The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-09-10
THE TOpERA MYsTERY.

=
The Commonwealth has tho following
in connection with the mysterioUs dis
appearances OF Fred P. Brown, the cat
tleman Of Auburn, ShaWnee county,
Kansas:
All sorts Of theories were pursued bot
none seemed 10 be tenable except one.
that Fred Brown had been entIcad into
some one of the gambling dens which
infest our city, and that be had been
murdered in cold blood for the large
amount OF money he had on his person,
which bis father states must have b en-
been $l5,0D0 and $20,O0O. The reporter
who ives detailed 10 work up the case,
immediately saw Mr.. John w. Brown
and lea rne 4 from him the frcts Glow as
given by Mr.. Brown, In answer 20 the
repoI sT's questions:
Fred Brown has been engaged in the
cattle business extensively for two years
or mOre. On the 2tth of August ] re-
ceiyed a letter tor Fred, written by Dan
King OF Emporia, stating that he ac-
cepted his proposition on 200 head Of fat
cattle. Fred was at Topeka al the time
and sent the letter to him. On Friday,
the 2Sth. came 20 Topeka and met
Fred and learned that he had agreed 10
pay Dir. King $65 per head for these
cattle. The cattle 10 be delived at Esk-
ridge on Monday, the 3lss of August. /
believed at the time that Fred
had paid too much Tor the cattle
and ] told him he had better pay Mr..
King $500 rather than take the cattle OF
of his hands. This seemed TO discour-
age Fred some, but he said he was sat
ished the cattle would make money, bit
said EefOre he wo1ld go back on his
contreet with King, that he would lose
three times $500. Saturday afternoon,
the 20th, l learned from friends that he
was csrfying IN his pockets q large
amount Of currency. / went to him and
demonstrated with him about the matter
He then went to the Datton house aud
put The money in a satchel. / asked him
how much currency he had with him,
nd he made the remark that he did not
know how much he had, but that he was
going tn count 1t. He then took his
brother HaIfy and q young man by The
name Of CunnInghsm, and a man by
the name OF Powell and
of the Dutton house and a part of
the money was counted then and there.
The amount counted was ten thousand
nine hundred and some odd dollars. He
had other money that was not counted
About @ O'Clock Saturday evening met
him on the street near the Button house
He stated To me that he lacked, I think
$75 OF having money enough, that is,
$1,000 for cattle and about 81 400 to
pay on property bought in EmporIa In
regard 20 the &75 alluded to above, /
told him he could have the $75. In
about an hour afterWaTd told him he
could have the money he told me he
didn't need it, as he had more money
LIZ. 4. NN.mA A. L..
not 81 en- my son He was to go to EN-
poria on the first tram, which leaves
here about midnight. just before mid
night Harry BroWh and Cunningham
went with him into the street, where he
took hack for the depot He had his
money with him at that time. That is
the last We have heard or seen Of him.
He was TO have met his brother on Mon
day on the prairie where these cattle
were grazed, but he failed to appear.
The reporter called on Mr.. King, who
IS stopping at the Dutton house, and
learned the following additional facts
That MIR KING had received letter from
Fred on Thursday, stating that he would
be at Emporia on Saturday last ami
would settle With him in full for the cat
tic he had bought from him. In q post
script To the letter he asked MIR. King 10
Il set .. IL LhslOIs huu 6lnlC W nun Ludl
he v ould also see him on the same day
and pay him 81 500 on the house he had
bought. MIR. King stated that when he
came 10 Topeka on Monday he learned
that Fred had gone TO Empcria. He af-
forwards learned that Fred was to
load at Eskridge and Waksrusa. That
KING went 10 Burlington and waited
there until he could hear from Brown,
| but he received no word. In answer to
the reporters question, he stated that he
| would have know al If Brown had reached
| Emporia. lie stated that Brown could
have had tbs cattle without paying q
| cent on them. That he had the most un-
bounded confidence In the boy sud would
not believe that he had absconded.
Having lesrEed all from Mr.. Brown
and Mr.. King that could be Earned, the
reporter went To the button house and
learned that Fred had been drinking
some during Saturday. That on Satur-
day evening as be stood In the Dutton
house with his satchel In his hand, some
one said to him, Fred, you can't beat
your way 10 Chicago on that satchel 90
THIS was said jokingly. Fred made re
ply by saying. "If cent on the satchel,
can with whist there is irside" He
then opened the 81 tchel aud displayed
the large amount of money there was in
Il, and number of mGn were IN the
Office of the Button house at the time,
and the theory is advanced that some
"steerer" for gambling den put his as
socrates on to the boy, and they took him
IN charge