The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-02-03
Thomas &. Brown, Prominent cftize"
of the County, Driven by De>poh-
dency. Attempts to take his

citizen, living near Finksburg, this county,
had committed suicide, a portion OF ms head
and face being blown away by shotgun
The cause assigned for the deed was despon-
deucy over financial losses, and these reports
were telegraphed to the Baltimore dallles.
On Wednesday morning, however, 1T was
learned that Mr.. Brown had succeeded III
wounding himself only, though his wound was
severe and likely to prove fatal. The deed
was Intentional, and had been contemplated
for some time. In his desk, so placed that 1t
could not be missed when the lid was raised,
was the following written upon piece OF pa
per. Mr.. Brown having gotten the date wrong:
God have mercy upon my poor soul l
leave this world because | am tired OF 1t.
Jan 81, 1883. THOMAS &. BROWN.
Mr.. Brown is widely known, and is related
to the Pearces and Jockeys of this and Bal
timore county. In 1873 he was elected on
the Democratic ticket as a member OF the
Legislature.
A representative of the ADVOCATE visited
the scene of the sad affair on Wednesday, and
gathered the following particulars:
Thomas C. Brown lives on farm contain
inc 200 acres, situated about One-fourth of
mile from the village of Finksburg, nine miles
from this city, which he has owned for about
sixteen years. He erected new house, barn
and other outbuildings in 1869, and the farm
was one of the finest, in all respects, IN the
county. The room in which the shooting took
place faces south west; has three windows and
two doors, one leading to the main hall and
the other to the dining room. In the ceiling
! there is centrepiece of plaster OF Parls, on
which are the marks of eighty shot. 1t was
used as a parlor. When the gun was dis
charged Miss Mary f. Griffee, the house
keeper, started for the parlor, and on open
ing the door found that Mr.. Brown was lying
so close to it as to prevent the full opening OF
it. She succeeded in entering the door, ana
found him lying on his back; she called TO MN
hut he did not answer; she then raised WIN
dow and gave the alarm, and then went to him
AGAIN and asked why he had done it; he re-
nTed: II did it; o, my God, have mercy upon
me- Miss Grifee further stated that he did
NOT seem to be in his right mind for some
months past. He had his farm hat on at the
time and the load passed through the rim,
close to the crown. There was large guam
titv of blood on the floor and some ON the
walls. Miss Griffee stated that she had lived
with him fourteen years, and within the last
six months he had frequently sand that he IN
tended to kill himself, and that he wanted to
he buried at old Freedom Church, by the side
of his sister The shooting took place about
; O. clock d. M. on Tuesday. Miss Grltfee
also stated that he said he had lost large
sum of money by the purchase of New Orleans
CITY Passenger Railway stocks, which would
take all he had He had offered his farm for
sale two or three times, and she thought he
had sold it this winter. During the day he
seemed to be unusually depressed. The gun
was loaded by Mr.. John Pearce, for the pur-
pose of shooting bird for his father, who was
sick in the house. After shooting the bird he
returned the gun to the corner OF the parlor,
where it was used by Mr.. Brown.
Statement of John l.. Pearce: Il am at
tending my father, who has been sick five or
six weeks, and lives with Mr.. Brown; Mr..
Brown frequently told me that he intended to
kill himself owing to troubles about some in
vestments in the South, on which he had not
received any interest; between ten and eleven
o'clock Mr.. Brown saddled his horse and rode
TO Finksburp after the mail; he did not stay
any longer than necessary; had been out to
shoot a bird for father, and on his return he
asked me if the gun was loaded; L loaded the
gun again: Mr. Brown went to the stable, took
the bride off of the horse, but not the saddle;
he walked to where | was standing, near the
corn house; said: ''Tho birds are too far off
to shoot: he said: "Give me the gun, | can
kill them | handed him the gun and he
placed it on the ground by the side of his foot,
opened his mouth, placed the muzzle In 1t,
raised his foot, as if to put it on the trigger,
and said ''This would be good way to kill
mvself." after which he said he would give me
his old hat if | would shoot him; | replied:
II will not do it, they would hang me for it,
took the gun away from him, got over a
fence into field, came around and placed the
gun in Il sleigh i'll the corn house shed; he then
asked me to help him water the horses, which
| did: took the gun when | went in to dinner
and placed it in the parlor; frequently he
would follow me around the farm and ask me
to take the place, as he wanted to kill him.
self; he has frequently asked me the easiest
way to kill person; | replied: "By drown
ing" he said: ''If was to drown myself now
I'd get under the ice and they would never
find me- after which he laughed heartily; he
has talked at random, like one out of his mind,
for the past few weeks.
Jacob Gambler, teamster for Mr.. Brown,
stated II came to live with Mr.. Brown on the
2Gth of December, 1882, he seemed to be
troubled in his mind and frequently asked the
easiest way to die, and | replied SIN the
natural way, when he would abruptly turn
around and leave me. On the day of the
shooting he seemed brighter than usual and
asked me if would like to 90 to Baltimore,
| said yves" and he said you can go to-
morrow with load of straw.
Samuel II. Tregellas, of the firm of WITT
brider 4 Co., Baltimore, stated that he was
a nephew of Mr.. Brown; that Mr.. Brown
was at his house during the Christmas holi-
DAYS and spent the night, during the evening
he asked me the easiest way for one to kill
himself as he was tired of living, his business
had gone to rack his housekeeper going to
leave him and that his house would go to rack
also. He purchased a lot of household goods
to be made up in case the housekeeper left
him.
DR.. S. l.. Moores, of Finksburg, was sum-
moned Immediately after the wound was in
Aicted. He rendered such service as was
necessary, and remained with Mr.. Brown all
night. On Wednesday he summoned DR.. w.
X Frnger, of this city, by telegraph to meet
him in consultation, and on Thursday DR.. w.
A. b. Sellman, of 249 Carrollton Avenue,
Baltimore, was also called in consultation
The wound was probed by DIR. Sellman, and
it was thought that none of the load entered
the head. DIR. Moores is in charge of the
case, with DR.. Fringer as consulting physi-
clan, and Mr.. Brown is doing much better
than was anticipated the first day or two after
the act. Drs. Moores and Fringer made the
following statement as to the character of the
wound The load of shot entered the left
corner of the left eye tearing away part of the
bone passed along the muscles of the upper
part of the cheek and passed out on line
above the left ear, making wound six inches
in length; the greatest amount of damage was
effected at the entrance OF the wound near the
eve. From the circumstances, it is supposed
that Mr.. Brown stood up when he committed
the deed. The muzzle of the gun was placed
at his left temple, but in reaching down to
pull the trigger, for which purpose he used
poker, his head was moved and the load did
not take the direction intended
FrizzeIIsburg Items.
Sleighing and coasting is about over, and
fortunately no serious accident occurred while
coasting, only few sprained limbs, skinned
hands and faces.
Most of our young folks have enjoyed them
selves very much during the excellent sleigh
ing in attending oyster suppers, fantastical
hops, &c.
The health of this place has thus far been
excellent, with the exception of our cattle
dealer, Mr.. Ephraim Cover, who has been
complaining great deal with neuralgia and
rheumatism, and thinks he will not be able to