Wilmington Morning News leat001.doc

Monday, June 13, 1904 10/19/98

Page 2

Special to the "Morning News."

SMYRNA, Del., June 12. - Charged with murder, Edward Brown, colored, was this morning arrested by Constable Jones of this place and taken to Dover jail where he will be held for trial. The arrest was made at 4:30 o’clock this morning and Brown was at once taken to Dover.

Brown is charged with the murder of James Lathum, a farm laborer employed by Dr. Clark living near Dulaney’s, Md. Lathum came to Smyrna yesterday and after drinking considerably went to Clayton where he wandered into the Bingham House stables where Brown was working. Lathum began to tease Brown who warned him to go away. Instead of this the man continued to annoy the negro.

Finally Brown picked up a pitchfork and hitting Lathum a severe blow over the head, fled. Dr. J. S. Cobb was summoned and worked with Lathum for more than an hour, but his skull had been fractured and he died.

The trouble occurred at 5:30 o’clock, but for some reason Constable Jones was not notified until 8:30 o’clock in the evening. By this time Brown had disappeared and no trace of him could be found. There was considerable feeling in both Smyrna and Clayton during the night and there was talk of organizing parties to search for the man who had struck the blow, but nothing came of it. Constable Jones kept up a search all night and early this morning was notified by George Brown, the brother of Edward Brown, who struck the fatal blow that his brother desired to surrender himself. The constable went with him and Edward Brown was taken into custody and then taken to Dover.

Brown claims that he acted in self-defense. He says that Lathum was annoying him and also struck him, and that he hit the man with a pitchfork in order to protect himself and he had no intention of killing him.

Lathum was a middle-aged man and leaves a wife and five small children. The body will be kept here until an inquest is held and Brown has been formally held on the charge of murder. The affair caused more than the usual excitement on account of the number of murders which have occurred lately in Kent County.