Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1921-12-29
San Antonio, Uvalde & Gulf Railroad,
which turned out to be a losing
lproposition.
Amalek Brooks Parole.


any other mother in Granite City Will
receive this year. is that of Mrs. John
Brennan Brooks, 2214 Bryan avenue,
whose son, Amalek, returned home
to her Saturday night after IA years
spent in the Missouri penitentiary at
Jefferson City. Mrs. Brooks, who
had married again, moved to this city
IL years ago. She now lis aged, but
bears. her years well.
Amalek, who, with his brother John
was sentenced to hang for a murder
in Iron County, Mo-, in 1907, and,
who later, had his sentence commute
ed to life imprisonment by former
Governor Joseph Folk, and, who fin
ally was paroled through the efforts
of former Senator Joseph R. Burton.
who at the time the two brothers
entered Jail, was a prisoner there al
so, was met with open arms by his
widowed mother as he marched up
the steps of the family home on Sat-
urday. And now real old fashion
ed Christmas celebration in COM
memoration of bis release, will be
held by the family circle.
Brooks is paroled to j. A. Davis OF
2124 Missouri avenue, this city.
The story of the arrest OF the
Brooks boys following the murder OF
man in their community, the trial,
the final conviction, their sentence to
death and the final parole of Amalek,
is one of great human interest. The
circumstances were as follows: &
The Brooks brothers, Amalek, 20,
and John, l8, we're quarrymen living
in Graniteville, Mo. They were un-
educated, trained to take care OF
themselves. In the old fashioned
quarry camp, that meant the ability
to survive brutal competition. Anal
elk was square .jawed man, power
fully built with massive shoulders.
The weight of his huge fists was
known to the camp. One man had
died after fracas in which Amalek's
bone e-crushing ''mauleys" played a
part.
His chief rival for physical honorrs
in the community was one Gus Meat.
But they had not tried out the issue.
1t was said among the men working
in the shafts that Mead and John
Clements were carrying guns for
Amalek. Trouble was expected.
One evening at dusk the Brooks
boys came up the railroad track.
Several men were sitting on the en-
bankment, but they did not see the
brothers until the latter were direct
ly behind them. One of those sitting
was Gus Mead, and shot gun lay
across his knees. AS Mead turned,
Amalek was upon him. They wrench
ed and strained fiercely for posses
sion Of the gun. Watching his chance,
John Brooks stepped in and wrested
it from them, saying, "Now have ii
out with your FISTS"
| Backward and forward over the
cross-ties the savage battle ragged,
until both men were bloody and bruis-
ed. Finally a sledgehammer blow o.
Amalek's thick red arm sent Meao
down to stay, and through his broker
teeth he muttered that he had ha6
tnuff". Nobody else seemed dis.
posed to question the outcome, SO the
Brooks boys started away, Johr
carrying Mead's shotgun.
"Where's John Clemens?" asked
Amalek, Nobody replied, but a mo-
ment later Clemens stepped out of {
sloon across the way, from which ht
had evidently watched the fight. APP
parently he had no desire to make
the acquaintance Of those Furnishing
fists. His revolver came out, and he
| fred quickly. Amalek fell with {
bullet over the heart.
i But the echo Of the pistols cracl
was drowned by the crashing repor
of the shotgun, and Clemens was deae
| upon the gaonnd before the smoking
weapon had left John Brooks shoul
4 der.
| The Brooks brothers made no trou
BILE about going to jail, Amalek wa
desperately wounded, but did not die
But the temper OF the communit,
was furiously hostile to them. Th'
women of the settlement, with primi
tive apprehension for the safety 0
their men, demanded to know VIII
was safe with such "man-killers" q
large. The Brooks boys were sons 0
a crippled widow. They had NJ
money to employ crafty and resource
ful counsel. They had no friends.
1t was a very brief trial, and tn
verdict was murder, with hanging a
) the punishment for both Of them
j They were returned to the count,
!. Jail at Ironton, to await execution.
Dnring this time another individua
3 had run afoul Of the law, under quit
4. -