Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 October 1883 — FOR HIS BROTHER'S SAKE. [ARTICLE]

FOR HIS BROTHER'S SAKE.

The True History of a Tale of Self Sacrifice. ■ ■ . •. '. -Ao.m fi'4* BY COL. GEORGE W. SYMOXDS. ' “The Governor pardoned John Brisben, a penitentiary convict, to-day. He was sent tip from Bourbon for fifteen years for forgery, and had ten years yet to serve. Our loaders are familiar with the history of the oaae. and the humane action of his Excellency will be generally commended.”— Jfyankfort (Ky.) Yeoman. _ I read this little paragraph and my mind went back six years. I knew John - -Brisben,- and L also knew his twin brother Joseph. I was familiar with the details of the action that placed John Brisben in a felon’s cell, and now when the sad affair is brought back to mind so vividly I must write it out, for never before have I met*,’ in prose or poetry, in real life or in romance, a greater hero than plain, matter-of-fact John Brisben. The Brisbeus came of good stock. I think the great-grandfather of my hero emigrated to Kentucky when Kenton’s Station, between the present city of Maysville and the historic old town of Washington, was the principal settlement on the “dark and bloodv ground.” He cametrom Upper Pennsylvania and located about five miles from the Ohio river, on Limestone creek. He was an industrious, strong-limbed, iron-hearted old fellow, and in a few years his surroundings were of the most comfortable description. One of ;>his sons, Edwin Brisben, once represented Kentucky in the Federal Congress. I think he was tire grandfather of John and Joseph Brisben. Their father’s name was Samuel, and he died when they were little children, leaving his widow an excellent blue-grass farm and a snug little fortune in stocks, bonds and mortgages. The widow remained a widow until her death. Mrs. Samuel Brisben was a Sod women, and she idolized her twin yS. Like most twins, the brotliers .resembled each other in a striking manner, and even intimate acquaintances oould not tell them apart. But although the physical resemblance was so strong there was great dissimilarity in the dispositions of the twins. Joseph Brisben was surly and morose, sometimes cunning and revengeful. He was withal a dreamer and an enthusiast; a man welllearned in books, a brilliant, frothy talker when he chose to be sociable (which was seldom), a splendid horseman, and an excellent shot. John Brisben, on the contrary, was cheerful and bright, honorable and forgiving. He was a man of high moral principle, intensely practical and methodical, cared little for books, and, although he said iftrat little, he was a splendid companion. Ho was a poor horseman, and I don’t "think he ever shot a gun in his life. He cßaw nothing of the poetry of life, and as -for sport, he enjoyed himself only when 3bard at work. He loved his brother, end when they were boys together suffered punishment many times, and unvcomplainingly, that “Jodie” might go ecot free. His life was therefore one constant sacrifice, but the object of this living adoration made but shabby returns for this unselfish devotion. ' They were 20 years old when their mother died very suddenly. Joseph flnade a great pretense of grief, and was mo hysterical at the grave that he had to be led away. John, on the contrary, never demonstrative, took the great affliction with bis customary coolness, He said but little and shed no tears. The property left to the bovs was considerable. The day they were 21 years old the trustees met and made settlement. There was the blue-grass farm valued at $50,000, and SIOO,OOO in well-invested securities which "could be turned into money. Joseph demanded «division. * “You can take the farm, Jack,” lie eaid. “I was Dever cut out for a farmer. Give me $75,000 in money for my ahare.” Sothis sortof a division was made. John continued on at the homestead, working in his plain, methodical way, and slowly adding to his share of the money what he could raise out of the profits of the farm. Joseph, with his newly-acquired wealth, set up an establishment at the nearest town and began a life of pleasure-pleasure of the grosser sort. His brother gave him no advice for he knew it was useless. J osepb epent his money with great prodigality, before*be knew it he was a beggar. In the meantime John’s $25,000 had doubled itself. One day Joseph came to him with a full confession of his pecuniary troubles: . , •▼jack,” he said, “I am not only a beggar, but lam heavily in debt. Help me nut like a good fellow, and I will settle down and begin life in sober earnest. ▼Tith my capacity for business I can noon make money enough to repay you. I have sown my wild oats, and with a lits 1a belt) I can soon recover all that I have squandered so foolishly.” FoV an answer John Brisben placed trig game to an order for the $25,000 he so laboriously. -Willthat be enough, Jodie ?” he ask-

ed, “because I have as much more, which you can have if. it is necessary.” “This will be sufficient, old fellow,”was the reply. “In two years I will pay it back." * f" -• He went back to town, drew his money, paid bis debts, sold some of his horses and. discharged several of his servants. Twenty thousand dollars was left out of the loan. He invested this in business, and for a while seemed to have really reformed. John was en-com-aged to say: “Jodie will come out all right. He is smarter than I, and in five years will be worth more money than i could make in a life-time.” In less Than three years Joseph Brisben’s affairs were in the hands of his creditors, and a sheriff’s officer closed out his business. Again ho turned to his brother for help and sympathy. “I own that I managed a triflfe carelessly,” ho said by wav of explanation. “Experience is a dear teacher, and the lesson I have learned I shall never forget. If you come to my assistance now I can soon recover myself.” Once more John Brisben placed his name to a check payable to the order of his brother, and Joseph entered into business again. ’ In two years he was a bankrupt. “I shall never succeed in business; Jack,” he said. “Help me out of this trouble and I will live with you on the farm. I shall succeed as a farmer.” It took all of John Brisben’s hoard to pay his brother’s debts, but lie made no complaint, uttered no reproach. He, said: IT __..-V',.

“I am glad you are coming back to the farm, Jodie. You need do no work, and we will be very happy together. So Joseph took up his residence at the farm, and remembering his brother’s words, devoted his time principally to hunting, fishing... and riding aboutthe country. In the meantime John Brisben had fallen in love, and the daughter of a neighboring farmer, Compton by' name, was his promised wife. Being a man of strict honor him - self, and having full confidence in his brother, he did not object when Joseph began to pay lus affianced .very marked attention. “I am glad he likes her,” he thought. “I am so busy on the farm that I have little time for pleasure, and Alice is so fond of amusement.” One night Joseph came to him just as the shadows of evening were beginning to fall. There was a triumphant ring in his voice when he spoke. “Jack, old boy;” lie said, holding out his hand, “congratulate me, I think that from to-day I can date the beginning of a new- life. Alice Compton has promised to be my wife.’’ - He was too much engrossed with his new happiness to see the effect of this announcement as portrayed on John’s face. He did not notice how the strong man’s hand trembled in his own. “Is this true?” faltered John at last. “Why, of course it is. AVe yon not glad? We love' each other and shall be very happy.” “ ‘We love each other and shall be very happy!’” repeated John mechanically. and all the sunshine of his life sunk behind the heavy clouds of despair. “Yes, Jodie, lam glad, and wish you long years of happiness.” He turned away and staggered, rather than walked, to his own room. He did not stir all night. Once a deep, sobbing groan struggled to his lips, and the moon beans struggling through the’window fell upon his face, and surprised two great tears stealing down his pale cheeks. He brushed away this evidence of weakness and sorrow. and when the morning came, no one looking into his calm, serene eyes would have guessed how hard was the battle that had been fought and won in that lonely chamber. .= - ~"' : h —— vThey were married, and the man rejected by the bride and supplanted by the groom was the first to congratulate the newly-married pair. A vacant house on the farm was fitted up for their reception, and John Brisben's money paid for the furnishiug. “Hereafter, Jodie,” he said, “we will divide the profits of the farm, I don’t need much,and you shall have the larger share.” Ten years passed away, and John Brisben, an old man before his time, still worked from dawn till dark that his brother might play the gentleman and keep in comfort the large family which the years bad drawn around him. It has been necessary to mortgage the old homestead to raise money to pay Joseph's gambling debts, for of late years he had played heavily and had invariably lost. One day—it was in the summer of 1877—a forged check was'presented at one of the banks at the shire town, by Joseph Brisben, and the money for which it called was unhesitatingly paid, over to hinl. He was under the influence of liquor at the time, and deeply interested in a game of cards for high stakes, which was in progress. The check was for $2,500, I think. Before daylight the next morning Joseph Brisben had lost every dollar of it. To., drown his chagrin he became beastly drunk, and while in this condition an officer arrived and apprehended him for forgery and uttering a forged check. The prisoner was.c-anfined in jail, and word of his disgrace sent to John Brisben. The latter read the messagefAffd a mist came over his eyes. He groaned audibly, and but for a strong effort of the will would liave fallen to the floor, so weakened was he by the shock. “She must not know it,” he said to himself, and he made instant preparation to visit his brother. When he reached the jail he was admitted to the cell of the wretched criminal. The brothers remained there for several hours. What passed during the interview will never be known. When John Brisben emerged from the jail he went straight to the magistrate who had issued the warrant for the apprehension of Joseph Brisben. . , “’Squire,” he said in his low, hesitating way, “you Lave made a mistake.” “In what xray, Mr. Brisben?” asked the magistrate, who had a high regard for his visitor. “You have caused the arrest of An innocent man.” “But”—began the magistrate. “Issue an order for my brother’s instant release. He is innocent of the ilftent to do wrong. lam the guilty

man. I .forged the name of Charles Ellison to the check whicli he uttered. He did hot know,-that it was a forgery.” “You!” cried the astonished magistrate. “You a forger—impossible?” “Nothing is impossible in these days.” said the white-haired old man, sternly. “I alone am guilty. My brother is innocent.” So stoutly did he aver that he was the forger that the magistrate reluctantly issued a warrant for his arrest, and at the-same time wrote an* order to the jailer for the release of Joseph Brisben. , * j “My constable will be in soon,” said the magistrate, but the old hero picked up both the papers. “I will not trouble him,” he said; “I will excute botli papers.” And he did. Handing the jailer both papers, he explained tlieir meaning thus: “They have made a mistake. It is I who am to be your prisoner.— My brother is innocent.” Accordingly Joseph Brisben was released and returned to the farm. John remained at the jail a prisoner. When the extraordinary affair became known, several prominent citizens offered to go on the accnsed man’s bond, but he Afronld not accept their kind offices. At the trial he plead guilty and was sentenced to fifteen years’ imprisonment at hard labor in the penitentiary. Joseph came to see him before he was removed to Frankfort, but their interview was a private one. Joseph Brisben remained at the farm, but lie was a changed man. From the day of liis release from jail down to the time of his death, he was never known to touch a card, and a drop of liquor never passed his lips. Last April he died, and his confession, duly sworn to before a justice of the peace, was made public after his burial. In substance it was this: That he was guilty of the forgery for which his heroic brother was suffering a long imprisonment. “It was my brother’s wish, not mine,” reads the document. “H‘e insisted that lie who had no ties of blood x>r marriage could better suffer the punishment and the digraee than 1 who had dependent on me a large family.” Noble John Brisben! Of such stufi are heroes made, Detroit Free Press.