The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-10-24
He SLEPT SOUNDLY
S'Yankee" Brown Did Not Fear
BuShWhackers
Stayed in Cabin While Others
Fled to Brush.
TUNNEL MADE HIM SAFE
Ran From House to Brush on
Greek Bank.
Aged 50 Years, He Plans for
"'OId Age.7

Pittsburg, Kan, Oct. 24.-Colonel
Yankee Brown. of this city. is one
of the picturesque figures of Kansas.
Today at the age of So years, he sets
a pace it would be extremely hard Tor
a man half a century younger to fol-
low with any surplus credit for deX-
terity to the younger man. He is an
enthusiastic Snriner and Joined the
Pittsburg party which went to the
meeting in Los Angeles last spring.
Young Pittsburg Shriners admitted af-
ter their return that Colonel Brown
had won in the pleasure Marathon
that they couldn't keep up with the
pioneer t--o- was out to see the sights
And Colonel Brown himself admitted
that he didn't overlook any bets.
He is an ardent Bull Mooser.
No one who did not pass through
the period of the civil war on the
Kansas-Missouri border can apprec1-
ate in minute degree the awfulness
of the conflict in that section. 1t was
a region where the bushwhacker pre-
sided over a reign of terror, where
the decent, law abiding, peaceful,
BODYBUILDING settler lived in fear OF
his life, day and night. The men wAo
had established themselves in this
section had a double duty to perform
they had to battle with nature to
wrest from the virgin soil a living
for themselves and their families and
they had to battle with border bandits
for life and property. 1t was in the
midst of this scene of social and po-
liticaI chaos htta Colonel Brown
founded his home a half century and
two years ago.
Came to Kansas in 1859.
Colonel Brown came from northern
Illinois to Kansas. He first settled
three miles east of Uniontown in Bour-
bon county, west of Fort Scott in
On the bank of the Richlard
creek. three miles east of the pres
cnt station of Anna, a mile north CT
Cato and IA miles south of Fort Scott
Colonel Brown built his cabin. 1t was
on the frontier of civilization, Baxter
Springs was the nearest post on the
south. The war began shortly after
the cabin was erected and the BUSH
whacker was in his glory Colonel
Brown was strong for the Union and
was known in the section as yankee
Brown Around him in the sparsely
settled territory were other Unionists
and they vecame the marks for the
outlaws of the brush.
Portfolios Prevented Trouble.
Into the walls of his cabin, ColOne.
Brown put nine portfolios.
I always had IA shots ready and
my wife was as good with a rifle as
I was" the colonel declares.
The word went forth in the neigh
borhood that Colonel Brown was fully
prepared for visitors and would shoot.
The portfolios never were used for d
bloody purpose but never in those ter
rible years was there a time when
it was safe to be without them.
The bushwhackers always operated
in the light of the moon. So when
ever those nights came, the Union
men took to the brush to sleep. Col |
cnel Brown never went. He stayed at
Ii II
caused wonder among the neighbors |
They could not understand why he |
was not afraid while all the others |
were.
''They knew I had sometime. |
though Colonel Brown explained |
But none of them knew what it was" |
Colonel Browns Tunnel.
And here is what it was:
Colonel Brown had tunnel for use t
in an emergency. 1t extended out |
from under the cabin Is feet to the /
east Then it turned at right angles |
and went north so feet and came out /
in the underbrush in the bank of the /
Richland-the mouth being completely /
hidden by the bushy timber At the /
turn OF the tunnel. square had been I
cut inside the corner. A person stand !
ing at either end of the tunnel could 1
not see persons standing in the |
square at the turn. This was intend |
eQ as 1uTLHeT projection III case lllS /
bushw hackers should-discover the tun- |
mel and start pouring lead into it.
The tunnel was dug as a trench. |
When It had been eXcavated. Colonel /
Brown timbered the roof with rails
and then put over it a foot of dirt.
And then, to hide it completely, the /,
ground around and that over the
trench, or as it had now become. the |
tunnel was plowed and became d |
farm field While he was working OH /
The underground escape, Colonel Brown |
kept a sentinel on guard. Neither
friend nor foe was to know about il.
If one approached, he was adroitly
steered to some place other than the