Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 February 1904 — THE FAIR OAKS “WILD” MAN. [ARTICLE]

THE FAIR OAKS “WILD” MAN.

/benjamin Brannon, wSio was arrested near Fair Oaks last Friday by those valorious officers, Vick and Grant, and brought to .Bensselaer to*answer the charge of insanity and of being a dangerous man to be at large, was tried before Squire Irwin and a jury Tuesday, and his attorney,Geo. A. Williams, put up such strong de-. sense that he was discharged/ Brannon, it would appear, comes from quite a prominent family, who at one time were no doubt, quite well to do, as he has an excellent education and has a regular allowance from some estate or from two sisters who are school teachers in Chicago. The man is no doubt 40 to 45 years of age, and probably lead a very fast life in his vounger days. He has been located in a tent in the brush near Fair Oaks for some time, living the life of a recluse, working a little chopping wood and ditching, and was careless of his personal appearance. Lately an Italian hobo has been sharing his squalid quarters in the tent. Brannon’s appearance no doubt caused some of Fair Oaks’ “smart Alecs” to make fun of him, and the other day he went into the town/armed and put nearly the whole population to flight. There was no evidence that he had drawn any weapons, we understand, and people for whom he bad worked spoke well of him, the jury evidently thought that while he was eccentric, he was not crazy enough to send to an asylum, nor a dangerous character if let alone.