St. Landry democrat., 1883-11-10
BROWN AND LANE.

Y s-'i = 80 81 N3 =
The identity of these two notorious individ-
uals. as well as their real names, the place
whence they came and their reasons for COM
ing to Louisiana, has at last been dehhlteis
ascertained. Lane was E. E. Curtis, and
Brown proved to be Charles Curtis. Ihey
were brothers. f. E. Curtis was a lawyer OF |
Winona, Miss, and Charles Curtis, laooref
on farm in the vicinity. As we always
thought they, proved to be two fugitive OUT
laws. 1t turns out that near Wlnona.i MISS
ON the 18th OF Sept, 1882, they waylaid and as
sassinated Jesse f. Pace OF montgomery Couh-
ty. The assassination created intense e1elte
ment, aud had the parties been arrested at the
time, they would probably have been lyncheo.
They made their escape, however. Inc Uo'
ernor of the State, and citizens OF the county,
Immediately offered a reward OF $1,000, TOT tlleil
apprehension and delivery to any sheflH ol
the State. Circulars setting forth the reward,
with descriptions Of the assassins, We're scaC
tered all over the Southwest, one OF then
reaching here the very evening OF the DAY vi
which Duson returned with Brown. 1t zen III
To the hands of one person, who had seen the
two men and recognized them, in the descfip-
tion given On making inquiries, however,
Duson was informed, they had been Ill TINS par
;sh since May, 1ss2,-preyious to the assassliis'-
,.t;on of pace which tailed with their own
statements. and hence suspicion was iiiieu'
| The prisoner, having refused TO tell Whehce no
and his dead companion had come, Dusoh "en N
| to work to ascertain. He caused an accurate
description OF both to be inserted IN the lllhes
| Democrat and Picaynne, and gave ORDERS W
| nublish it for thirty days in the SUNDAY edl-
| ,ion of each paper; and Immediately began cur
responding with officers all through the oo'.,n-
west. He had made up his mind TO trace the
| narties and ascertain their past history cos'
4 what ii might, and all who knew MN ~ero
] confident he would soon succeed. About the
! ootb of last month he acertained that the TWO
had stopped on their first arrival IN the state
AT Fausse Point in the Parish OF 81. Martin.
| AIT week he repaired thither, and ascertalnea
| NAV had come there in November, 1852. On
1 thair arrival in that locality, each carried a
| Winchester rifle, and a pair OF reyolvers. iheS
| obta;ned employment in a sugar refinery. ihes
| h cd ,,nt been there great while when tBroWhl
/ ,.h, lies curtis got into an alteration with one
| Il tba emnlovees on the place, a white man.
"a l,nocl,ed him down, and then he ana ms
,...ta, n n (.urtis. uane) seized him, dragged
,,,,, IN the fly wheel of the engine, and were
o,,o,,t throwing him into it, when the other Ia
| ,,,.ars i, the s,,ear-house interferred to pre-
,.a,,+ Il rbe two Immediately drew their pls
4 III and began firing into the crowd. one he
80 strnck. others jumped into thesbayon
4 a,,d - 10 said one was drowned Wheh SOME
/ one proposed to send for the proprletoi' =. -
Cutie s,yore. il he dared to come, he would XII
him at once; that so far as ne was eohe ~
he had Just as soon kill man as " Aiil :. W.
that he knew the law punished the kiiiiis y
the one and not Of the other, Dnt tnt,o ~"
made no difference with him, as no once
could arrest him. Shortly afterwards the wv
lleft. aud came to this parish. Arriving heio
thev stopped on the Lower Courtapleau' aii,
tbare they soon acquired the reputation 0
Act. class desparadoes. They had in that 10
oo,;+r two alterations with different parlies
M both occasions E. E. Curtis, without al.
], .da,uate proyoeation, drew his pistol, anu w
reaav ia kill. 1t is even suspected, that Whii
+ an the courtableau they did murder a, party
) hnt his is a mere suspicion, owing TO the ao
I yanc cd stage of decomposition when the corps
) was found floating in the Bayou. The murae
l Off Nealy, on the Payne place on sept. 2oth' y
: f. e. Curtis, with all its attendant horrors
h still fresh in the minds OF ourreaders. II, no"
q aver pales into insignifacance, when compare
!. wisl1 the assassination Of Pace near lnons
! Mas. as will appear from the telegram cope
from the Times Democrat OF Sept. sth, 1857, an
the letter OF E. E. Curtis published III the lssu
n of the same paper a week later which we r
e produce in another column.
r Rut to resume our narrative. Duson r
). turned from Fausse Point on wednesday nlSn
g By Thur sdsy nights mail, he received iette'
It from Winona from parties who nad seen
3 published description of the two men. Inc
1t informed him, that the.description' suited u
a curtis Brothers exactly. save as to time
1t their arrival here Next morning he called Q
d the prisoner, told him what he had learned
ID Fansse Point, and informed him OF what l
n had heard from Mississippi He admitted
1T once that he was Charles Curtis, and that u
I: dead man was his brother, E. E. Curtis. u
le son fearing that the prisoner might be iynche
Y. we're IT ascertained that he was on his We
1T hack to Winona, determined to deliver MIN
re nerson. to the Sheriff Of Montgomery Count
re without the delay of waiting for requisitlo
j. and without previous notification to the a
ID tborities there. On Saturday, accompanied
,e Deputy O. L. Hayes, and ". G. Perranit, Es'
9. he took the mp bound evening train, ostensls
re " for Fort Worth, Texas, but in reality !
ID Cheneyville. There he took the Pacific ca
N hound train, and reached the city sund
morning, where his party, including the pr
ioner registered at the City Hotel. That e'
4. ming he took the express on the New Orleal
e At Louis Chicago, and at 10A- NJ. Monds
autographed his safe arrival at Winona
Judge Hudspeth.
III WI lone .oyne day tn get q detailed llisto