The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-09-28
MARRIED ra1RTY-THREE TIMES.
James Brown Quickly Convicted on
the Evidence of Five Victims.
From the Philadelphia Press.

From, the Philadelphia Press.
DETROIT, Sept. 25.-W hen James Brown,
the champion benedict of the northwest,
tottered into the recorders court room this
afternoon he looked as if the fact that he
been sufficient punishment for him. good
deal of sympathy was temporarily worked
IN over Brown, and even those of bis dupes
who were present had their hearts touched
by his appearance. He came in palsied and
decrepit. His face was ashen-hued and his
hair and beard awry and matted. He looked
neither t. the front nor to the rear, and,
stunning the eyes of the squadron of women
who once called him husband. he kept his
eyes on the floor
During the trial, which lasted only three
hours, it was developed that Browns
wretched appearance and condition were
due to eating soap, which he had stolen from
the jail washstand and which he had eaten
prrposeiy to deceive the court and jury and
excite sympathy. There was very large
attendance. There We're old and young
women, blondes and brunettes, homely and
comedy women. ficaly and poorly dressed
women and women of several natlonalities.
They formed a small contingent of the
dupes who once thought at they were law
full wives of Brown. The complaint on
winch he was tried was sworn
to by only one Of them, Mary
Benjamin, young woman who
married the prisoner in tnis city on Aug. u,
last year. -Four others of his victims were
called TO give their testimony. These were
Helen Brownlee, Annie Winters, Annie NJ.
Hazel and Nancy Robertson. A dozen
more might have been called to give their
testimony, but it was unnecessary. Five
ministers swore to marrying Brown to as
many different women. 1t is asserted by
the police that Brown has married not
fewer than thirty three times since 1888
His usual method was to advertise for
housekeeper, marry such Of the applicants
as he selected for the place, representing
himself as a widower, and desert his victim
after few days.
He lived with Miss Benjamin Just six
days; with Miss Robertson five days; with
Miss Winters three days; with another
two weeks, and the longest time he lived
with any one OF them was a month. After
the five wives named above and as many
ministers had proved these marriages, the
prosecutions case was submitted and Brown
took the stand as his own and only witness
He claimed to be 40 years old, then ad-
mitted he was As, and finally said
he was not positive what his age was. It
was plainly his intention to play the insane
dodge, and he did it fairly well, cheerfuIly
and constantly contradicting himself, pro-
IeSlng not 10 be able to remember, and
asserting that he was once confined in an
asylum at New Orleans He admitted
having served in the Michigan state prisol
for adultery. denied that he had been in
the New York penitentiary. and with conf
cal Indignation said the prosecutor was
mo gentleman" to ask the question.
During his examination Nancy Robertson
could not contain her indignation, and
branded Brown as deeply-dyed scoundrel
Tie jury thought SO, too, and convicted
him in just four minutes.