Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-10-05
THIRTY-THREE WIVES.
Five of Whom Are In Court Testify,
ing to Their Marriage With the
Champion Bigamist.
Eetin Soap WoulcE'. ssvs Him-The jury
Nor Heeding Bis Plea OF Insanity But
Convios Him In -Four .inutes.
Cincinnati Ersuirer.


DETROIT, MICH, Sept. 25.-Wlen Jas
W. Brown, the champion benedict CT the
northwest, tottered into the Recorders
courtroom g: O'Clock this afternoon he
looked as if the fact that he WAS the
husband of thiTty-three women had
been sufficient punishment FOL
him. A good deal OF sympathy
was temporarily worked up owe!
Brown, snd even thoGe of his dupes who
were present had their hearts touched
By his appearance. He came in pslsied
and decrepit. HIS face was aslsn hue
and his hair and beard awry and mstted
H looked neither TO tae front nor to the
rear Of him, stunning the eyes OF the
GALAXY OF WOMEN
who once called him "husband." BE
Kept lis eyes on the floor. During TIE
trial, which listed only three hourf, II
WAS developed that Browns conCiior
| and Appearance were due to exiting soap
which lie had stolen frcm the ISL wash
stand, and which Re mad esten pur-
posely to deceive the cur. AID
j0ry, and excite sympsthy. There
VAS very lsrge attendance
There were old and young women,
blondes and brunettes, homely end
comalY women, and women Of Gll
nstionGlities. They formed small con-
tipgent OF the 6upes who once thought
that they were lawful wives Ct Brown
TIE cOmplsint on which ne IVES tried was
sUOrn to by only one Of them, Mary Beg
Imin, a young woman who married the
prisoner in this city on August %, last
year.
FOUR OTHERS OF HIS VICTIMS
were called to give their testimony. These
were Helen Brownlee, Annie Winters,
A dozen more might hsve been called
upon to give their testimony, bItis
wgs unnecessary. Five ministers sWH&e
to marrying Brown to as many diffeiExt
women. Ii Is asserted by the policsFhst
Brown had mtrried not sNger
than thirty-.hree times since 1885 is
ueusl method was TO sdvertisSs forss4
housekeeper, marry such OF the sppll-
cants IS ne selected for the place, repre-
senting himself as 8 Widower, end DESERT
ing his victims sitter few days. He lived
with Miss Berj,mln just six dsye, with
Miss Robertson i've days, WITH Misc Win
ters three Gays, with another two weeks,
ana Jne IoNgesL uMe ne 1Veu viii
any one Of tnem WAS month. After the
five wives named shove, and as many
ministers, had proved these marriages,
the peoples case WAS submitted, ind
Brown took the stard S. his own ard Only
witness. He claimed 20 De fcrty-tive
years old, then admitted he wa5 forty-fVe
snd finSilv said ne was not positive what
his sge Was. 1t was Plainly h!s inten-
ton to
PLAY THE INSANE RACKET.
And be did It fairly well, chserfully sld
constantly contradictiDg himself, profess
ing not 10 oe ebie 10 remember asserting
that he WAS once confined in an ssylUm st
New Orleans, admitted to having eeryed
il the Michigan state prison Cor adultery.
denied that he had been In tins
New York penitentisry, and with com
ical indignation said the prosecutor
was eco gentleman" 20 ssk the questions.
During his examination Ns1oS K )oerteon
could not contain her indignation ard
bTsnded Brown as deeply dyed scoun-
drsl. The jury thought SO too, snd CON-
v.cted him in just four minutes. Sem
tercs was deferred.