The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-11-26
A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.
A. A. Earle. OF Bronson, Shot and
Instantly Killed by J. W.
Browning.

On Monday evening, about half past
nine o'clock, Mr.. A. A. Earle of Bron-
sob, Kansas, was shot and instantly
killed by J. w. Browning of this place.
The shooting took place directly in
front of the Leland hotel. and the facts
leading up to it and Immediately con-
corning it, are as follows: Two or
three weeks ago, Browning, who was
then engaged in selling musical instru-
ments, employed the daughter of Mr..
Earle to drive with him through the
county to try the organs that he was
selling. In few days information was
brought to Earle that Browning had
betrayed his daughter. Overwhelmed
with rage and grief he came to lola
with the avowed intention of killing
Browning OH sight. He failed to find
him here however, and returned home.
On last Monday his daughter received
letter from Browning proposing that
they eIope. She handed the letter to
her father and he declared his inten-
ton to have Browning arrested and
proceeded against legally. According
ly he took the evening freight train for
lola. He expected that Browning
would get on the train at Moran, but
it did not stop at the station, so he
came on to lola. Upon reaching here
he learned that another section of the
same train would arrive from the east
in a short time, so waited for it. When
it came in it stopped some distance east
of the depot. Earle walked down to
| it and entered the cabOose and sat
down. In a moment he recognized
Browning, who was in the Car, and
said, "You are the man 1 am looking
for Both men sprang to their feet
and Browning put his hand to his hip
pocket as if reaching for a pistol. Earle
at once drew a revolver from his over
coat pocket and told Browning to
throw up his hands. Hethen told him
to take his pistol out of his pocket and
lay it on the seat. When this was
done, Earle picked the weapon up and
said, 'Now you will go with me-" He
allowed Browning to take saddle that
he was bringing in and then marched
him at the point of the revolver out of
the car and up the track to the depot.
Arriving there he compelled him to
get into the Leland bus, and in few
minutes they were driven to the hotel.
When the bus stopped at the door of
the hotel, Earle stepped out first and
Browning slowly followed him. When
they were both on the ground, Earle
drew off both his overcoat and under
coat and with remark, "I'll fix you,"
struck Browning once or twice in the
face. After a moments scuffie, the
latter pushed Earle away from himwith
his left hand, and with his right drew
revolver and fired two shots in quick
succession. Earle fell and in a mo-
ment afterwards, Browning started on
run up the street north. A number
of men were in the office of the hotel,
and they at once gave chase to the fu-
gitive and in short time overhauled
him under w. p. Northrup's porch,
where he had hidden, disarmed him
and lodged him in Jail.
The dead body of Earle was left ly-
ing where it fell, until Coroner Fulton
arrived, when a jury was summoned
and the remains, after being viewed,
were taken to the court house. There
DIR. Chastain made an examination of
the wounds. He found that one shot
had entered the abdomen about three
inches below the end of the breast
bone and about two inches to the left
of the median line. The ball ranged
downward and was found about quar-
ter of an inch below the skin, near the
junction of the last lumber vertebra
and sacrum. The other shot entered
the face about two inches below the
outer angle of the left eye, and ranged
upward, probably lying near the base
of the brain. Either shot would alone
have proved fatal. After the medical
examination, a number of witnesses
were called, from whose testimony we
find the facts substantially as given
above.
On Tuesday morning Browning was
taken before Justice Harris and waiv-
ing preliminary examination, was
to Jail to await trial by the
District Court. Tuesday afternoon,
by the courtesy of Jailor Kreuter. we
called on him at the Jail and tried to
get him to state his side of the case.
But he resolutely refused to be inter-
saying in reply to all our que
ries, cit is painful subject to me and
I would rather not be questioned about
it."
Such are the facts as clearly and i'm
partially stated as it is possible for US
10 give them. Whatever conclusion
hey may justify touching the guilt of
.