At the age of 7, Brown was playing on his uncle's farm and got his
right hand caught in a corn shredder. His index finger was amputated
above the second knuckle, and his thumb and pinkie were both impaired
permanently. While chasing a hog a few weeks later, he fell and broke
the third and fourth fingers on the same hand, both of which healed
unnaturally. These accidents led to the nickname, "Three Finger
Brown."