Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-08-31
Coroner's Jury Returns Verdict
Of Murder in Brown Case at
Manson
COMMUNITY GREATLY SHOCKED
Murdered Woman and Her Husband
Prominent Socially and in ReIia-
ious Work-Younser Woman Threat
ened Invalid Mother-in-Law, and
Quarrel Ended in Terrible Tragedy.
Special to Times-Republican.

Specfal TO TtmeS-Republican.
Manson, Aug. 31.-The coroner's jury,
Sitting in the case of j. NJ. Brown, who
murdered his daughter-in-law, Mrs.
q. G. Brown, with an Indian club on
Saturday, returned verdict of mur-
der against Brown. He was held to
the grand jury without bail, and was
taken to Rockwell City and lodged in
Jail. The murdered woman's husband,
G. G. Brown, who has been in Colorado
during the past month, ill with tuber-
cplosis, arrived home Sunday evening.
Row Started at Breakfast.
The murder was the outcome of a
family quarrel which started at the
breakfast table. Those present were
tho murdered woman, her father-in-
Law, and her niece, Miss Ida Johnson.
Mn. j. NJ. Brown, her mother-in-law,
'was in her room in the upper story
of The home. She is practically bed
ridden, having been injured by falling
on IN icy sidewalk a couple of years
ago.. Her presence in the home and
thatsof her husband was annoying to
the young woman, and many bitter
quarFels ensued, sometimes ending in
personal assaults.
The quarrel Saturday morning was
of more than usual bitterness, and
the young woman is said to have
shrieked that she would beat her
mother in-law's brains out. She started
from the kitchen to go upstairs and
to thesold woman's apartment. The
elder woman, hearing the words of the
quarrel fed into closet and barred
the door.
SFelIed Her With Club.
The aged husband rushed to her res
cue andas he went up the stairs seized
an Indian club which stood on the
landing and dealt the young woman a
terrific blow on the back of the head
just as she was trying to enter the old
woman's room. She fell unconscious
and the old man, now transformed into
a fiend, deliberately beat her to death
in the most horrible manner. Blow af-
ter blow was rained on the head and
face Of the dying woman, and her
brains and blood were spattered all
over the door, walls and door OF the
room and on the stairs.
George q. Brown, the husband OF
the murdered woman is we'll
known all over northwestern Iowa as
one of the shrewdest and most sue
cessful spectators in the state.
sympathy With Prisoner.
The sympathy of the general public
seems to tend toward the old gentle
man, altho much is expressed for the
husband Of the murdered woman and
son Of the old gentleman, G. G. Brown,
who arrived. from Colorado Springs
Sunday, whore he has been for the
past month Ii pitiable condition from
tuberculosis The old lady is Frustrated
by the affair, and Miss Ida Johnson,
the murdered woman's niece and COM
panion and protege for years, is almost
beside herself.
Mrs George brown had been very
popular here socially up to the past
year. Since then her husbands health
has preventative elaborate entertain
ments which she had been i'm the habit
of giving. She was regarded as one
OF the most beautiful women in Man
son and was a leader in Congregational
church work.
Brown Home Palace.
Their home lis one of the hand
soonest in the city, its apartments and
exquisite finishing making it one of
the show places of the town. Mr.. and
Mrs. Brown hadsbeen married for more
than fifteen years and have no child
rem.
j. NJ Browns fannily is we'll known
in this part of the country, having
lived in this vicinity for years on the
old Brown farm, seven miles from
Manson, where the family was raised.
C. A. Brown, a son, is in business here,
and another son, OrNille, is a farmer
near this city.
Two daughters are married and live
in this vicinity, and the old lady and
gentleman made their home with
Y