The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-10-24
POLICE NOW THINK
BROWN A MURDERER
Death of Howard Valentine
Charged to Man Who She
Himself Yesterday. ~,
THE TWO MEN KNOWN
TO HAVE BEEN ENEMIES
Valentine Was Mrs. Weislee s
Son-in-Law-Was Last Seen
with Brown.

Strong evidence now in the hands Of
the police tends to show that the trag-
edy in Southeast Minneapolis last
night when Charles Brown shot Mrs.
self was only the aftermath of another
tragedy of much darker aspect.
What did Charles Brown have to do
with the disappearance of Howard Val
entine, sonin-law of Mrs. Weislee9
The police declare that Brown alone
knows and he has with his own hand
sealed the mystery forever. Only cir
cumstantial evidence remains. Valen-
tine disappeared late in August and on
Sept. : a body supposed to be his, was
taken from the. river in st. Paul. His
home life had been happy and no one
could advance reason tor suicide.
Last Seen With Brown.
Today the police learned that Valen-
tIno and Brown were enemies, and that
Valentine was last Sen in Brown s
company. 1t is known the son-in- law
1D1ected to Brown 8 boarding with Mrs;
Welslee, and that they often quarreled
over the matter.
Shortly before Valentine disappeared,
the two men are known to have quar-
relied in a public hall near Hennepin
avenue and Second street. 1t is said by
acquaintance Of the men that a revolv-
er was drawn and that Valentine was
shot in the arm, altho this statement has
not yet been proved. Bystanders sep
arated them and they agreed to settle
the matter elsewhere.
They left the hall. and that was the
last seen of Valentine.
There were gashes and wounds on the
body found in the river, but these were
thought to be due to the fact that the
swift current had carried it against logs
and rocks.
Since that time Brown had been
drinking heavily and while intoxicated
had beaten Mrs. Weisee and received
a workhouse sentence on charge Of as
sault and battery.
The authorities are positive that
Brown, if living, could tell why Howard
Valentine disappeared and how his body
came to be in the river. The investiga-
ton will be continued.
Last Nights Shooting. -s-Sr~-'. =
The shocking affair that led to the
unraveling Of the Valentine mystery
occurred last evening at II o'clock in
front of Mrs. Weislee's home, 1920
Seventeenth avenue Sc. Brown, en-
been rejected, snatched g 22-caliber
revolver from his pocket and fred at
the woman, who fell as if dead. He
then turned the smoking revolver to his
own head and fired. Death came in
stantly to Brown, but the woman, tho,
SuHerlng untold agony at the city hos
pital, may win her brave fight against
death.
The woman had attended a meeting
of the Volunteers of America and had
gone home in street car. Brown had
been there also and took the same car
He followed her to her doorstep, where
the shooting occurred. The patrol
wagon was summoned by neighbors and
Mrs Weislee was hurried to the city
hospital. Brown g body is at the
morgue awaiting burial by friends.
The bullet entered at the back Of
the woman's neck and may not prove
fatal, altho she was suffering greatly
this morning. When questioned by the
police, she said that until recently
Brown had boarded with her, but when
he forced his attentions on her she or
dered him to leave. From then on he
logged her tracks with his proposals.
Divorced Husband Loyal.
Mrs. Weislee separated from her
husband several years ago, but as soon
as she was at the hospital last night
she sent for him and he came imme-
diately He will care for the
seven children while the mother is in
the hospital. She has always support
ed them by working out by the day.
Brown was a hardware clerk for
Friedman on Washington avenue s, and
was about 40 years old Mrs. Weislee
had him sent to the workhouse be-
cause he annoyed her, and he had been
out but few days.