----- Original Message ----- From: Sharon To: MO-AR-WRV-L@rootsweb.com Sent: Friday, January 10, 2003 1:14 PM Subject: Bald Knobber Stories, Verifcation of Manes & Brown Shootings Finally, I have found verification of my granduncle John Wesley Manes, Jr's death by outlaw James Brown as was told to me by relatives!! I found the reference to it in the book 'Bald Knobbers, Vigilantes on the Ozarks Frontier" by Mary Hartman & Elmo Ingenthron, pgs 196 & 198. .........."an outlaw skulked into MO a step ahead of AR law officers. James Brown, who lived near Forsyth, was sought for robbing and burning a store at Lead Hill, AR. He crossed the stae line near Protem, where he broke into several houses & stole food & valuables. Sheriff McHaffie led a small search party to hunt for Brown at his grandfather's house near Taney City. On the morning of 20th Aug 1886, Brown heard them ride up & hid in a hollow a quarter mile north. The possee spread out to search the property. When 20 year old James (sic) Manusstarted down into the hollow, Brown shot him in the stomach. Manus fell to the ground, and Brown climbed the hill toward him. Reaching the wounded Manus, Brown said, "Well, I'v dot you, and I'll get the rest of them with your rifle." He grabbed for the deputy's Winchester. Although badly wounded, Manus held onto his gun & fired 5 shots. One bullet struck Brown in the left arm, and 2 more grazed his side. But the outlaw, his arm almost blown off, ran away!! Sheriff McHaffie summoned Dr. E. V. Baldwin to treat his dying officer. The angry sheriff beefed up his posse. All that day & thru the night, bet 50 & 10 armed men stalked the criminal. At around eiht the next morning, the hunters discovered that Brown had raided a farmer's springhouse for butter & other food. Abt a mile away, James Bunch and another searcher tracked Brown's bloody trailto a pile of brush at a fence corner. Afraid of Brown's gun, the pursuers yelled him name & ordered him to surrender. He rose & staggered away. Bunch fired, hitting Brown in the back, and the outlaw died in a patch of dogwood sprouts."........ "An hour later, James Manus also died of his wounds. The sheriff dismissed hid posse.....and "rode off toward Swan Creek. FOLLOW UP - Janice Soutee Looney told me that John had been mis-identified as James. From another cousin I was told that John Manes was taken to Chub Bennett's 2-story house which was nearbyand that he died there. Is that place still standing? Which family of Browns lived near Taney City? Where James Brown's grandparents lived? Does anyone know? I think I may be related to him also. Sharon in AZ texsam@cox.net