Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-09-25
HIS WORD HIS BOND,

that the Sheriff Would Not Return in
Time to Catch the Jefferson City Train
to Prison.
Visitors or loungers about Hurst's
Hotel in st. Louis the other day might
have seen a rather noticeable character
impatiently pacing about the lobby or
in front of the place. He was trif1e
below the medium size, well built and
hardy Of appearance. He wore suit OF
old-fashioned blue jeans and hickory
shirt, and red bandanna was knotted
about his throat, the loose ends being
| tucked beneath his knitted braces.
well-worn SLOUGH hat shaded his keen,
clear, black eyes, and thin growth OF
short. curling black beard but partially
concealed his clear-cut, prominent feat
ures.
He was George W. Brown, of Texas
County, Mo-, and he was on his way tc
jefferson City to serve sentence for
murder.
He was walking up and down before
the hotel when'a Republic reporter, who
had learned the circumstances of his
case. accosted him with:
You find yourself in st. Louis under
rather unpleasant circumstances, l pre-
sumo, Mr.. BROWNE"
"Well, yes, sab. l must say SO. Yo'
see, the sheriff lef' me this mawnin' an
l reckon he done fogot to come back"
''How does it happen thatyo are here
under the sherilfs charge?'
why, yo' see, I'm going to Jefferson
City to sarve "a term, an we done come
round this way"
''What was your offense?"
Il killed Charles Pearce, my son-in-
law. Would yo' all like to hear about
it ?"
Certainly"
''Well, yo' see. Pearce had done be-
trayed my darter-Phebe's her name
and then run away. | went after him
an cotch him, an my neighbors advise
me to let 'em marry an done SO. He
| lived with her about week. l reckon it
was, and treated her most brutal-he
beat her, yo know, an SIGH like, an
finally he throwed up other men to her
an run away.
''Well, | started out with frien' to
see these yere men he had named. I
wasn't honin' fo' trouble an really
! hoped I'd nevah see Pearce agin'. But
as was goin' along the road | met him.
He nevah says nothin', but just pulled
a gun an snapped it at me. | had my
rife an, of course, l JUS fixed him. l
couldn't help it, could 1? Looks like
twas jest fo'ced onto me. I want
| lookin' fur him, an didn't reckon I'd
/ ever see him agin. Eff his gun had
| gone off he'd of got me, shore. You
see, l had to do it 70 defend myself
well, after l done fixed him,
walked thirty-four miles to surrender
myself to OF Bob Mcbride. He's She
| sheriff of Texas County, Yo' know
whah l live. / knowed Bob TO twenty
year. When the trial come off, my
| lawyers done got it changed to Shan.
non County. l don't reckon yo' all
would like to hear about the trial :?
| kin tell yo' all about it. It's like my
A. B. C.'s to me. No, yo' times too
| short. Wall, enyhow, l done got two
| year in the penitentiary for it. Then
| give a bond an made an appeal to the
Supreme Court of Missouri. That was
last July. But after bit my lawyers
advised me to give myself up and go to
jefferson City.
"Yo' see, we all amt got no right
smart O money, an | reckon | didn't
have much of q show. But done took
the lawyers advice an come in an give
myself up, an hyar I am. When did
the KILN take place? The last day Q
May, 1855"
But isn't it rather unusual that you.
under sentence for such crime, should
be left here alone all day."
The old man drew himself up and his
keen black eyes flashed as he replied:
Didn't give him my word? Marion
Freeman knows me, an he knows that
George Browns word is as good as his
bond No, sir. he knows he'll find me
hvar, and he amt worritin' bit. But,
you see, he's been gone all day. I went
to the clerk in thar this noon an l says:
Didn't Marion make no arrangements
fc' my dinner?' No. sah,' says he.
Well, didn't git no dinner. Yo' don't
reckon Marion'll foget me?'
''Oh, no; he'll be here on time
Pm little afeared about it. Yo' all
don't happen to know Marion Freeman
of Shannon Coun,E? No? Sho'. That's
too bad! Yo' don't reckon | could find
him? Wall, reckon 1 would get lost.
I'll jest have to stay right ycre. How
far is it to Jefferson City?'
About one hundred and twenty
miles"
us it? I reckon that's most too far
TO walk, cause they might get Uneasy
about me befo' l got thar. But | don't
want to stay yere tonight. walked in
thirtyfo miles to surrender myself, but
l don't reckon I'm called to walk to
jeff City now. I want to get
thar powerful bad though an
have it over with. Yo' see,
my friends down thar, they reckon
they'll git me pardon purity soon, and
I'm in hope I'll git out this winter II
/ don't, 1 don't know what NAV will do.
But anyway. I'm goin' to work hard
and be obedient, and l kinder count on
gettin' way in eighteen months at the
worst. l done got lots O friends in Texas
County. I come thar from Tennessee in
1857 and lived thar ever sence, except
endurin' the way. / fit on the Union
side an got marks to show for it."
About $50 o'clock Sheriff Freeman
put in an appearance, and after good
supper escorted his charge to the depot,
where the party took the train for JEFF
ferson City.
Better Than the State Secures.
The city of st. Louis advertised for
bids for the custody and deposit OF the
city funds for one year. The Continen-
tai Bank was the highest at 4.O5 per
cent and the lowest the Bank of Com
merce at 2. 90 on daily balances. The