1898-99: Marion Brown Timeline

1898: Marion (Peg-leg) Brown
Timeline

Timeline for Marion Brown
1873	Marion Brown was born in San Saba, Texas. His alias name was Thomas Allen. He was a cowboy until his horse fell on his left leg, which broke it so badly that it had to be removed at his knee. He obtained a peg-leg, made of elm, to replace his missing leg. Brown then started to gamble and steal.
1892	While Marion Brown and his only brother where at a Chicago Race Course, his brother was shot and killed.
1898
May 6, 1898	Marion (or Maide) Brown was arrested for burglary in Temple, Texas, and he was placed in the jail at Taylor, Texas.
May 7, 1898	Brown was transferred to the Georgetown jail, in Texas, to serve his sentence.
June 7, 1898	Brown and three of the inmates escaped from the jail in Georgetown, Texas. Brown escaped by planning a sham fight with the other prisoners. When Mr. Basham, the jailor and deputy sheriff, stepped in to break up the fight Brown managed to secure his revolver and his watch. Brown left Mr. Basham in the jail cell and escaped. While breaking out of jail, Peg-leg Brown also killed a Marshall.
June 10, 1898	The police were in McGregor, Texas, searching for the escaped prisoners. A gun fight occurred, which supposedly injured Peg-leg Brown. In Gatesville, Texas, a sheriff spotted and attempted to capture Brown. The sheriff was riding a horse, and Brown was traveling by foot. Nevertheless, Brown got away by jumping onto a moving train. Although shots were fired, Brown still managed to escape.
June 24, 1898	Peg-leg Brown was seen in the boiler room, at the Port Huron and Sarnia tunnel, in Port Huron Michigan. Here, he was waiting to wash himself.
Noon	Brown was approached Mr. Boyd, the switchman, in Port Huron. William Young saw Peg-leg Brown jump into an empty box car on a freight train. The train was waiting to cross into Canada.
1:00 p.m.	Brown was seen on the Canadian side of the railroad tracks.
3:30 p.m.	A train left the Sarnia railroad station.
4:02 to 4:55 p.m.	Brown was noticed when the train stopped at Wyoming.
6:50 to 7:30 p.m.	Peg-leg Brown asked Mr. E. Rowe for a drink of water while the train was stopped in Strathroy.
8:30 p.m.	The train arrived at Richmond Street, in London, and someone again noticed Brown.
8:35 p.m.	Brown was then seen passing Wellington Street on the flatbed of a train. He got off the train at Waterloo Street and asked for both directions and train times. Brown was next seen walking from Waterloo Street.
8:50 to 9:00 p.m.	Mr. Ross confronted Brown at the Adelaide station, on the corner of York and Adelaide Streets, for walking across the privately owned tracks. Mr. Ross was then assaulted and knocked unconscious by Peg-leg Brown.
9:00 to 9:20 p.m.	Peg-leg Brown was next seen coming out of Hodgen’s field, located east of Adelaide on York Street. He was then seen walking at the corner of York and Rectory Streets. From this location, Brown walked north on Ontario Street. He continued to walk north on Ontario Street, past Queen’s to Elias Street. Peg-leg Brown was next seen at the corner Ontario and Elias Streets.
9:20 p.m.	Brown headed north towards the Canadian Pacific Railway, which was located just past the corner of Ontario and Elias Streets.
9:30 p.m.	Constable Toohey was shot twice near the corner of Ontario and Elias Streets. Brown was seen east of Quebec Street, where he turned off of the Railway tracks and onto the grass.
11:00 to 12:00 p.m.	Tracks from a peg-leg and a boot were found near Quebec Street.
June 25, 1898 8:30 p.m.	Brown was at the house of Mr. Prince, 1 mile from Hyde Park. He remained there for approximately 15 - 20 minutes while he ate some bread and butter. Brown told Mr. Prince that he got out of London because he was warned by the police that he might be arrested in connection with the murder of constable Toohey. Although Mr. Prince suspected that Brown was the murderer, he did not notify the police because he had been told that the murderer had already been caught.
June 26, 1898 afternoon	Brown was seen in Caradoc, on the 7^th Concession, looking for some food and a hat. He was given both of these by Mrs. Margaret McLellan.
7:30 p.m.	Brown obtained food in Strathroy at the home of Mrs. Mary Payne, in Adelaide Township.
June 27, 1898 4:00 p.m.	Brown took a drink of water at the farm of Mr. Cowan. He lived in Warwick Township, on lot 26, concession 4.
7:30 p.m.	Brown ate supper at the Campbell’s home, which was four and a half miles north from the Cowan’s house, on lot 22, concession 9 in Brooke. Brown told Mr. Campbell that he had come from Wyoming and was on his way to Hamilton. While he was eating, Constable Duncan Gillies came to the door and asked Mr. Campbell if he had seen anyone who resembled the description of Peg-leg Brown. Mr. Campbell told the officer that the suspect was in the house, but Brown had already taken off outside. Philip E. Fuller and John Shaw were with Constable Gillies. When Peg-leg Brown ran from the house, he held up his gun and told them that he’d only be taken dead. Mr. Fuller chased Peg-leg Brown, and shot at him. Peg-leg Brown warned Mr. Fuller that he had a better gun. He also gave him quite a scare, when a gunshot fired from Brown’s gun cut a hole through his shirt sleeve. Luckily, Mr. Fuller was unharmed. Brown escaped from the constables by shooting at them, entering Week’s Woods, and then heading towards Kerwood. The officers didn’t follow Brown into the Woods because they thought they could catch him on his way out.
June 28, 1898 After midnight	Brown was pursued through West Middlesex and Lambton County.
Morning	Peg-leg Brown stole a horse near Watford and headed towards Oil Springs. He reached the Michigan Central Railway, and then went back to Petrolia, which was approximately one mile away. In Petrolia, Brown let his horse go and then hid himself in the woods.
June 29, 1898 Evening	Brown was seen on the Sarnia train. Brown was later seen at the Petrolia Indian reserve, which was located near Bloomfield.
July 10, 1898	Brown was hiding in a swamp, located near Sarnia. A farmer named Mr. Henderson was searching for some stray cows when he came across two tramps. One of these tramps had a peg-leg, and Mr. Henderson believed this one was the murderer of Constable Toohey. The swamp began 1 ½ miles from the town of Sarnia, and ended at the lake front. Here, there was a string of freight cars that extended from Sarnia to Blackwell, a short distance east. Evidence was found that the two tramps Mr. Henderson noticed had been sleeping in these cars. This was the best information received by police officers since he was spotted in Watford.
July 22, 1898	Brown was seen around Baby’s Point in Wallaceburg.
Early September	Brown was in Butte, Montana attending the horse races.
September 24, 1898 Night	Brown was arrested by Officer A.L. Dilley, in a theatre in Yakima, Washington. He was arrested on the charge of selling liquor to Indians, although Officer Dilley had read about Brown in a police journal called "The Detective," and knew Brown was wanted in London. Brown spent 15 days in the Yakima jail. Peg-leg Brown was held in a large iron cage that was located at the center of the building; only the worst prisoners were kept in this area.
October 7, 1898	Brown is removed from the Yakima jail and taken to the jail in Seattle, Washington. (This was done because the officers were preparing to take Brown to Canada by the quickest route possible.)
October 8, 1898	Police officers take Brown from Seattle, Washington to Port Angeles, Washington. Brown is next brought to Victoria, British Columbia by a ship named the steamer Garland. When the ship arrives in Victoria, Brown is arrested for the murder of Constable Toohey. Brown is then moved from Victoria to New Westminster, British Columbia.
October 11, 1898	Brown and the officers depart from New Westminster, British Columbia on the Canadian Pacific Railway. They are heading towards London, Ontario.
October 14, 1898	Several hundred miles from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Brown tries to escape. He succeeds in breaking one of the links in his handcuffs, but the officers notice this before he can escape. Detective Nickle and Marshall Dilley were in charge of bringing Brown back to London. They took turns watching him so that he wouldn’t be able to escape while they were sleeping.
October 16, 1898	They switch trains in Toronto, Ontario, before their final stop in London.
8:00 p.m.	They arrive in London on the Canadian Pacific Railway. The train stopped at William Street, in the East end of London, and Detective Nickle, Marshall Dilley, and Brown got off. This was done in order to avoid the mob that had gathered at the Richmond Street train depot. Between 300 and 400 people had also gathered at the Adelaide Street stop, where they hoped to catch a glimpse of the notorious criminal. The mob that had gathered here saw the train stop at William Street, and rushed towards it anticipating their chance to see Brown. They were all disappointed when they reached the train, and realized that Brown had already been placed in a "hack," and was on his way to the jail.
10:00 to 11:00 p.m.	Brown was in the London jail at Dundas and Ridout Streets. The hack brought him to the jail from Carling Street, which was the back route, to avoid the crowds of spectators.
October 20, 1898 10:00 a.m.	Brown’s preliminary trial for the murder of constable Toohey begins. Brown is formally charged with murder and the trial date is set for March 22, 1899.
November 4, 1898	Marion Brown is formally committed for trial.
1898
March 22, 1899 10:00 a.m.	The trial of Marion Brown begins.
March 29, 1899	Brown is found guilty for the murder of Constable Toohey. He is sentenced to be hung on May 17,1899, between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m..
May 17,1899 8:00 a.m.	Marion Brown is hung on the scaffold in London.

* All information was taken from The Daily Free Press, between
June 25,1898 to March 30, 1899.

Researched and written by Karen Allen
Summer 1999

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