Page 25 - 2007 DT 12 Issues

I n T h i s I s s u e !

Featured Article
Bravura and Bravado.......................1
Special
New Director..................................3
Gass Peak........................................7
Departments
News & Notes.................................2
April 2007 Programs & Hikes...........................4
Desk Schedule...............................6
Bulletin Board................................8

Bravura and Bravado did. With either a knife or a gun he Brown heard that a man was to be
was a bloodthirsty killer. He needed tried for murder in Genoa and boasted
no excuse to kill. His first victim that he would go to the court and
by H. Dan Wray
was a total stranger. Brown picked give testimony that would clear the
a quarrel with him and went berserk accused. As good as his word, Brown
n the course of its history Nevada
has had more than its fair share slashing and stabbing his victim to duly swaggered into the court room,
Iof desperados. death. Legend has it that Brown then at which point people dived for cover
Some of them, highway men, calmly lay down next to the body and in full expectation that Brown would
were looked upon almost kindly and went to sleep. free the accused by shooting up the
courtroom rather than testifying.
regarded more as re-distributors of
wealth than robbers. Unfortunately, Brown was in the
Some of them, such as Langford wrong place at the wrong time, and
“Farmer” Peel, had a terrifying before he could draw his gun, found
himself looking straight down the
reputation, yet had a soft side. One barrels of two Colt revolvers calmly
of Mark Twain’s colleagues, William
Wright, who wrote under the nom de directed at him by Senator William M.
plume of de Quille, wrote an article Stewart, who was helping prosecute
to which Peel took exception. It says the case. Brown’s bravado vanished
in an instant.
something for the courage of the Still with Brown in his sights,
reporter that he chose to seek out
Peel and confronted him. Peel was Stewart taxed him with his boast and
obviously impressed by Wright’s made him take the witness stand.
courage and instead of killing him, Stewart was in no mood to play around
and told Brown that he had better
as everyone expected, sat down not try any gun play and had better
with him for a drink and said that he
had re-read the article and found it not lie to the court. Stewart prom-
largely accurate. On another occasion Brown ised to blow his brains out if he did.
One person who struck terror invited another stranger to have Under cross examination, and still in
into all with whom he came into a drink with him and when the Stewart’s sights, Brown admitted that
contact and who seemed to have no stranger refused—saying that he the accused had a bad reputation and,
redeeming aspects to his character didn’t drink—Brown simply shot contrary to giving evidence which
was “Fighting” Sam Brown. Brown him. Given his reputation, no one freed the accused, he made a good case
was a big ugly man with unruly, was anxious to confront him and he for the prosecution.
sandy hair and an even more unruly went around drunkenly and openly Not accustomed to having
beard, which he tied up to keep it in boasting of his killings. witnesses give evidence against his
check. If his appearance didn’t strike It is not, however, for his sixteen clients while looking down a gun
fear into his victims, his reputation killings that he is mainly known.
Bravura, continued on page 6