Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-12-22
ENRACED HUSBAND
KILLS SISTER-|N-
.LAW;SH00TSW|FE
Sherman Brown. Davenport. In Fit
of Jealous Anger. Murders His
Relative
FIRES FIVE TIMES AT SPOUSE
Following Quarrel 0yer Domestic
Matters. Tragedy Occurs Pris-
oner ConfesSeg.

~SffANA1t A6s%Tay G1}HE&-FEE~S
oner Confessey.
/ Sherman Brown. fireman, last
/ night shot and instantly killed his
sister-in-iaw, Mrs. Nellie Brown, and
perhaps fatally wounded his own wife
at her home, 304 East Eleventh street.
Davenport. The shooting, it is alleged
: resulted from domestic difficulties that
caused a. separation Of Brown and his
wife, and John Brown. brother, and
his wife about three months ago.
/ The wife Of the slayer is In Mercy
hospital today with four bullet holes
in her head and one in her hand. but
| Is said by physicians TO have an ex-
cellent chance for recovery. In a
statement made to the police, Brown
/ declared he went to the room occu-
| pied by the woman with the intention
Iof killing his wife After the tragedy
Brown gave himself up to the officers
and Immediately laid down on a bunk
! in his cell and slept peacefully.
! Purchases Gun.
/ Sherman Brown, who is 80 years Of
age, was employed as fireman at the
| Western Four Mills company. He quit
work at the usual hour. 3 o'clock yes
terday Afternoon, went downtown and
had d meal at one Of the restaurants.
Later he purchased his son, irwin.
aged II, some clothes. He then went
| to a second hand store and purchased
a 30 calibre revolver and a box of cart
ridges, going TO his room at SIT Brady
street, 10 load the weapon
From there he went to the rooms |
at 304 East Eleventh street. occupied
Jointly by his wife and sister in-law. /
Mrs. Nellie Brown After some CON
Yersati0n an argument was started be-
tween Brown and his wife. Some friend
Of Mrs. Browns had warned her to call
the police If her husband came to the
home. She made d move toward the
phone but her husband stepped be-
tween her and the instrument. The
wife then went out into the yard and
Brown followed her
Without any warning Brown whip
ped the revolver out of his pocket and
fired at her. She ran screaming to- |
ward the house, and his sister-in-law
appeared in the doorway. Brown lev
eled the weapon at her and fred once.
Then jumping over her body he ran
after his wife, firing five shots in all
at her.
Calls Police Himself.
Neighhors hearing the shots. noti-
| fed the police, but when the officers
arrived Brown had disappeared Later
ne summoned the police himself and
a patroiman was sent after him at his
rooms on Brady street and he accom-
panied the officer without word.
/ The body Of Mrs. Nellie Brown was
removed 10 Boies' undertaking rooms.
She met death instantly when the bull
let pierced her brain. Browns wife
was rushed to Mercy hospital. After
an examination it was found that one
bullet had entered at the base Of the
nose and lodged in the jaw bone: the
second had taken downward course
through the back Of the head; another.
a sideways course in the head; the
fourth wound was in the forehead. and
the fifth bullet took off her index fin
ger. None Of the shots pierced the
skull, but she had a miraculous escape |
from death.
4f,TT h-
physicians were forced to give her
opiates to make her sleep last night |
Tries Suicide.
Brown claims that he turned the |
gun on himself after the tragedy with /
intention of committing suicide, but /
found that the revolver was empty He |
made full confession to the police |
Waldo Becker has been selected as his /
attorney and it is possible he will /
plead guilty The inquest is to be held |
this evening
Sherman Brown the murderer, and
his brother, kept bachelor apartments
on Brady street, while their wives +
resided in furnished rooms on East
Eleventh street, both couples being
separated John stated today that he /
had secured q reconciliation with his /
wife, who was killed. and that she was /
coming to see him that evening TO fix
matters up He also explained that /
Sherman and his wife parted last sum-
mer and that shortly afterward the lat 4
ter persuaded Johns wife to leave him. Il
John Brown and his family came to Il
Davenport three years ago from Cen Il
tralia and since that time he had been 4
employed as fireman at the city steam
plant. His wife was formerly Miss Il
Nellie Chapman. q years Of age, Of
Centralia. She Is survived by three
children.
Sherman Brown. the prisoner, and
his wife came to Davenport about 4
wear ago from Carlisle. III. The latter
was formerly Miss Katherine Star
rett and they have one son, Irwin. She
is 80 years of age.
Accuses Wife.
Brown claims that his son, Irwin,
had told him that his wife was keep
Ing company with other men. and he
had brooded over this condition OF af-
fairs for several months and often told
his brother John, that he would get"
his wife some day for her actions. The |
lad lived with his mother up until a |