Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-14
RUSSELL BROWNS CRIME.
Disfnherited after Numbering HIS
GRANDMOTHER for Her Money,

GRANDMOTHER for Her Money.
| GEN. DORRIss' DETERMINATION TO HAVE HIS
GRANDSON HANGED IF IT BEGGARED HIM
THE REMARKABLE SEQUEL TO REMARKABLE
TRAGEDY IN ST. L0UIs-FAMILY PRIDE.
From the New York Sun. 18th.
ST. LOUIS, Dec. 12.-Family pride covers
multitude of sins in this city. Many crime
and scandal have been hushed up by it. Erring
| sons, daughters. husbands, and wives have
| counted good deal on It, and generally have
not been disappointed. Russell Brown, now i'm
jail for murder. made living by it for few
years. Heis the son of Joseph A. Brown. late
prosecuting attorney of st. Louis county, and
Is 20 years of age His mother. who was d.
vOrced from his father some time ago. and is
now the wife of Martin Van Buren, Wisker, is
daughter of General George p DOrriss.
now deceased. General Dorr.ss was a
Kcntuckian, Gld his wife was a native of
Virginia. Tire; Moved to st. Louis thirty or
forty years ago. when it vas small town. and
having aInassec Il large fortune in aate-beum
days. lived at their ease In magnificent old
fashioned mansion just out Of town. They
owned a good deal IF real estate i'm St Louis
one of their possessions being. the DoTriss row on
olive near 1!th street. which was made famous
by game Of poker. in which 1t WAS put w as
stake and lost In one night. The general. in his
younger days when family pride did not bother
him much. was what was known in those times as
a "nigSPr-tIader." His wife was ShreWC wo-
man. and the pair invented q novel scheme for
making money out Of dealingSin slaves. Negro
wGmen with infants at the breast was sold at a
very low price, because nobody wanted to be
troubled with the children. Dor:iSs bought
such women whenever he could get what lie
considered d bargain. Mrs D0rriss would take
tie child from the breast AMI rear it from the
bottle The wOlal. being unencumbered. was
then ready to he Sod again ut praft. What
ever Mrs. nOrriss could realize frGni tie sale of
the child when il was old enough to be valuable
she was entitled by the terms OF her bargain
with her husband to keep for pm money. She
made good deal III this way. ana both Wayrd
rich and proud together. Besides the daughter
WHO is the mother of Russell Brown the D.3;?iSS
had a daughter who is now the wife OF s.
H. Halderman. I. 5. consul at Bangkok Siam
| and son. Col. Thomas DoiTiSs OF this city.
Russell Brown was a had boy rem his child
hood. Nobody seemed to have any influence
over him except in the direction of evil His
associates were all of the worst character. He
had TO business, and wanted none He ran
away from hCme once TO work as a brakeman
on railroad. but soon returned. Another
| time he fed to New York with the idea of en-
listing in the navy. He was in ST. Louis
again within month. When sadly reduced
he would visit his grandiather'S mansion
OstensiblF to be agreeable to the old People.
with whom he was quite favorite. notwth-
| standing his diSsolute WAYS He ALWAYS
| took something valuable with him when he
| left. If he pawned it. as was usually the case
| his father would redeem it and restore it,
These visits and thefts grew more frequent as
tae boys habits became worse and lis necessi-
ties greater. Costly jewels and plate disap-
pearcd from the HOITisS mansion. Tie old Gen
crai took q dislike to the boy last winter and
| forbade him the grounds. Family pride was
being stretched to its utmost limit. He contin-
ued his visits to his grandmother who for his
mothers sake. undertook to excuse his oenSes
and to bring about a reformation. The grand
father discovered him in the house and ordered
him away neveT to return. an Injunction which
held good Tor q few days only. Thea Browns
wants became pressing thai his grandmother
became afraid Of him. His step was steathy,
and his eyes lad look when she were her dia-
inondS which filled her with apprehension She
began to fear him even WheIi he vas not near
| her. and to heG daughters she more than once
remarked that when he was in the house she
could not feel safe. When a man named kotoy-
sky was hanged here last winter the old laGy
saw picture of the condemned man in a news
paper. Handing ii TO Mrs. IIa.dcrman. she asked
her if if resc;nbiad any one size knew Her dauyh-
ter looked at it iutently. and said:
Yes. it looks like Russell Brown
The old lady said it did, and that his neck was
was fitted for the Moose.
Having alieaated his grandparents and tried
the patience of his other relatives to the utmost
YOU Brown knew not where to turn He
sought his dssoutc companions and entered on
a protracted debauch. in the course of which he
encountered Pat Mctilew. McClew was born
in Indianapolis. and is the brother of a girl who
was murdered III that city few Years ago. He
had been bartender and Il braNier all his life
ON the night of Friday, january % last
MctiieN informed Brown that he intended to go
to Chicago to work in saloon. The boy said
he would go too. If McGlew woud wait until
lie could see his grandmother the next day and
get 800. The barkeeper concluded TO postpone
his departure. Saturday night they went to
livery stable hired horse aud carriage and
drove out OH the lonely read lcading to the Dor
rlss place. Before they started they had seye-
raj drinks together and c0nversod in low tones
for long time. When they rose it was with
the air OF men who had job on hand
The next morning old Mrs. D0rrss was fou. d
dead in her mansion. with many of her diamonds
gene and marks OF violence about her head and
throat. The family were called together and
the opinion was unanimous that Russell Brown
had been in the house during the night. The
details of the visit, the death struggle. and the
robbery were unknown. The coroner was in
formed. and on Sunday he summoned jury and
viewed the remains. Surprising from long ex-
pcrience. possibly, that family pride was still
potent. the coroner and his jury returned YER
Dict that death resulted from apoplexy Hear
ng of this the old General raved furiOuslv and
sent for the police
MY wife has been f0ully murdered" he
shreked, land my grandson is the murderer
seeing tlat the pubic must now know the
family disgrace. the bystanders. relatives and
strangers said with one voice This boy cannot
be a Dorrss" and ''Russell reckoned without
his host this tiiae. He thought family pride
would hush the matter up, but though it has
often done so before. it will never conceal
murderer
The scene was q sad one The boys mother
witnessed it all and sobbed bitterly. Her father.
though broken with grief, was at times grand in
his passion.
II intend to prosecute this case to the bitter
end, he cried. II have spent long life i'm ac-
cumulatng money, but if it beggars me will
have that young scouGdrel hung"
Some of the ladies' tried to pacfy him and to
induce him to let the case rest on the verdict of
the cOroners jury. 'The coroner" he said,
Thought that what the family wanted was
verdict of apopleXv, but tell you won't have
it. My wife must be avenged"
There was no help for it. Publicity must
come.
The next night young Brown was ar
rested. He was in a drunken stupor and had
no money. He was taken to the room where
the dead woman lay and closely questioned
Manifesting no signs of fear or cOntritiOn, he
told the story of the tragedy without hesitation
o. at bn caid ho No