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[From the New Orleans Times. 18th.
ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION.
A Murderous Attack In a Private
Household—A Divorced Wife At
tempts to Shoot Her Successor—The
Fury of a Woman Scorned.
Between half-past 11 and 12 o’clock
yesterday morning, while Mrs. A. M.
Holbrook was engaged at her toilette in
the second floor, front room of her resi
dence, No. 208 Constance street, between
Orange and Richard, she became con
scious that someone had entered her
apartment, and, turning to observe the
visitor, was instantly fired upon by a
well dressed woman, standing in the
door.
Horror stricken at the evident attempt
at assassination, Mrs. Holbrook faced her
assailant, and after the discharge of a
second shot succeeded in clutching the
weapon. The two women struggled in a
death-like contest for some seconds, and
the pistol at length dropped upon the
floor. At this juncture the would-be
murderer seized a quart bottle of bay
rum, which was standing on the bureau,
and began beating Mrs. Holbrook with
it over the head. It was quickly
shivered into a hundred pieces, and the
infuriated woman, snatching a China
vase from the mantel-piece, continued
the attack.
The report of the pistol attracted the
attention of an aged colored cook, who
gave the alarm, and a white servant
named Mary rushed to the rescue. She
seized the assailant (who proved to be
Jennie Bronson, the divorced wife of
Mr. Holbrook) from behind, and the
present Mrs. Holbrook, succeeding in
extricating herself, rushed out of the
house.
The unfortunate lady, covered with
blood, first went in next door to the
residence of Mr. Rainey, where a servant
furnished her with a basin of water anil
a change of clothing, and the family
being absent, she then took refuge at
the residence of Mrs. Martin, just op
posite. The attack created the wildest
excitement, the servants left in a body,
and, in probably less than five minutes,
Jennie Bronson held undisputed pos
session.
THE WORK OF DEMOimol
Flushed with at
once commenced a on
the furniture. and
urmoir glasses were atoms,
ami whatever articles that
could be found in the were
scattered about in the
■Descending to tty she pro
surned the work of destruction/ A China
closet containing apparently two bar
rels full of dishes and cut-glassware was
«offiolete'y stripped of its contents, and
the promiscuous heap was beaten into
fragments upon the hall floor. A side
board containing castors, silver service
and wine glasses shared the same fate. The
glazed doors of several bookcases were
knocked into smithereens, and the dial
plate of a handsome clock broken to
fragments, the sounding board of anew
piano smashed to pieoes, and a portrait
of Mr. Holbrook hurled from its place
on the wall and cut to shreds.
An hour later, when our reporter
reached the scene, he found the drawing
room, parlor, dining room and hall
heaped with the debris, and, indeed,
hod the establishment been jarred by
the explosion of nitro-glycerine, or
shaken by a first-class earthquake, the
demolition could not have been more
complete.
THE EXCITEMENT.
A curious crowd of ladies, children
and servants still lingered in front of
the house, but even at that time infor
mation concerning this most unfortunate
contretemps was difficult to glean.
A lady living in the immediate vicin
ity, and fearing from the shots that a
murder was being perpetrated, sent her
servants in all directions for the police.
At least twenty minutes elapsed before
an officer could be procured, but at
length a little boy succeeded in finding
Officer Dorsey, of the Sixth Precinct,
who at once came to the house.
MEDICAL AID.
In the meantime Dr. Thos. Nicholson,
residing on Magazine street, near the
scene, had been sent for, and he reached
the house first. The Doctor found
Jennie Bronson in the parlor. She had
ceased her work at that time, and was
endeavoring to staunch the blood from a
slight wound on her finger. The Doc
tor extracted a piece of broken glass
from the cut, and hearing that Mrs.
Holbrook was across the street, imme
diately repaired to that domicil. The
only remark Jennie Bronson made was
“ P n her, I want to kill her.”
Mrs. Holbrook, whom the Doctor
found to be quite faint from loss of
blood, presented a most deplorable pic
ture. The unhappy lady had received
a deep gash in front of the forehead,
where the hair joins it, one an inch long
on the left of the head, and a similar
wound on the right of the head. The
top is also badly bruised. Her hair was
completely matted with blood, and at
the first her garments fairlv streamed
with gore. He found no difficulty in
BANNER OF THE SOUTH AND PLANTERS’ JOURNAL.
checking the flow of blood, and believes
that although Mrs. Holbrook will suffer
great pain for several days, she is not in
any great danger.
THE PISTOL
Isa small Smith £ Wesson seven-shooter.
The chamber was taken off very shortly
after the weapon fell, when it was found
that four cartridges were missing.
THE ARREST.
Officer Dorsey, upon reaching the
house, at once took Jennie Bronson into
custody, but at her solicitation procured
a cab, and drove with her to Pacanier
station. There she was conducted to a
room adjoining the clerk’s office, and
placed in charge of the colored turnkey.
Officer Dorsey, at her request, went to
the hotel, procured from her room a
traveling dress and skirt, and brought
the garments to the station. She ap
peared much excited, but declined an
interview with any one. Mr. Holbrook
reached the station perhaps half an
hour alter the arrest, and preferred a
charge of shotting and wounding Mrs.
Holbrook with intent to kill.
THE ACCUSED.
At a second visit paid to the station
house otur reporter was admitted to the
presence of the accused. She declined
{poking any statement of the affair, say
ing she only desired justice. She did
state, however, that coming to her own
house she hod found it in the posses
sion of another woman, and had con
ducted herself accordingly. This as
sertion was made with many tears.
At 4 o’clock Captain Bovd Robinson
informed Jennie Bronson that he would
be forced to place her in a cell. She
strenuously objected, but at length
was induced to enter cell No. 2, where
chairs and a stretcher were placed for
her accommodation.
She reached the city from New York
yesterday morning, and at once secured
a room at Wade’s Upper City Hotel, at
the corner of Magazine and Jackson
streets. In a conversation with a well
known gentleman on board the train on
Suuduy, she is said to have remarked in
a wild way, ‘‘l do not expect to be ;
alive twenty-four hours from this time. ”
PREVIOUS HISTORY OF THE CASE.
The handsome, and by no means un
cultivated cause of the above terrible
misfortune was met by Mr. Holbrook
during the war, and being of a social
disposition, and apparently ready to re
ceive the attentions of gentlemen, his
ed together, became intimate, and at
length Jennie Bronson went North. Mr.
H. met her again at the New York Hotel
during a Summer tour, and the intimacy
was resumed. She then represented
herself as a widow, and the daughter
of an eminent attorney. When Mr. H.
was about leaving New York she sent for
him to her room, and demanded that he
should marry her. Upon his refusing,
Jennie swallowed an immense dose of
laudanum, and, lying down, calmly in
formed him that she nail but two hours
to live. A physician was sent for, but
she refused utterly to permit a stomach
pump to be applied, and so worked upon
the feelings of a naturally credulous
gentleman, that he at length consented.
A priest found conveniently near was
summoned, the ceremony was perform
ed, a stomach pump was applied, and
the woman recovered. That day Mr.
Holbrook, after making liberal appro
priations for her support, left for New
Orleans, it being agreed that she should
remain in New York. He had not been
long in the city when Mrs. Holbrook,
selling her furniture, came South. She
stopped at Havana, and finally, greatly
to Mr. Holbrook’s surprise, reached
here, and taking rooms at the St. Charles,
summoned him to her presence.
A series of violent quarrels, in which
he was maltreated in the grossest man
ner, was very shortly afterward the re
sult of their meeting, and Mr. H. was
compelled to seek a private lodging.
She ferreted him out, entered his apart
ment, cut up his clothes, and in fact
acted so maliciously that proceedings
for a divorce were instituted. A recou- 1
ciliation followed ; and, in another, she
went to his house, on Hevia street,
broke the mirrors and furniture, and,
when the man in charge of it attempted I
to eject her, she bit him so severely that
to this day he bears the mark of her
teeth.
There was another reconciliation and
then another quarrel in the editorial
room of the Picayune, in which Mr.
Holbrook was severely bitten. Pro
ceedings for divorce were again institu
ted, but when the cause came to trial
the litigants were off ou a bridal tour
and it was dismissed. So the matter
went on for years, and finally, in consid
eration of certain emoluments, she left
forever.
They met again at the North, where
Mrs. Holbrook, conspicuous as the best
dressed woman of the resort, again at
tracted her husband, and both return
ing to the city went to housekeeping.
They lived peaceably together for some
time, but the trouble again breaking out
a few months ago. suit for divorce was
instituted in the Eighth District Court.
! Upon being served with the process, she
| wrote a contemptuous reply to the plain
| tiff's attorney (Messrs. Mott and
Semmesj, which was filed, and then went
North. Judgment was rendered in Mr.
Holbrook’s favor, and about a month
ago he married.
Jennie Bronson is the daughter of an
ovsterman doing business near Harlem,
>«ew York. While separated from Mr.
H. she amused herself by writing squibs
for the newspapers, and, we believe, at
one time succeeded in entering the Hotel
| Dieu as a Sister of Charity. She is a
handsome, stormy woman, with jaws
like a tigress, a fine figure, and at times
most attractive.
The present Mrs. Holbrook is not
only an estimable lady, but one of South
land’s sweetest poets, and under the
nomrne dc plume, Pearl Rivers is known
the length and breadth of the land. A
large circle of sincere friends truly
sympathize with her in this trying hour,
and will watch with no feigned anxiety
for her convalescence.
NEW ENGLAND.
In many places in New England, says
the New York Express, alders are spring
ing up in the pastures, young pines ap
pear in the ancient mowing fields, and
the feathered birches wave where once
the farmers turned their rich furrows.
In New Hampshire nearly 9,000 people 1
left daring the last decade, and as many :
more left the agricultural towns for the I
cities and villages. Maine barely held ;
its own during the last decade. There j
was a loss in the agricultural towns anil
a gain in the manufacturing. Through-!
out New England general agriculture is j
becoming of less account relatively each I
year, while special farming and manu- I
factoring is steadily on the increase, i
Os the six States east of the Hudson
river, Vermont is the nearest to raising
itsown bread—producing 454,000 bushels
of wheat in 1869, or a bushel and a peck
to each inhabitant. Taking the army
rations of 22 ounces of flour per day ft's
a basis for computing the consumption
of bread, it follows, Vermont raises
bread enough to supply the people of
that State thirty-seven days. To make
up the deficiency they are obliged to
purchase 3,836,000 bushels per annum.
Maine produces 278,000 • bushels, suffi
cient to last II days, and purchases
8,500,000 bushels. New Hampshire pro
duces 193,000 bushels—little more than '
a half bushel to each inhabitant—and I
j supply. Connecticut makes n poorer
' show, producing 38,000 bushels—a sup
ply of bread for two days—add purchas
ing 7,518,000 bushels. Massachusetts
raised only 34,000 bushels, or just bread
enough for breakfast and dinner, but
not for supper! The purchase was 20,-
300,000 bushels of wheat, Rhode Isl
and raised 784 bushels of wheat in 1869,
and purchases 3.000,000. The six New
England States together purchase from
forty to fifty million bushels of wheat,
and quite as much of other grains, or
in round numbers 100,000,000 bushels
of grain.
The New Postal Rates. —The follow
ing reply to a telegram from the New
York postmaster has been forwarded in
regard to the new postal rates :
Referring to your telegram of the 12th
instant, I wonlil say that the following
are the rates to be charged on third-class
printed matter. On all pamphlets, occa
sional publications, transient newspa
pers, magazines, handbills, posters, un
sealed circulars, prospectuses, book
manuscripts, proof sheets, corrected
proofs, flexible patterns, sample cards,
phonographic paper, letter envelopes,
postal envelopes and wrappers, cards,
plain and ornamental paper, photograph
ic representations of different types,
seeds, cuttings, bulbs, roots and scions,
j at a postage of one cent for each two
! ounces or fraction thereof on packages
i to one address, to be prepaid by stamps,
j On all hooks, other than those printed
by order of Congress, postage at two
| cents for each two ounces or fraction
; thereof, limited to four pounds in weight.
; On samples of merchandise, ores, metals
j and miueralogical specimens, two cents
I for each two ounces or fraction thereof, ■
] limited to twelve ounces in weight.
Brilliant Achievements of Southern
Bors.—The Raleigh (N. 0.) Sentinel
says :
It is a singular anil pleasing fact that
Southern boys have borne off the high
est honors at Princeton College, New
Jersey, during the last three years. The
late wonderfully gifted Theoderick
Pryor, son of Gen. Roger A. Pryor, of
Virginia, was graduated in 1875 with
higher honors than were ever taken be
fore by any student. In 1871, Skinner
Lassiter, of Oxford, N. C., stood fore
most in his class, and is now at Berlin,
Prussia, in attendance upon the Univer
sity, his Princeton scholarship sup
porting him ; whilst the other day,
Richmond M. Pearson, Jr., son of Chief
Justice Pearson, of N. C., bore oft’the
highest distinction in a class of ninety
six graduates.
| The Tax Bill.— The following are the
| most important features of this bill,
i which was passed "by both Houses of
j Congress on Tuesday :
The tax on spirits is fixed at 70 cents
■ per gallon, and distillers are relieved
| from special tax and the tax of 84 per
i barrel, wholesale and retail dealers from
| the tax on sales, and rectifiers from the
tax of 50 cents on each barrel produced
j in excess of 200 barrels.
The tax on tobacco is fixed at 20 cents
| per pound uniform. The time for tak
; ing tobacco from bonded warehouses is
j six months.
All stamp taxes are repealed, except
two cents on bank checks, drafts and
orders. The provisos authorizing re
imbursement of match manufacturers
on account of unused stamps or stamp
ed paper, and authorizing the immedi
j ate exportation, unstampted, of articles
i in schedule C, are stricken out.
The words “capital employed” shall
! not include money borrowed or received
| from day to day in the usual course of
business, from any person not a partner
|of or interested in the said bank, asso-
I ciation or firm.
The internal revenue districts are re
. duced to eighty, and proceedings for
| recovery of illegally collected internal
j taxes will be commenced within two
years from the date of payment, or a
year from the passage of the act.
Progress of the Strikes.— Brewster’s
men are at work again, at the old time
of ten hours a day and the old wages.
Steinway’s piano men are also at work
for ten hours, and about two-thirds of
the other piano men. The carpenters
stick to eight hours, but have agreed to
take 81 50 a week less wages. These
are some of the concessions, while the
great majority hold out for “ten hours’
pay and eight hours’ work.” The move
ment started here six or seven weeks
since i- just being felt in certain por
tions of the State and country, under
the influence and manipulation of com
mittees supported bv the city leagues
and lent from New York to New Eng
land, Western New York, Pennsylvania,
and elsewhere. Almost everywhere the
conflict is going on, and at times it looks
as if there might be a compromise.—
The worst local feature is the closing
up of so many warehouses here, and the
ordering of so much machine work to b 6
done in Europe. All our vessels sailing
. much other work will be done out of
j the State. Anohter feature of the strike
1 it, that thousands of persons are cur
' tailing expenses, and thereby diminish
! ing production, rather than submit to
| the strike. All such results will, in the
J end, fall upon labor. — Express.
Liability of Stockholders in Banks
for Their Issue.— ln a recent decision
! on this mneh mooted question, Judge
j R. F. Graham, of South Carolina, held :
j 1. That the acts of the Legislature do
! impose an individual liabiuty on the
! stockholders of the banks, covered by
! its terms.
2. That this liability is confined to
those who owned shares in the banks on
the 29th of November, 1860, when they
suspended specie payments, or who had
held such shares at any time within
twelve months previous to that date.
3. That liability is alone for such bills
of the banks as were actually in issue on
the 29th of November, 1860, the date of
their suspension and refusal to pay their
notes in current coin, and therefore of
their failnre.
4. That there is no individual liability
on the part of the stockholders for
any bills issued after the 29th of Novem
ber, 1860, the date upon which the banks
failed to pay their notes, • according to
their legal obligation, in current coin.
5. That those who dealt with the
banks while in a state of suspension,
did so at their peril and are not within
the mischief against which the law in
tended to provide, by fixing individual
liability upon the corporators.
6. That the burden of proof is upon
the holder of the bill, to show that it
was issued and not in circulation by the
banks prior to the 29th of November,
1860.
“ Dan” Sickles Coming Home—Not
Dr. Houard. —A great ado was made
awhile ago, in the Washington organs,
about the peremptory demand the Gov
ernment had made on the Spanianls
for the surrender of Dr. Houard. The
demand doubtless was made by our
Minister, Mr. Sickles, but we do
not learn that the Dons paid any atten
tion to it. Now it is reported that
Sickles himself is coming back home—
not Houard, who remains in a Spanish
dungeon, just as if no demand for his
release had ever been made.
What a commentary on our feeble
foreign policy ! What'a contrast to the
manly vigor which used to distinguish
our dealings with foreign nations, i»
such cases, in former days.
Earthquake in Georgia.— The Mil
ledgeville Recorder, of Tusday, says:
“ About 3 o’clock p. m., yesterday, our
good people (lots of good people here)
were startled at a sudden and loud re
port, resembling heavy artillery at a dis
tance, or the muffled report of a heavy
blast. For a few seconds thereafter the
shock jarred brick buildings, rattling
windows and frightening some persons.
What unnatural or natural phenomenon
it was, unless an earthquake, we cannot
conceive. ”
Eatonton had a taste of the same warn
ing on the same day. The Press <fc Mes
senger says :
About two and a-half o’clock on yes
terday the people in our vicinity and'ad
joining, so far as heard from, felt an
earthquake shock. Some of our intelli
gent citizens state that they very sensi
bly felt the vibrations of the earth at
the time. We felt the shock and heard
the rumbling noise, but being busily en
gaged gave it no thought just then.'
telegraphic.
Terrlllc Boiler Explosion in the Ohio
Penitentiary.
Columbus, Ohio, June 21.— The boiler
in the extensive shops of the Ohio Brush
and Wire Works, within the walls of the
Ohio Penitentiary, exploded this morn
ing, just after the convicts had started
to work, with a terrible noise and effect.
The flying boiler tore out of the large
three story building in which it was
placed, making it a mass of ruins, and
tore out the side walls and the roof off
of Huff’s cooper shop and Geo. Gill’s
stone foundry, not far off. Pieces of
the boiler were thrown a great dis
tance. At the time of the accident 85
men were in the brush shop, and were
just going to work. The shock was ter
rific, and yet no person was killed out
right. Several men were blown out of
the windows, and fell with the debris
from the fourth story of the building.
One man, at work in the lower story of
the boiler house, remained for thirty
minutes between two heavy timbers.
The fireman and engineer in charge of
the boiler were both buried under the
piles of nrick and timber, but were dug
out alivei although considerably burned
and bruised. Some escapes were mi
raculous] As soon as possible a large
were bused were all dug out, and with
the othenwonnded, were taken to the
prison hospital, where good nurses are
on hand, pnd they are now all well cared
for. It is thought all but a half a dozen
will recover. The engineer in charge of
the boiler says he cannot account for
the accident, as a second before the ex
plosion occurred he had on but 85pounds
of steam. One end of this same boiler
exploded about a year ago, and it is
said it has leaked ever since.
Political.
Washington, June 21.—The Ken
tucky Democratic Convention reaffirms
the principles of recent State Conven
tions—urges a union of all elements
against Grant, and instructs its dele
gates to vote as a unit, •
San Francisco, June 21.—The Demo
cratic delegates from this State to the
Baltimore Convention include ex-United
States Senator Wm. M. Gwinn, ex-Gov
emor Downey, Judge J. H. Hardy and
Senator Eugene Casserly, all of whom,
except Casserly, are known to be in
favor of the Cincinnati ticket.
Lincoln, Nebraska, June 21.—1n the
Democratic State Convention resolu
tions were unanimouslv adopted endors
ing the Cincinnati platform, and dele
gates to Baltimore were instructed to
vote as a unit for Greeley and Brown.
Entire harmony prevailed and the Con
vention adjourned amidst great enthusi
asm.
Geneva Tribunal—lndirect Claims Not
a Subject of Consideration.
Washington, June 21.—Reliable in
formation has been received in official,
quarters showing that at the brief ’
session of the Geneva tribunal on the
19th in st,, the arbitrators decided that
the ' indirect claims are not proper sub
jects for their consideration. The formal
announcement will be made on the 26th,
anil will cause further controversy about
the amended article to the treaty of
Washington and settle the question of
adjournment of the tribunal until next
December, as lately contemplated by the
British.
New York Gossip.
New York, June 21, —Schurz wrote a
note regretting that he could not break
fast with Mr. Greeley. Horace White
and others were present.
There were no additions to the Stokes’
jury to-day.
Delegates from sixty Orange lodges
met last night to make preparations for
the 12th of July parade. It was decided
not to permit members to arm them
selves on the day of parade.