The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1906-05-31
Ex.sTATE AUDITOR DIES.
Hon. John Lee Brown Falls Victim
to Pneumonia.

Charlton, Ia, May 26.-Hon. John Lee
Brown, auditor of state from 1883 to
1885, died at his home in Cedar town
ship, Thursday. He had been i'll only
four days with pneumonia. Mr.. Brown
was siNty-eight years old and leaves a
wife and nine children. He was for
twelve years editor of the Charlton
| Herald.
John Lee Brown was auditor of state
when the late Buren, r. Sherman was
governor. Friction arose between Mr..
Brown and the governor. Friends of
both men conceded that there was
something personal in it. After many
disagreements and after Browns re-
fusal to report certain fees as ordered
to do by the governor, the latter issued
an order removing Brown from Office,
March 19, 1885. Brown refused to va
cate and the old capitol building
became the scene of military action.
Governor Sherman called out the nation
al guard and filled the old state house
with soldiers. Citizens were admitted
on military passes. In fact the old
state house was in state of siege.
Both the governor and the auditor were
acting on the advice of their attorneys
and each claimed to be within his
rights. In every conceivable form the
matter was in the courts.
The legislature gave recognition to
the difficulty and articles of impeach-
ment were preferred by the house
against Brown. Impeachment man
ayers were appointed and the trial was
before the state senate, lasting for a
number of weeks, resulting in the ac-
qulttal OF Brown on every count. Be-
fore the impeachment, however, Brown
had been removed from office and
Jonathan w. Cattell was acting auditor
of state.
After all the trials and difficulties
Brown was restored to the office, and
served his time out. He did not aspire
to a third term. In defending his
opinions as to what he thought was
right, Brown was courageous and
stubborn. The Brown-Sherman en-
brolio excited the state for number
of years, and had much to do with
| politics. There was much sympathy
for Brown during all his troubles be-
cause he had lost an arm in defense OF
his country. No man in the state ever
believed that Brown knowingly or in
tentionally did what was wrong. At
the time Brown was auditor J. A. 7.
Hull was. secretary and Edwin II. Con-
ger treasurer of state.
Tho trial of Brown was a notable one.
Among the attorneys or managers on
the part of the house in the prosecution
were Judge Weaver, now of the supreme
court, then member of the house from
Hardin county; the late John II. Keat-
ley, a member of the house from Potta-
wattamie county; Hon. Robert G.
Cousins, present member of congress,
and L. A. Riley, Of Louisa county.
Judge Weaver practically conducted
the prosecution. The attorneys for the
defense were Judge Huston, of Burling-
ton; Hon. Fred w. Lehman, now of St.
Louis, and Hon. G. G. Nourse. 1t was
a great legal battle. 1t was the first
impeachment trial in the history of the
state and impeachment cases in all
history from Warren Hastings down
were quoted and requoted in the de-
bates, all of which were fully reported
and printed in two large volumes.
Mr.. Brown is the second former state
auditor to pass away this week, Hon.
James A. Lyons, who succeeded Mr..
Brown as auditor of Iowa, having died
at his home in Colorado earlier in the
week.