his body was buried from the school house.
None Of his family attended the funeral.
his wife vas rendered unable to do 80 by
reason Of the rash and cruel treatment re-
ceived at the hands Of Brown, and his chill
dren would not. We have the best inior-
nation that not single tear Vas shed BY
any Of the family, not even his children.
Whether the murderer will ever be found,
the future alone can tell. We are not able
to say il any attempt will be made to ferret
him out, but he should be speedily brought
to trial and receive his reward.