The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-05-31
VAST MURDERs
The Killing OF Grant Buffnm by Harry
BrOokman-A Case 10 be Decided
this Week.


term OF the circuit court, in fact one OF
the most sensational cases that has ever
ever been tried in Rock Island county,
was commenced in the circuit court be-
fore Judge Smith al 2 o'clock this after
noon. The case is entitled the "Peo-
pie of the State of Illinois vs.. Harry
Brookman.' the charge being the
murder by the accused of his chum
Grant Buffum. The particulars of the
terrible tragedy were given in full in the
ARGUS at the time. but rehearsal OF
them now upon the verge of a sitting Of
the case In the courts when startling rev.
Citations, not yet known to the public are
in all probability to to be made. will be
no less interesting.
Grant Buffum and Harry Brookman
had been intimate friends from the hap
py hours of childhood. They were
brought up together, played together
studied together and worked together
They were chums, and with the exception
OF an occasional difference OF opinion
and perhaps quarrel. which was not al
all serious, there was never the least
trouble between them. All the more ap
palllng then, especially to those who were
acquainted with the two young men, wa,
the news of the fatal shooting of one OF
them by the other
Brookman's father keeps genera
store in Andalusia, and il was there tina
the boys OF the village and surrounding
farms were in the habit o. congregating il
the evening and on Sundays. Brookman's
son Harry and young Grant Buffum, son
of Ex-Supervisor Buffum, wer'
prominent among those who lois
tered there. 1t seems tina
the young men OF Andalusia had gotter
into the careless habit of carrying loaded
revolvers and using insulting Language
toward each other, comforting upon eacl
other in meaningless manner such title:
as would, in most respectable communi'
ties. cause serious eruption.
On Sunday morning. April IL, Buf'
fun and Brookman had been over tC
Buffalo hunting and returned to Brook
mans fathers store for ammunition
number of other young men soon gath
cred there. Two boxes of cartridges
were procured, one of which was giver
to Buffum and the other to Brookman
After trying their revolvers, boil
young men emptied the chamber
and Breokman passed his owe
the showcase for friend to look at.
Afterward he was heard working with i
under the counter. A young man step
ped up and made purchase and Brook
man went to the rear OF the store tt
make change. When he returned he
noticed that piece of paper which hat
been posted over hole in the showcase
had been destroyed, and asked
who did it and turning suddenly upoI
Buffum exclaimed, Buffum the d-s-l
did it," at the same time aiming hi
revolver at Buffum, who exclaimed, 40
Gods sake don't shoot" but at tina
instant there was pistol report ant
Buffum staggered and fell to the foo
dead. with d bullet in bis brain
The inquest was held the mex
day-MondaY- Coroner HIVES aut
the jury while holding tina
the shooting was purely accidental
alluded to the practice of carry
ing of revolvers as gross and culpable
carelessness" The day after the inquest,
however, rumors were prevalent which
gave the case an altogether different col
oring. J. T. Kenworthy, Esq, was re
tanned to investigate the matter, and he
with the assistance of the states attor'
ney, sifted the case thoroughly, the re.
suit being an indictment for murder
against Brakeman by the grand jury o.
tina present term of court.
What evidince the grand jury had will
of course only be made public through
the public trial OF the case this week. |
is understood, however, that there ha,
existed a GOODNESS between Broukmal
sndo rsSis- for some time previous t,
the rsion. : that fatal Sunday after
noon. " yis rumored further that in
restaurant in Davenport some time ago
Brookman committed larceny in tn
temporary absence of the clerk and he
was constantly afterwaid afraid Buffum
who was with him, would reveal it, ant
that believing that dead men tell nj
tales" resolved to put Buffum out o.
the way.
This afternoon was occupied in exam
lining jurors, and ii is expected considera
BILE difficulty will be experienced in get
ting an unbiased twelve. J. r. Kenwor
thy, ESQ, assists in the prosecution, ant
Messrs. ]. NJ. Beardsley and p OMAR
appear for the defense.
An Expert Horse Sheer.