The Toccoa Record
April 28, 1921,
Hugh Brown Killed By Son
Mr. Hugh Brown, a well-known citizen of the Ayersville section, was shot and instantly killed about 9:30 o'clock, Sunday night, by his young son, Bunjo, aged about 11 years.
The sad affair occurred when Mr. Brown was preparing to retire for the night. It is alleged that a quarrel had been in progress between Brown and his wife, the latter haven been driven from the house. The boy is said to have become incensed at the action of his father, and procuring a shot-gun, shot him in the back.
A coroner's inquest was held Monday, when a verdict in accordance with the above version of the tragedy was rendered. The boy was placed under bond for the appearance at next term of court.
Mr. Brown was about 48 years of age. His funeral was held Monday evening, interment being at Mt. Pleasant cemetery, near Mt. Airy.
- - -
A story written by Cora Ledbetter entitled "Screams":
One morning we were sitting around the fireplace listening to stories told by our parents. All of a sudden we heard blood curdling screams. On listening, we decided it was at our neighbor's house, one quarter mile up the road.
Against my Mother's wishes, my Father went running to find out what the trouble was. When he turned off the road, he spied the neighbor running down the hill from the house. Just as he reached the crossing of Rushy Branch - which must be forded, he met the man dragging his wife by her long hair right through the branch and her screaming for dear life. Papa said "Hey, what's going on here?" The neighbor looked sheepishly and let go her hair. He had had a few drinks and was in a killing mood. The wife went back to the house and picked up her baby and walked a mile to her Mother's house. In the meantime, her husband went back to the house and slept off his drunkenness.
After much persuasion, the wife came back home to live a hard fearful life.
On one occasion, the family was lined up against the wall, all around the room. There were five boys by a previous marriage and two small children by the second. He got out his pistol and started shooting. He told them they would all be killed. Each time around he would shoot between the heads which was his intention, not to kill, but to scare.
After many years of drinking and abusing his family, the oldest boy by the second marriage was ten years old. He had seen his Mother and other members abused. Now was the time to draw. He shot his Father through the kitchen window, and killed him dead. This ended many tragic episodes.
- - -
Hugh was very abusive to his family. After Talitha died, he married Betsy Fricks and lived at the 'Hugh Brown House place on Rushie Branch. At this site is a bowl that prisoners made in the rock of the spring/branch when the area was used as a prison. Hugh Brown was a guard at the prison and when it closed he moved into the house. One day he played cards in the barn across the branch (probably sampling the output of the nearby still) and when he returned and was sitting in a chair holding a baby, two sons came in. One turned on the light (carbide light) and the other by the name of Bunjo shot Hugh in the back through the chair. The bullet did go through Hugh but the baby was not hurt. After questioning by several men of the area, Bunjo admitted to this, and spent 2 nights in jail. At the funeral for Hugh he was told to look at the body but he always said he did not look. Bunjo served no more time in jail for the deed and he is thought to be still alive in a nursing home today (Jan. 2000).
Note by Jim Winsness: Gertrude Brown had always said her father, Wm. P. Brown felt that Bunjo did not do the shooting but that Betsy Fricks' brothers did and that Bunjo admitted to the shooting because they felt he would not get any prison time. However, we located a grandson of Bunjo and asked him for his opinion. Bunjo's grandson said that Bunjo himself told him that he had killed Hugh thus ending the speculation.
April 28, 1921,
Hugh Brown Killed By Son
Mr. Hugh Brown, a well-known citizen of the Ayersville section, was shot and instantly killed about 9:30 o'clock, Sunday night, by his young son, Bunjo, aged about 11 years.
The sad affair occurred when Mr. Brown was preparing to retire for the night. It is alleged that a quarrel had been in progress between Brown and his wife, the latter haven been driven from the house. The boy is said to have become incensed at the action of his father, and procuring a shot-gun, shot him in the back.
A coroner's inquest was held Monday, when a verdict in accordance with the above version of the tragedy was rendered. The boy was placed under bond for the appearance at next term of court.
Mr. Brown was about 48 years of age. His funeral was held Monday evening, interment being at Mt. Pleasant cemetery, near Mt. Airy.
- - -
A story written by Cora Ledbetter entitled "Screams":
One morning we were sitting around the fireplace listening to stories told by our parents. All of a sudden we heard blood curdling screams. On listening, we decided it was at our neighbor's house, one quarter mile up the road.
Against my Mother's wishes, my Father went running to find out what the trouble was. When he turned off the road, he spied the neighbor running down the hill from the house. Just as he reached the crossing of Rushy Branch - which must be forded, he met the man dragging his wife by her long hair right through the branch and her screaming for dear life. Papa said "Hey, what's going on here?" The neighbor looked sheepishly and let go her hair. He had had a few drinks and was in a killing mood. The wife went back to the house and picked up her baby and walked a mile to her Mother's house. In the meantime, her husband went back to the house and slept off his drunkenness.
After much persuasion, the wife came back home to live a hard fearful life.
On one occasion, the family was lined up against the wall, all around the room. There were five boys by a previous marriage and two small children by the second. He got out his pistol and started shooting. He told them they would all be killed. Each time around he would shoot between the heads which was his intention, not to kill, but to scare.
After many years of drinking and abusing his family, the oldest boy by the second marriage was ten years old. He had seen his Mother and other members abused. Now was the time to draw. He shot his Father through the kitchen window, and killed him dead. This ended many tragic episodes.
- - -
Hugh was very abusive to his family. After Talitha died, he married Betsy Fricks and lived at the 'Hugh Brown House place on Rushie Branch. At this site is a bowl that prisoners made in the rock of the spring/branch when the area was used as a prison. Hugh Brown was a guard at the prison and when it closed he moved into the house. One day he played cards in the barn across the branch (probably sampling the output of the nearby still) and when he returned and was sitting in a chair holding a baby, two sons came in. One turned on the light (carbide light) and the other by the name of Bunjo shot Hugh in the back through the chair. The bullet did go through Hugh but the baby was not hurt. After questioning by several men of the area, Bunjo admitted to this, and spent 2 nights in jail. At the funeral for Hugh he was told to look at the body but he always said he did not look. Bunjo served no more time in jail for the deed and he is thought to be still alive in a nursing home today (Jan. 2000).
Note by Jim Winsness: Gertrude Brown had always said her father, Wm. P. Brown felt that Bunjo did not do the shooting but that Betsy Fricks' brothers did and that Bunjo admitted to the shooting because they felt he would not get any prison time. However, we located a grandson of Bunjo and asked him for his opinion. Bunjo's grandson said that Bunjo himself told him that he had killed Hugh thus ending the speculation.
The Toccoa Record
April 28, 1921,
Hugh Brown Killed By Son
Mr. Hugh Brown, a well-known citizen of the Ayersville section, was shot and instantly killed about 9:30 o'clock, Sunday night, by his young son, Bunjo, aged about 11 years.
The sad affair occurred when Mr. Brown was preparing to retire for the night. It is alleged that a quarrel had been in progress between Brown and his wife, the latter haven been driven from the house. The boy is said to have become incensed at the action of his father, and procuring a shot-gun, shot him in the back.
A coroner's inquest was held Monday, when a verdict in accordance with the above version of the tragedy was rendered. The boy was placed under bond for the appearance at next term of court.
Mr. Brown was about 48 years of age. His funeral was held Monday evening, interment being at Mt. Pleasant cemetery, near Mt. Airy.
- - -
A story written by Cora Ledbetter entitled "Screams":
One morning we were sitting around the fireplace listening to stories told by our parents. All of a sudden we heard blood curdling screams. On listening, we decided it was at our neighbor's house, one quarter mile up the road.
Against my Mother's wishes, my Father went running to find out what the trouble was. When he turned off the road, he spied the neighbor running down the hill from the house. Just as he reached the crossing of Rushy Branch - which must be forded, he met the man dragging his wife by her long hair right through the branch and her screaming for dear life. Papa said "Hey, what's going on here?" The neighbor looked sheepishly and let go her hair. He had had a few drinks and was in a killing mood. The wife went back to the house and picked up her baby and walked a mile to her Mother's house. In the meantime, her husband went back to the house and slept off his drunkenness.
After much persuasion, the wife came back home to live a hard fearful life.
On one occasion, the family was lined up against the wall, all around the room. There were five boys by a previous marriage and two small children by the second. He got out his pistol and started shooting. He told them they would all be killed. Each time around he would shoot between the heads which was his intention, not to kill, but to scare.
After many years of drinking and abusing his family, the oldest boy by the second marriage was ten years old. He had seen his Mother and other members abused. Now was the time to draw. He shot his Father through the kitchen window, and killed him dead. This ended many tragic episodes.
- - -
Hugh was very abusive to his family. After Talitha died, he married Betsy Fricks and lived at the 'Hugh Brown House place on Rushie Branch. At this site is a bowl that prisoners made in the rock of the spring/branch when the area was used as a prison. Hugh Brown was a guard at the prison and when it closed he moved into the house. One day he played cards in the barn across the branch (probably sampling the output of the nearby still) and when he returned and was sitting in a chair holding a baby, two sons came in. One turned on the light (carbide light) and the other by the name of Bunjo shot Hugh in the back through the chair. The bullet did go through Hugh but the baby was not hurt. After questioning by several men of the area, Bunjo admitted to this, and spent 2 nights in jail. At the funeral for Hugh he was told to look at the body but he always said he did not look. Bunjo served no more time in jail for the deed and he is thought to be still alive in a nursing home today (Jan. 2000).
Note by Jim Winsness: Gertrude Brown had always said her father, Wm. P. Brown felt that Bunjo did not do the shooting but that Betsy Fricks' brothers did and that Bunjo admitted to the shooting because they felt he would not get any prison time. However, we located a grandson of Bunjo and asked him for his opinion. Bunjo's grandson said that Bunjo himself told him that he had killed Hugh thus ending the speculation.
April 28, 1921,
Hugh Brown Killed By Son
Mr. Hugh Brown, a well-known citizen of the Ayersville section, was shot and instantly killed about 9:30 o'clock, Sunday night, by his young son, Bunjo, aged about 11 years.
The sad affair occurred when Mr. Brown was preparing to retire for the night. It is alleged that a quarrel had been in progress between Brown and his wife, the latter haven been driven from the house. The boy is said to have become incensed at the action of his father, and procuring a shot-gun, shot him in the back.
A coroner's inquest was held Monday, when a verdict in accordance with the above version of the tragedy was rendered. The boy was placed under bond for the appearance at next term of court.
Mr. Brown was about 48 years of age. His funeral was held Monday evening, interment being at Mt. Pleasant cemetery, near Mt. Airy.
- - -
A story written by Cora Ledbetter entitled "Screams":
One morning we were sitting around the fireplace listening to stories told by our parents. All of a sudden we heard blood curdling screams. On listening, we decided it was at our neighbor's house, one quarter mile up the road.
Against my Mother's wishes, my Father went running to find out what the trouble was. When he turned off the road, he spied the neighbor running down the hill from the house. Just as he reached the crossing of Rushy Branch - which must be forded, he met the man dragging his wife by her long hair right through the branch and her screaming for dear life. Papa said "Hey, what's going on here?" The neighbor looked sheepishly and let go her hair. He had had a few drinks and was in a killing mood. The wife went back to the house and picked up her baby and walked a mile to her Mother's house. In the meantime, her husband went back to the house and slept off his drunkenness.
After much persuasion, the wife came back home to live a hard fearful life.
On one occasion, the family was lined up against the wall, all around the room. There were five boys by a previous marriage and two small children by the second. He got out his pistol and started shooting. He told them they would all be killed. Each time around he would shoot between the heads which was his intention, not to kill, but to scare.
After many years of drinking and abusing his family, the oldest boy by the second marriage was ten years old. He had seen his Mother and other members abused. Now was the time to draw. He shot his Father through the kitchen window, and killed him dead. This ended many tragic episodes.
- - -
Hugh was very abusive to his family. After Talitha died, he married Betsy Fricks and lived at the 'Hugh Brown House place on Rushie Branch. At this site is a bowl that prisoners made in the rock of the spring/branch when the area was used as a prison. Hugh Brown was a guard at the prison and when it closed he moved into the house. One day he played cards in the barn across the branch (probably sampling the output of the nearby still) and when he returned and was sitting in a chair holding a baby, two sons came in. One turned on the light (carbide light) and the other by the name of Bunjo shot Hugh in the back through the chair. The bullet did go through Hugh but the baby was not hurt. After questioning by several men of the area, Bunjo admitted to this, and spent 2 nights in jail. At the funeral for Hugh he was told to look at the body but he always said he did not look. Bunjo served no more time in jail for the deed and he is thought to be still alive in a nursing home today (Jan. 2000).
Note by Jim Winsness: Gertrude Brown had always said her father, Wm. P. Brown felt that Bunjo did not do the shooting but that Betsy Fricks' brothers did and that Bunjo admitted to the shooting because they felt he would not get any prison time. However, we located a grandson of Bunjo and asked him for his opinion. Bunjo's grandson said that Bunjo himself told him that he had killed Hugh thus ending the speculation.
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