Glynn County GaArchives Obituaries.....BROWN, Mr. (Benjamin Or Edwin?) April 30, 1901
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Amy Hedrick http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00013.html#0003209 June 3, 2007, 6:09 pm

The Brunswick Times-Call; Thursday 2 May 1901; pg. 1 col. 6

WHITE MAN KILLED BY BLOW FROM A NEGRO—Fatal Difficulty Near Bladen Tuesday 
Night—NEGRO IS STILL AT LARGE—The Dead Man Was a Brother to Mrs. Joseph 
Lasserre of This City

At Owens’ store, four miles from Bladen on the F.C. and P. railroad Tuesday 
night, Mr. Brown, brother of Mrs. Joseph Lasserre, of this city, was brained 
by a negro and the murderer is still at large.

Mr. Brown clerks in the store and when he refused the negro credit it was the 
sign for a fuss.  After abusing Mr. Brown considerably he showed fight and 
reaching for a scantling he struck him in the head scattering his brains for 
many yards around.

As soon as he committed the terrible crime the negro made good his escape and 
up to the present has not been captured.

The murdered man was formerly from Camden county.  He has visited Brunswick on 
several occasions and had many friends here who will be grieved to hear of the 
terrible affair.



The Brunswick Times-Call; Friday 3 May 1901; pg. 1 col. 2

MURDERER OF BROWN GIVES UP TO SHERIFF—An Old Negro Surrenders to Authorities—
TELLS A PECULIAR STORY—Says He Never Struck Mr. Brown With Scantling, But Only 
a Blow With His Fist

There is in the murderer’s cell of the Glynn county jail at present an old-
time-Georgia darkey, who says he is 63 years old, but from all appearances, he 
is not a day less than 80.

And this old negro is on a very serious charge, one that may cost him his 
life, but he does not seem to realize what he has done.

This old negro, Charley Harvey by name, is the man who murdered Mr. Brown at 
Owens’ store, near Bladen, on last Tuesday night, a full account of which 
appeared in yesterday’s TIMES-CALL.  Harvey was not seen after the murder was 
committed until yesterday morning, when he came to Brunswick and surrendered 
to Sheriff Berrie.

A representative of the TIMES-CALL went to the jail to see the old negro, and 
he was found asleep in his cell, and it took several good knocks on the iron 
door to awake him from his slumbers.  The reporter told the old-timer that he 
wanted an honest account of how the killing occurred, and he started off:

“Well, boss, I never did think dat I would be behind dese bars for killin’ a 
white man, but I is, I spose,” said Harvey, and then he went on to tell his 
story, which, in substance, was as follows:

Mr. Brown was employed as a clerk in Mr. Owens’ store, and the negro was also 
employed by Mr. Owens at his residence.  He wanted some whiskey, and says that 
Mr. Owens told him to go to the store and get it, but Mr. Brown refused to let 
the darkey have it without the money, and a quarrel was the result.  According 
to the negro’s statement, he was followed out of the store by Mr. Brown, and 
was struck across the head twice by him with a piece of wood, although he 
showed no signs of any blows.  The negro says that he then picked up a piece 
of scantling, but that Brown took it away from him, and he hit him (Brown) 
with his fist just above the right ear, and that he fell to the ground, his 
head hitting heavily on the hard ground, “and if he am dead, boss, dat is jes 
what kilt him,” said the negro.  Harvey said that he then left the scene of 
the difficulty and as soon as he was informed that Mr. Brown was dead, he 
started to Brunswick to surrender to the sheriff, and rented a boat to com 
over from Fancy Bluff.  He reached the city about 10:30 o’clock yesterday 
morning, went directly to the jail, and told the above story.

So far, we have heard of no eye witnesses to the killing, and it is, 
therefore, impossible to give Brown’s side of the case.  The negro said that 
there were two people who saw it all, but if it is true, they have not let it 
be known.


Additional Comments:

More Glynn County Genealogy & History can be found at www.glynngen.com or the 
sister site at www.rootsweb.com/~gaglynn/ 


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