The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-30
BULLET FOR SELF, NOT GIRL.
YOUNG BROWN'S EXPLANATION
or COUPE SHOOTING.

Chances Of Nursery GOVerness's Recover,
Said { he Very Slight she'll ne
Disngured n She Lives Plea OF IN,
Tatuation for MurdcrOus WOOer,
Louis r. Brown, the young clerk who
shot Laura Osten. a nursery governess,
while riding with her in a coupe up Broad
way. on Sunday night because she would
not marry him, was Rrraigned in the West
Side police court yesterday morning.
Magistrate Mayo held the prisoner with
ont bail to await the result of the young
woman's injuries. II was said at Roose-
welt Hospital last night that Miss Osten's
chances for recovery were slight and that
In any case, owing to the nature of the
bullet wound, IN ugly soar would remain.
Browns explanation Of the case in court
was that the shooting was an accident .
His story WAS that he attempted to commit
suicide and that the revolver went on
In a struggle between him and Miss Osten
for the possession Of the weapon. He
was accompanied in court by his brother
and Lawyer Benjamin GreenthSl. who had
been retained to defend him.
Brown. who has a youthful appearance
and an abundance OF red hair. looked pale
and tired. He talked little. but cheered
UP noticeably when told that Miss Osten's
condition had improved. When the feet
Of newspaper reporters surrounded him
he appeared interested and made inquiries
about getting evening papers. The pris-
oner refused to pose for a picture.
I'm only sorry the bullet did not go
into my BRAIN said he. That is what
intended il to do, did not intend TO shoot
her; l only wanted to kill myself, have
beer wildly in love with Miss Osten for
five years and proposed TO her half a dozen
times. Every time she refused me. !
resolved il she refused again / would kill
myself. l decided | would ask her for the
last time Sunday night. | proposed again
and again, but to no avail. do not under
stand how the bullet aimed at myself hit
her. I only regret il did not hit me. If
she'd only get w~ell-oh. ] hope she will
get well, Life is not worth the living
without her"
at was simply a case Of mad ~infatuation,-
kaid the brother. u tried to reason with
Louis, but it was absolutely fruitless. He
was clear gone on the girl
The court proceedings were brief, con-
Histing in the preparation Of the affidavit
on which Magistrate Mayo held Brown.
The contents of the letterfound in Browns
cern" were not divulged. The District
Attorney refuses to give them out.
Miss Osten made this statement regarding
the shooting yesterday:
Mr.. Brown called on me Sunday at the
home Of my sister, Mrs. Lafar. in East
Orange. He asked me to dine with him
in New York that evening and ] accepted
the invitation. My sister and brother-in-
law accompanied us to the ferry in Jersey
City. The plan was to have dinner. then
60 directly to my home at the Hargrave.
when we reached New York Mr.. Brown
suggested going to the BTesin Hotel. l
proposed a quieter place. but as he was in
sistent / finally agreed. After dinner no
80. - l. = $500 - -
jected to this. telling him it was too ex-
pensive, and hat he had never done it
before. I consented after his importuni-
ties. though | thought it was spending
money foollshly.
The subject Of love was not mentioned
during the ride up Broadway. / remember
that I turned my head to look at an illu-
nat sign, when something happened,
/ don't remember Just what. Then l re-
member tumbling out of the cab. No argu-
ment ook place in the cab. Mr.. Brown
made no p~rotestation of love, nor did he
ask me to marry him before he shot.
Mr.. Browns attentions were not taken
seriously by me. My sister took him az a
joke: While we were friendly to him we
Gidn't quite understand him. ana thought
it likely that he didn't quite understand
himself"
No change was reported last night in the
conaition Of Miss 0sten. By the X-rays
the physicians ascertained that the bullet
had shifted to position hack Of the nostrils
which mad an immediate operation mad
visable. At present her danger is from
blood poisoning or lockjaw.
EAST ORANGE. Oct. 29.-LorenZo d.
Brown, father of Louis r. Brown. declared
to-day that he thought his son was mentally
unbalanced and had been in that condition
for six months because Miss Osten had
refused to marry him on the ground that
I've Was immature and was not making
sufficient 10 support a family. Mr.. Brown
this morning said;
Miss Osten * "a years old and since she
met my SOn. about three years ago. he has
leen able 10 think Of nothing else. IL was
q Gaze Of infstuatiOn. We have nothing
against Miss 0sten and cannot blame her
in any way except "a say that she accepted
he boys attentions and presents and then
TefI4ed to treat his proposal seriously.
"Louis has always been a good boy.
Hoping against hope that the girl would
change her mind. he has worked hard in
tho brokerage Office, and about six months
ago was promoted to be assistant manager
in one Of the departments. He seemed to
think that this would make Miss Osten
think more seriously Of him rs a sutton.
but size told him he was not far enough
advanced to get married and this seemed
10 20 to- his head. For several weeks he
has acted as if his mind was affected, but
| never thought he would do anything so
rash. Where he got the revolver is a mys-
terV to me-"