The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1883-10-13
The Prisoners Statement.

Last week We gave full account
of the desperate fight had by Sheriff
Duson and his deputies, Clarence
Hayes and L. A. Mckinney, with two
men named Lane and Brown, which
! resulted In the KILN of the former
and the capture Of tho latter. Below
we reproduce the statement made by
Brown, to the editor Of tho 0pelous4s
Courier, concerning the affair .5.y
On being interviewed in hls cell
last Wednesday evening, tho prisoner
gave us the following statement
My namo is B. Wood Brown; am
20 years old, native of North Caro-
lima and a farmer by occupation,
Lane and myself had been engaged bv
Mr. Payne to do some work on his
sugar house, at $l.5o per day. After
working one day at that price Mr..
Payne told us that as we had no tools,
and were not good mechanics, he
would only allow us 75c. per day and
board, which we agreed to take, On
the evening Of the fatal occurrence,
during the absence Of Mr.. Payne, Mr..
Noely, with whom we had had no
transaction, and did not know as hav-
ing any authority asked Lane if he
was going to stop a certain leak in
the roof. Lane answered that ho
would do what Pstyne directed. Neo4v
then said he had to get out if lie re
fused to do the work he ordered, and
then tnrned to walk off Lane then
made the remark that ii he wanted to
boss him he Was mistaken in the mau.
Neel y came back and asked Lane
what was that he said, when Lane re-
pcatcd it. | am giving you these
facts just as they were related to mo
by Lnno, for while this was transpiring
was at work Oh the roof of the sugar
house. | then heard (the first words
| had heard distinctly "God d--you,
get out;" am not positive who spoke,
bnt believe it was Nicely, aud i'm
mcdiately after this heard the shoot
ing. Lane then called to me to come
""""' ""'eh N'u' all" thcN aNkeu
MN what was the matter; he replied
THAT he had shot that man. asked
why ne had done so, and he answered
tl|at he mad been ordered ont, repeat
ing, "God d--n YOU, get out" and
ne Deile'ed tIat Neely was armed, and
ne leIt That he could not cope with
nm except with his pistol, and he
shot MN.
Lane was cousin of mine, about
~ years of age, and also Il native Of
Norti Carolina Having been life
long friends, | considered it my duty
to stand by him IN ms troubles, aud
was determined to defend him under
all circumstances rs long as my as
Slstance was needed, although not
approving Of his act, aud am satisfied
that the crime would not have been
committed had l been near to him at
the tune.
Although poor, frlcndicss and un-
known, striving to earn an honest
living bY hard labor, is it strange that
We should be unwilling to submit to
treatment ahylhteS out hunanei and
can my friend be blamed for at least
natural resentment for Nccly's
nnprovoked insult? ask this quos-
tion IN all candor, without--as huvo
said before-approying tho harsh stop
taken by him, but only to show that
there was at least some prorocatioh.
The prisoner then gave snbstan-
TALLY the same version of what oc-
snrred after the killing and at the
'encontFe between them and the
sheriff's posse, as are given above, and
hen adds: -. ....' r .#
. have no complaint TO make of the
officers who arrested me; | think they
lone their duty, and considering the
concerning our characters, ! certainly
4 s..l.4 "A Il IL