Andrew J. and George W. Brown, Jr. - Denton, TX
N 33° 12.684 W 097° 07.390
14S E 674919 N 3676292
Andrew J. Brown and his brother, George W. Brown, Jr., both danced at the end of a rope on November 21, 1879, with "Executed" noted on their headstones in Denton's historic Oakwood Cemetery.
Waymark Code: WMXV7W
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 02/28/2018
Views: 2
Edmond F. Bates's "History and Reminiscences of Denton County" was printed in 1918, and yet, a hundred years later, it remains a valuable historical resource for those of us who live in Denton County. He provides some background on page 147 in the section, "There have been three legal executions for murder in Denton County."
Interestingly, the Browns committed their murders some distance from here in Montague County. They were apparently members of some kind of secret society, "The Law and Order League", who, in their attempts to "help" law enforcement, resorted to vigilantism. There is no indication as to what crimes their victims -- Robert Morrow and one Dr. McLain -- had committed to warrant execution, but on May 10, 1876, they were murdered by the Browns and their associates. Witnesses observed the McClain murder, and the Browns were caught.
Because of the nature of the crimes and the subsequent furor, the trials were moved to Denton, and in March of 1878, both men were found guilty and sentenced to death. The appeal process ran its course, and on November 21, 1879, the two prepared for their execution. Beforehand, Andrew spoke -- his brother remained silent -- and he claimed that he was no more guilty than others who were still at large. They were hanged in front of a crowd of about seven thousand people, north of the Denton County courthouse; Andrew strangled to death in eleven minutes, while George, his neck broken, died in nine.
Both men are buried side by side in Oakwood Cemetery, their graves marked by small sandstone headstones. While one can still make out a bit of "Geo. W. Brown" at the top of the headstone, time and the elements have wiped out "Executed" and the relevant dates. However, the inscription is still very legible on his brother's headstone:
And. J. Brown
Born June 17 1854
Executed
Nov. 21, 1879
Type of Death Listed: Corporal Punishment (hanging, firing squad, etc.)
Website (if available): [Web Link]
Cause of death inscription on headstone: Not listed
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