THE BROWN MURDER CASE-
DETAILS OF THE CRIME REVEALED BY EYE WITNESS-
EXCITEMENT IN THE COMMUNITY

Indianapolis Sentinel; May 13, 1879

Martinsville, May 13-- The grand jury convened this morning
and commenced examining the witnesses in the Brown murder
case. Willard Brown at first said he witnesses the murder
by standing on a chair in the hall and looking over the 
transom;that Mrs. Parrot had a cloth to his father's nose
and to his mother's nose, and that she put something on the
cloth from a small vial which she took from her pocket;
that Joe Greer took a monkey wrench and struck his father
and also his mother several heavy blows and supposing he
had killed them put his hand under the pillow and drew out
his father's pocket-book and handed it to Mrs. Parrot; that
he (the witness) secreted himself as Mrs. Parrot and Joe 
Greer passed out of the room. 
In telling his story again, Brown stated that he not only
witnessed the murder looking over the transom, but that he
also opened the door and looked in and saw them. Today he
tells much more than he has ever told heretofore. He now 
says he was a party to the conspiracy to murder his father
and mother and that he kept watch on outside to see that no
one came downstairs. He further states that there was 
another person engaged inthe murder who is not yet arrested.
He says the plan was laid three weeks before the killing took
place. Mr. Brown was murdered the night after the day on which
Merrick was hung. Mr. Brown had been at Indianapolis that day
to see the hanging. Mrs. Brown was thought to be fatally 
injured at the same time her husband was murdered, but she
has since recovered, and is now entirely well, but she knows
nothing about how it was accomplished. 
Willard Brown is not very bright, and has made many 
contradictory statements in the matter, but the people here
generally believe that the whole truth is now coming to light.
The town is filled with excited people, and the Brown murder
is the universal topic of conversation. Mrs. Parrot is about
33 years of age and rather good looking. Joe Green is about
25 years of age and has a rather pleasant face, is under 
the average size and sprightly in his movements. Willard
Brown will be 21 in August, has small, sinister looking eyes
and an evil appearance generally. An affidavit has also been 
filed against Willard and all the prisoners are closely 
guarded.

Submitted by Debbie Jennings