Mexico weekly ledger., 1880-07-01
CAT S
ONE MORE UNFORTUNATE
Execution of Hade Brown at
Huntsville Last Friday.
Pathetic Speech of the Con.
demned Man on the
Sca1fOld.

ScaffOld.
Statement of the Crime for Which He
Suffered the Death Penalty, with Il Letter
and Confession Written Previous to His
Last Attempt to Poison Himself.
James Hayden Brown paid the
penalty of the law last Friday at
Huntsville, Randolph county, Mo-,
for the murder of his mother-in-law,
Mrs. DR.. Parish, on the 23d Of July,
1877. The LEDGER reporter visited
Hade in his cell, and also witnessed
his execution. He denied positively
that he persuaded his wife to commit
suicide-said he had taken poison
twenty different times, but 1t would
have no effect on him. Brown and
his little boy. aged three years, were
both baptized in the Jail at IL
O'Clock, by Rev. MI. Ellington, of
the N. E. Church, South.
The procession left the Jail about l
O'Clock, the wagon containing the
prisoner and his coffin being guarded
by so men armed with double-bar-
relied shot-guns. Arriving at the
scaffold, Hade assembled the plat
form with a firm step, accompanied
by Sheriff Matlock, his son, w. Mat
lock, deputy sheriff, Sheriff Giascock,
of this city, and Rev. Mr.. Ellington.
After prayer, Hade was asked if he
had anything to say, w%hereupon he
stepped to the railing OF the scaffold,
and in a clear tone of voice, said:
"FRIENDs AND FELLow-C ITIzENs-I
am here to-day to offer my life for a
crime that the law says l committed.
l suppose l am guilty, but have no
knowledge of the crime. / am sat
isfied to die because it is just that my
life should be given up. 1 am going
to meet my own sweet wife in heaven ;
she whom l wronged in life. God
knows l tell the truth when / say
there were no agreements between us
to commit suicide. l did not tell
her to kill herself; l loved her too
ynp1aI ook tltn fnrx,annor ,f .o,,
all here assembled If l have wronged
you of the dear daughter of her for
whose murder l die to-day. God
knows l did not know when l killed
her. l am not well to-day. l spent
a sleepless night last night, and ask
You to pardon me. 1 hope you will
all pray for me. l hope that no one
in this crowd will hold malice towards
me. If l thought any of you held
ill will toward me l would die q mis-
erable man, the most miserable on
earth. | ask the forgiveness of him
whose life l attempted, the husband
of her who died at my hands. If he
is here to-day l hope he will hold up
his hand in token that he forgives
me. l hope if Henry Fort is here
he will do the same, and if Lutte
Parrish, Sarah Parrish and Chris.
Parrish are here l hope they will give
a sign that 1 am forgiven and that
they will let my poor soul 90 peace
fully into eternity. May God bless
you all and may we meet in heaven.
If any of you meet my poor child
treat him kindly for his own if not
for his dying fathers sake. If you
are all willing that 1 shall be buried
in the same coffin with nay wife hold
up your hands. This was to his
wife's people. Thank God for your
consent. Is there any lady here who
will hold up her hand and promise to
see that this bunch of flowers is
placed in the hands of my dear, dear
wife? THE prisoner held up a bunch
Of faded flowers and some lady in the
crowd raised her hand in token of
her willingness to perform the duty
asked. l hope and trust all who
hereafter meet my child, my brother
or my broken-hearted mother will
treat them with respect, and not
sncer at and taunt them with the dis
grace Of my death. Extend them
the hand of sympathy. AS 1 came
along the road just now, l saw sever
al young men whom l knew in youth
under the influence of intoxicating
liquor and acting badly in the pres
ence of the public. This caused me
great grief, and l prayed to God to
forgive them and to make them good
men. May last request is to be
buried by the side of my blessed
wife. Assured of this ! can die hap
Ply. l shall feel ~contentcd if 1 know
that you will all pray for me. Bless
God for all His mercics to me-
The death warrant was then read,
Sheriff Glascock adjusted the moose,
the trap was sprung, the body darted
! down, and an atrocious murder was
atoned for. His neck was broken
instantly, and he died in six and a
half minutes.
HISTORY OF H CRIME
The circumstances connected with
the murder Of Mrs. Parrish were as
follows: In 1875 Brown was mar
RED to the daughter of DR.. Parrish
and the murdered woman, and soon
after began to treat her brutality,
when he was under the influence OF
liquor. Finally, DR.. Parrish sent
his daughter and her child to the
residence of his brother in Howard
county, out of reach Of the passion
ate husband and father. Brown i'm
mediately swore revenge, and on
the Esd of July, 1877, meeting DR..
Parrish in a wagon, fired two loads
of turkey-shot from a gun into the
face of the %unresisting old man who
was assisted into a house close by
where his wounds, not being mortal,
were dressed. At first Brown de-