The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1920-04-23
BROTHERS CONFEssEs
KILLED MERRYMAN FOR RUNNING AFTER
HIS WlFE-THREW AWAY REVOLVER
AFTER FIRING TWICE. AT HIS VICTIM.

Since March 18th, when Joshua
Merryman, near Louisville, was shot,
Joshua Silas Brothers, alias "Nim-
my" Brothers, and his wife Lizzie,
have been in the Carroll county Jail,
held as States witnesses. Until Sun
day last they both stuck to substan-
TALLY the same story as told by
them when first taken into custody.
On Sunday morning, deputy-sheriff
Byers went to Brothers cell and ask
ed him is he did not want to see a
preacher, as Judge Thomas would
draw the jury next day, and the time
was getting short before Court.
Brothers asked to see the sheriff.
Sheriff Bloom went to his cell, and
Brothers told him that he was sorry
that he had not told the truth in the
first place, that he had shot Merry
man. Later on Sunday, his mother,
Mrs. Martha Brothers, of Woodberry
came to see him, and in the presence
of the sheriff he told her the same
story He informed the sheriff that
after the shooting, as he walked with
his wife to the home of Eb. Hardy, he
had thrown the revolver away. On
Sunday night, States Attorney Brown
questioned Brothers, and the ques-
tions and answers were taken down
by Court stenographer, Berwager, and
on Monday, in the presence of wit
nesses brothers can neither read or
write), they were read to him, and he
signed them with his mark as his con-
fession. His story in substance is as
follows: He and his wife had lived at
Merryman's in the spring of 1919, but
left before corn planting time. During
the past winter they lived with his
brother Frank, between Edgefield and
Woodlawn. Some time in February he
heard that Merryman wanted him 20
work for him again, and he and his
wife came to Merryman's. Merryman
hired him to work the farm for him.
Brothers and his wife slept upstairs.
Merryman occupied a room down
stairs. The confession was introduced
by Mr. Browns asking him whether
he wanted to tell anything about the
shooting. His reply was <'Yes, l shot
him, and I'll tell you why. l did il
because he was running after my
wife," He said that his wife had told
him after they left Merryman's last
year, that while they had lived there
he had been after her. He had Eever
seen anything out Of the way. Asked
why after her telling him story like
that they returned this year, he re-
piled that as Liz was queer, he did
not believe there was anything in it
t. r.,
Merryman's he had seen the old man
grab at her several times; that on the
afternoon of the day before the shoot
ing, Liz had gone with MercYman's 5
horse and buggy to Mechanicsville;
that Merryman had left the house,
and he thought he had gone after
her, and followed and watched. but
did not fall when shot and he
that on the night of the shooting, his
wife was in bed. Brothers had taken
off his overalls but had his trousers
on. He said, ''The devil must have
got into me and came to the conclu-
sion that / would shoot him. He got
his revolver, a 32-calibre, that had
three shells in it; went down stairs
quietly and out of doors, where he re-
manned for ten or fifteen minutes,
and then came up on the porch in
tending to knock at the door to get
Merryman to come, but that he must
have made some noise. that Merryman
heard, for he came to the door. 1t was
dark, but he could see Merryman's S
form inside the door and fired one
shot at him, but does not know where
the ball went He then went inside
and fired the second shot, and Merry
man cried out, my God, my God, I'm
and they helped the old man up stairs
and laid him on their bed Merryman
did not fall when when shot and he
did not know that he was badly
wounded; saw blood on his hand aud
thought he had only wounded him in
the hand. After they got him to bed,
Merryman asked him to go for help
and let the sheriff know about the
shooting. Liz was afraid to stay
alone. She did not know that he had
fired the shots She went with him
and they went to Hardy's, and on the
way he threw away the revolver The
authorities do not believe his story
as to motive, and no one who knows
either Brothers or his wife'S reputa-
tion and mode of life can be expected
TO believe it. Merryman was about Is
years old, and lived alone on his
farm of about 200 acres, about 10
miles from Westminster.