Henry Newton Brown - Outlaw To Lawman

Outlaw To Lawman

In the fall of that year, Brown, Billy the Kid, and a few of the remaining Regulators trailed a herd of rustled horses to the little town of Tascosa in the Texas Panhandle. After the horses were sold the Regulators returned to their old haunts, but Brown, named in two murder warrants in the state of New Mexico, wisely remained in Texas where he eventually became a lawman. It has not been established whether he was a deputy sheriff of Oldham County, Texas; Marshal of Tascosa or a constable. He had a quick temper and was quickly dismissed because he "was always wanting to fight and get his mane up."

Brown thereafter drifted through the (Oklahoma) Indian Territory and into Kansas, working on ranches. In July, 1882, when about 25 years old, he settled in Caldwell, Kansas—a rough cattle town comparable to Dodge City and Abilene—where he was first appointed Assistant Marshal of the city; then promoted to marshal about five months later. The Chisholm Trail met the Santa Fe tracks in Caldwell and as the terminus of the trail, it had a long history of violence. Brown, an outlaw turned lawman, and Ben Wheeler, who had been a former Texas lawman turned outlaw, joined forces (with Wheeler as Assistant Marshal) and effectively cleaned up the town.

Brown was described by contemporaries as a "very much undersize" man who didn't smoke, drink, chew, or gamble, and was noted to be in regular attendance at the Methodist Church. Said to be "exceedingly modest and, in fact, bashful," he displayed an introvert presence but "gained the entire confidence of the people . . . and . . . conducted himself in such a manner that the doors of society were always open to him."

But, “he had a square set jaw, not unlike that of a bull dog" and "his face indicated firmness and a lack of physical fear.” “His words were few and parted with reluctantly,” and when duty called, Brown’s demeanor changed immediately. He was easily angered: his temper flared instantly and his outwardly meek manner transformed into one of deadly grave purpose. One contemporary commented that “he was a two-gun man. He could take a six-shooter in each hand and make one think a battle was on.”

From the grateful community, in appreciation for his service, he was given an extensively engraved, gold and silver mounted Winchester rifle. A silver medallion was affixed to the stock inscribed: "Presented to City Marshal H. N. Brown For valuable services rendered In behalf of the Citizens of Caldwell Kas A. N. Colson Mayor Dec 1882"

Brown killed a gambler, Newt Boyce, with the rifle (in the line of duty) on December 16, 1883. Another killing attributed to Brown in Caldwell was that of Spotted Horse, a renegade Indian.

Henry Brown gained status in the higher realms of Caldwell society when he married Alice Maude Levagood, the daughter of a well-to-do Caldwell brick maker. Alice had a college degree―rare for females of that era.

Marshal Brown and his assistant kept the town clean, and by the time they were appointed to their third term, they were lauded by the citizens as the best and most effective team of lawmen the town had ever had.