THE EFFIE BROWN MURDER

by Novella Reynolds The Mullen Roundup
Local History 1884-1917

Entry T100 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

In the old north section of Mullen's
Cedarview Cemetery, one can find a grave
carrying the inscription "Effie A. - daughter
of L.H. and G.G. Brown - died February 8,
1900. "She was 17 years, 3 months, and 29
days old, a pretty Whitman lass, shot to death
by her husband.

The circumstances of her death are these.

Early in February of 1900, Jim Robinson
strode into the saloon in Whitman and asked
the bartender for a quart of whiskey. He
downed the liquor in a short time and
announced to the crowd that he was going to
the hotel and kill his wife. Everyone was to
stay inside the saloon, or Effie would not be
the only one killed. These orders were
obeyed, and Jim rode down to the hotel. He
went upstairs to the room he and his young
wife had shared for about a year. (He worked
north of Whitman and came into town
occasionally to spend some time with her.)

Effie, a pretty young girl, loved to dance
and ride horseback. She had many admirers.
There was some scandal about her and a man
who lived near Hyannis and one of Mullen's
Romeos. Jim had evidently heard the rumors.

The jury was lenient and gave him only
three years, perhaps believing he was justi-
fied in his anger. After serving about half his
term, he was paroled to his father-in-law.