Omaha daily bee., 1922-06-01
I've Forgotten
Him. Says Wife
Of Manacle Man
Record Of Fred Brown Shows
He Possessed Character.
is,ics Of DR.. Jekyl aud
Mr.. Hyde.

Fred Brown. now the prey OF
Omaha and Lincoln city police,
Douglas aud Lancaster counties
shefifis' posses. and State Sheriff
Gus HyeFs' deputies. ~ the "manaele
man oi Benson" has had . eheekered
career.
As the hun, for him proceeds.
further details OF his life are brought
10 light revealing in him q sort OF
DR. Jekyll.Mr. Hyde character.
Fred Brown was married May Is.
1910 to Pearl Shanblin by Rev.
Charles w. Savidge. He gave his
age then as 2s: she as lS. They
since were divorced and Mrs. Brown
married Albert PLANT. weli.,o.do
famer. now living on q farm near
Florence.
Forgotten Him.
She has the custody OF her three
children. Chester. Marie and Fred. jr.
I've forgotten him. she said yes
ierday morning when questioned
concerning her first husband. II have
nothing to ssy,"
Following his marriage TO the
pretty little i8.year-old Pearl Shan.
bin in 1915. Brown started to buy
little home st Twcnty-sixth and
Blonde streets. He owned a team
worth $500 and hauled coal for
living. With his bride. he went to
church every Sunday. according to
Rev. Mr.. Ssvidse.
Returned to Prison.
Five months after his marriage,
however. as he was driving his coal
wagon past Twenty-fourth and Cum
ing streets. q former Iowa state
convict saw him. recognized him Is
a former fellow convict who had
violated his parole from the Iowa
prison where he had been serving a
term as a horse rustler.
He called q policeman who
dragged Brown down from his
wagon and Brown was returned to
the Iowa prison.
An Iowa prison worker named
Lampman. who had become interest
cd in Browns case. worked further
with the parole board until he sue
ceeded in getting Brown paroled to
Rev. Mr.. Savidge year later.
Parole Ends.
Brown protested to Mr.. Savidge
he never had stolen horsee and that
I:s :rrarcsS,Ssou ease, = Ufra,,aoo
He returned to Omaha and his FAM
lily, resumed his church going and
went to work for the Item Biscuit
company.
He lived an exemplary life, Mr..
Savidge said, until his parole period
was ended and the Iowa prison
authorities gave him \ clean record.
During this time Mr.. Savidge had
been making regular reporte on his
good behavior to the Iowa officials.
But in 1918, shortly after his pa
role period was over, Brown was
sent to the Nebraska state prison on
= charge Of breaking and entering.
Here hc became the model pris-
oner, resumed his church going to
such an extent his fellow eonviets
dubbed him "Pions Brown" and met
Louis Gregory, Christian Science
reader and reform worker.
Sued for Divorce.
After three efforts, Gregory Sc
cured parole for Brown on the
plea he wanted to give the kids .
chance"
But in 1920 Brown was sent up
again for. stealing an automobile,
and on December l. 1920, he was
sued for divorce by his wife in Doug
las county district court.
She claimed that when she married
him, he then was a fugitive from jus
tice, but that he had represented him
self to her as = man Of good reputa-
ton and clean habits.
When she filed for divorce she said
he was serving one to 10 years in the |
Nebraska penitentiary.
She alleged he became intoxicated,
beat her and niistreated her, and that
he was inclined to show affection for
other women.
She asked that the properties at
$3.50 North Thifty-i,inth street and
22l0 North Twenty-seventh street,
be turned over to her.
A decree was granted her April
5, 1921, in which she got the custody
Of their three children and $500
ziimony. The property was sold at
sheriff's sale to pay the aliniony.
Gregory made trip to Omaha in
an effort to get the wife to with
draw her divorce action, but she re-
fused.
Again he was paroled, came to
Omaha, visited his former wife,
wrote her letters, professed undying