The+North+Henderson+Murder

Original Author: Chris Brown, ENG299, FL10 Revision Author: On December 7, 1882, Ms. Peggy Carey submitted to the //Oquawka Spectator// the following account of a shooting that had taken place in North Henderson, IL earlier that week. North Henderson is located in Mercer County and is described as the first station north of Alexis on the railroad. The tale begins with two doctors involved in a family feud.
 * A North Henderson Murder **

law. Ms. Carey stated that as is typical in family feuds, the two men intensely hated one another. Dr. Stewart had reportedly been talking ill about his brother-in-law around the community. It had been reported to Dr. Brown that he had said some things that were detrimental to the “character and standing” of Dr. Brown as a citizen and a physician. Upon hearing the stories, Dr. Brown went to Dr. Stewart and demanded that he stop talking about him in public he would send him to the penitentiary. An argument ensued and soon both doctors were fighting which Dr. Stewart ended up badly injured. After this altercation, Dr. Stewart left the country and no one had seen him in North Henderson except for one time. Dr. Stewart had been to Monmouth to seek legal advice and to file papers that would require Dr. Brown to keep peace.

During that time, according to Ms. Carey’s account it was a Wednesday about 4 o’clock, Mrs. Stewart, the wife of Dr. Stewart, went to Dr. Brown’s kitchen alone. She knocked on the door and Dr. Brown assuming it was a patient, got up and went to the door. When he saw it was Mrs. Stewart, he said “Come in Lovey”. As he stepped to the table to light a lamp, Mrs. Stewart said “You have brought me to this.” She then drew a 32-calibar revolver and fired it at Dr. Brown shooting him in the back.

As soon as she was finished, Mrs. Stewart left and was tracked in the snow from Dr. Brown’s all the way back to her house. A carriage was waiting for her and her three children and was heading east from North Henderson. Telegrams were sent in all directions for her arrest. Dr. Stewart and his wife were arrested and were put in jail in Aledo, IL.

**Works Cited ** ILGenWeb Mercer County Illinois web site. 2010.  []

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