Joe Brown - by David Armstrong http://swcp.com/~dhickman/journals/V5I2/brown.html Gloria Jean (Powers) Husk 114 Arizona Street Carrabelle, Fl. 32322 http://www.gloryway.com Love Always:Glory's Way : http://www.lovealwaysglorysway.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "PAT SALETORE" <psaletore@prodigy.net> To: <WVRANDOL-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, February 03, 2002 10:07 PM Subject: Re: [WVRANDOL-L] Joe Brown--for Robin K. or open question I have copies of at least some of the articles. He was born in Tazwell and all that running to and fro was before they put him in jail the first time. He got out and came to Whitmer. From what I have read, however, he was far from being an upstanding citizen. But he has his supporters (and had them then too) He is accused of shooting up the town with a gun in each hand... but what it looks like was that he was probably ok as long as he was sober. I think he was a mean drunk. I've heard portraits of him as a good man...he married a local girl and she seemed to think he was all right. Her family thought a lot of him. I guess he was an organizer with the labor types in the lumber business. Some have said that his colorful exploits were largely invented by the lumber management. I have to wonder. I tend to think that he would on occasion take more than a few, pick fights, and endanger the townfolk. I don't think they would have lynched him if they didn't consider him a danger. Inquiring minds want to know, though. What was the deal? was he hung from a pole like the papers said or from a rope between buildings as I have heard suggested in my family? looking at the photos (which all of the western Jordans have, by the way) there is no pole visible. and you can see almost to the highest point of the rope...there isn't a big angle. I am inclined to believe it was a rope or a cable between poles or buildings. The papers are hardly reliable and obviously biased. They paint Joe as a dangerous criminal and the the people that hung him as dangerous criminals and the people who just wouldn't talk about it...well they're just as bad. Everyone loses. But I am not sure that I believe them verbatim. What we're looking for is oral accounts. It isn't like no one KNEW. They ALL knew. But none of my folks were talking. Pat Pat Saletore psaletore@prodigy.net psaletore@abilityfirst.org Santa Clarita, CA ----- Original Message ----- From: Neil <sprtpr@neo.rr.com> To: <WVRANDOL-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, February 03, 2002 6:47 PM Subject: Re: [WVRANDOL-L] Joe Brown--for Robin K. or open question > At the moment I can't find the newspaper articles i have on the subject but > I will relay them when I find them. I do recall that Joe Brown was > "shooting his pistols in the air", and shot the unarmed Sheriff, when he > attempted to arrest him. He was arrested later at a lumber camp, but > escaped. As I recall he was apprehended in Michigan and extradited back to > Whitmer. That's when he was lynched. There was even a picture of his body > swinging from the light pole in the paper at the time. My Great > Grandfather--Andrew Hedrick was the JOP. > > > > > > > At 06:24 PM 02/03/2002 -0800, you wrote: > >Neil...what else do you know about the incident? Did your grandfather tell > >you the story? Who was the JOP? > >Do tell! there are lots of us interested > >Pat Saletore > >psaletore@prodigy.net > >psaletore@abilityfirst.org > >Santa Clarita, CA > >----- Original Message ----- > >From: Neil <sprtpr@neo.rr.com> > >To: <WVRANDOL-L@rootsweb.com> > >Sent: Sunday, February 03, 2002 6:13 PM > >Subject: Re: [WVRANDOL-L] Joe Brown--for Robin K. or open question > > > > > > > This account is not accurate.. He was arrested after shooting the > >sheriff. > > > He was the town bully. He escaped and returned a year later. That's when > > > he was lynched. Yes he was hanged from a town light pole There is a lot > > > more to the story.......do the research.......... > > > > > > The Whitmer's Justice of the Peace's Great Grandson....... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > At 11:42 PM 02/02/2002 -0500, you wrote: > > > >Joe Brown was a drifter. I think people were giving him a hard time. He > >was > > > >in the saloon and a fight broke out and he shot his gun and it grazed the > > > >Sherrifs ear. It didnt hurt the sheriff at all. > > > > > > > >They sent a posse out looking for him, found him, and hung him in the > >middle > > > >of town. It was a very violent hanging and one that did not have to > >happen. > > > > > > > > > > > >My Great Grandmother told me she was on the way to the store to get a > >loaf of > > > >bread and she saw what was happening and she got so scared she swallowed > >the > > > >dime and ran home! > > > > > > > >He is buried in the graveyard where my relatives are buried. > > > > > > > > > > > >==== WVRANDOL Mailing List ==== > > > >Post that query on the list. > > > >You never know, someone may be able to help you. > > > > > > > > > > > >============================== > > > >To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, > > > >go to: > > > >http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > > > > > > > > > > > > ==== WVRANDOL Mailing List ==== > > > Give someone some help and they may help you. > > > > > > > > > ============================== > > > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, > >go to: > > > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > > > > > > > > >==== WVRANDOL Mailing List ==== > >Check out the West Virginia Roots Network at: > >http://miadatlantic.rootsweb.com/WV/ > > > > > >============================== > >To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, > >go to: > >http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > > > > ==== WVRANDOL Mailing List ==== > Give someone some help and they may help you. > > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > ==== WVRANDOL Mailing List ==== Check out the Randolph County USGW site at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~wvrandol/ ============================== To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237