STORY OF THE WASH BROWN MURDER AS TOLD BY HIS SON
WILLARD BROWN- AN EFFORT TO ADMIT THE ACCUSED
PARTIES TO BAIL

Indianapolis Sentinel; May 23, 1879

Today the court was engaged in hearing a motion to admit Mrs.
Lou Parrott and Joseph Greer to bail. The court room was 
crowded all day. The first witness examined was Willard Brown,
who gave a description of the premises where the murder was 
committed. Mrs. Parrott was dressed with scrupulous neatness
and care. Her little girl, a beautiful child, eight years old
was with her. Joe Greer was also neat in appearance. His wife
and father, Captain John E. Greer, were present with him. After
Willard had given a full description of the grounds and buildings
he described the murder as follows:
My father, Wash Brown was killed Wednesday night, January 29. One 
day as I was molding bullets for my gun, Mrs. Parrott asked me to
make molds to make counterfeit money; she said that she would tell
me how to make the molds. I tried it and they would mold the money
all right on one side, but would not on the other. The molds were
cut in stone. We tried them with a half dollar and with lead. She
then proposed to me to kill father and mother. This was about three
weeks before the murder. About three nights after the first talk I 
saw Joe Greer riding near the house. On Tuesday, the day father
went to Indianapolis, Joe Greer came to our house. I saw him and Lou
talking together. He asked me to help them kill father and mother.
He said we would make money by it. He said for me to watch the 
stairway. This was about 1 o'clock in the afternoon at our front 
gate. Joe Greer was sitting on his horse and Lou Parrott was
standing just inside of the gate. On Wednesday I came to town. I was
in town the Monday before.That day Mrs. Parrott told me to hurry
back, she had something to tell me but she never told me what it was.
Father was with me that day. I think he drew some money in town. Mr.
J.R. Long went home with us. It was dusk when we got home. "Rat"
Long staid at our house that night. Tuesday was the first time I saw
Joe Greer in the neighborhood. I heard some talk that he was there on
Sunday. I understood he then lived on Mud Creek in this county. He
is my brother-in-law. He married my sister, Belle. Last fall, a year
ago, Joe Greer and my father fell out about some wheat and had a fight
and never made up afterward. Father went to Indianapolis with my 
brother, Jim and Cassius. On Wednesday I got back home from Martins-
ville about dusk. Lou and her girl and grandmother and mother and my
brother Joe were there. Cassius went to Indianapolis with father. My
brother Jim took up a load of wheat. They all went up together, 
Father was horseback and came home about 9 or 10 o'cock that night.
As I went out to get a drink at the well I saw Joe Greer and Lyman
Greer. They started to run, but saw who I was and stopped. They 
asked me if I was going in with them. They said I had better. They
said they would go up to the schoolhouse. Father came home in about
half an hour. Jim and Cassius came in soon and put up the mules.
Cassius went in the house and Jim went home. My brother Joe came in. 
Father had a paper and read and talked awhile about Merrick being 
hung that day. Father went to bed. I hid under the stairway until my
brother went to bed. That left no one up but Lou Parrott. She was
sitting in the room, sewing on the sewing machine. I got upon a chair
and watched her over the transom about 10 minutes. She went into the
kitchen- I stepped out of the way.She was gone about 5 minutes and
came back with a rag which she put to mother's nose and then 
father's nose. She wet it out of a vial and put it to their noses
again. Then she stepped to the door and she and Joe Greer came in
together. He had a monkey wrench in his hand. They went into the
room and Lou took mother by the throat and Joe Greer struck father
seven times and mother four times and then ran his hands under
father's pillow and got father's pocketbook and gave it to Mrs.
Parrott.The passed out into the kitchen. I had opened the door a 
little, and could see them. When they left the table in the kitchen
they opened the door and went out on the porch. I then went upstairs
to my room. I took off my pants and laid down on the bed. Lou came
upstairs and went to her room. About a half hour after that mother 
hallowed for my brother Joe, then for me. I went down. Mrs. Parrott's
lamp was still burning. My brother Joe went down with me. Mother
said, "See what is the matter with pa; I can not wake him".
The lamp was still burning in the room. Lou was the last to get there.
I went back to my room and put on my pants, and went to Jim Brown's
and to some of the neighbors' and told them what had happened and 
also rang the bell.Saw Joe Greer the day before the funeral at our
house. I saw that monkey wrench just a short time before the murder.
I used it to grease the wagon. Joe Greer went after his wife the day 
after the murder and brought her to our house that night. Mrs.
Parrott had lived away for about three years. Her and mother had 
quarrels and could not get along together. When she came back she
came from Joe Greer's where she had been for several months.
The next day after the murder Lou offered me $10. and I would not
take it. When she came to our house she had no money. I gave her
enough to buy a stamp for a letter which I think she said was to
go to Joe Greer, I cannot read or write. When the coroner's jury
was at our house she told me to tell Frank Greenwood to come to
the house. He came and she told him the jury was doing no good and
he had no business on the jury. I asked Frank to go into a room 
and talk to her. I never saw Lou and Lyman Greer talking together.
When I came down to the grand jury Lou told me to go and talk to 
Parks and Jordan before I went before the grand jury I told her I
would not do anything of the kind. Mr. Parks did have a talk with 
me before I went before the grand jury.
The witness was cross-examined at great length, but adhered to
his story in all essential particulars throughout. He is not over
bright mentally and yet it is difficult to understand how a son
not himself an active and willing participant in the crime could
stand cooly and stolidly by and see his father and mother the 
subjects of such a brutally murderous assault. The case is still 
on.

Submitted by Debbie Jennings