The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-10-04
&. s. 55I1cs l5-7s- ~
81 s The Husband OF 3s Women.

IS DETROIT, MICE, Sept. 26.-Abont
fifteen of the thirty-three women who
have been married to James w. Brown,
the champion Benedict, since 1883,
confronted him In the Recorders Court
yesterday afternoon. The list of victims
included Helen Brownlee and Annie
Winters of Chicago, who, with Annie
|sH. Hazel, Mary Benjamin and Nancy
Robertson, Here the only ones called on
to give evidence against Brown. The
Benjamin woman was the prosecuting
witness. It was established that Browns
.method was to advertise for house.
keeper, select as q victim the one from
among the applicants who pleased him
most, and marry her as soon as possible.
He would desert her after q few days.
&c Five clergymen of the city certified
to marrying Brown to as many different
women, and the case made against him
was so clear that the prosecutor left it
to the jury without argument. Brown
testified in his own behalf, aud made q
3sorryjmess of it. contradicting himself at
every turn. He protessed not to remem-
her any Of his dupes, asserted that he
was on1y;0nce married and that his wife
was dead, aud that he had once been
confined as q lnnatic in New Orleans.
Brown Was pallid; and looked like q
sick man. During the trial Nancy
Robertson's indignation could not be
repressed; and she denounced Brown as q
per6dious wretch. The jury agreed with
her evidence, for they took, only four
minutes to find him guilty.
When Brown was brought into the
Recorders Court this afternoon for sen.
tence, several of his numerous wives were
present. Judge Gartner asked him the
usual question, if he had anything to say
why sentence should not be passed.
Brown answered that he,bad bad his cay
yesterday.
-. AS far as your case is concerned,
!. Brown, ,"then spoke up Judge Gartner,
s"yOu have been convicted OF bigamy.
You failed TO remember anything about
these numerous marriages, and it seems
TO me that man Of such poor memory
as you is dangerous to the community.
The statutes prescribe the penalty, but
the court is left soma discretion 10 the
matter. Your physical condition seems
fdeplorable, but it is more matter for
executive than judicial clemency. It is
the sentence of the court that you be
confined in the State Prison at Jackson
for four years and six months"
- The extreme penalty is only five years,
and Judge Gartner took into considera-
ton the six months Brown had spent in
Jail. Immediately after the sentence
.hree handsome brunettes, tall, slender
and fashionably dressed, entered the
County Auditors Office. to draw $50
apiece for witness fees in Browns trial.
Two of them were Browns wives-Mrs.
Hazel and Mrs. Benjamin. The clerk,
anxious to identify them, asked laconi-
cally, "Both Browns wives?" The
women looked at each other, giggled and
assented, while the third, anxious not to
get mixed in with the wives, shifted
uneasily away. !.
"Well, it was a pretty bad case, wasn't
it ?'',queried the clerk, by way of show.
ing a kindly interest.
ssYes, ~ said Mrs. Hazel, the tallest aud
handsomest member of the Mormon
family. "We were very much deceived
in that old Brown" /" added Mrs. B.
spitefnlly.
Later more of Browns wives came in
for their fees, and all expressed the
liyeliest satisfaction over his sentence.