Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1851-10-11
The Murder at a Ball in Spain.

A private letter from friend at San Sebas-
tian, gives the following additional particulars
relative to the assassination of Miss Brunei, at
a public ball, in the theatre Of that town.
Now that the festivities are over, the only
subject Of conversation is the wretched young
man who poignarded Maria Brunei. He is in
custody in the fortress of the town. Those
who have been acquainted with him speak IA
vorably of his preyions conduct. There is no
doubt of jealousy being the cause OF the crime.
1t appears he had been attached to the
young lady, and, no doubt, ne considered ne
was Sighted by her, or supplanted. On the
night of the ball he considered there was no
doubt of the fact. He became exasperated,
and committed the crime while his victim was
in the act of dancing polka. He stabbed her
twice in the back. The first blow only grazed
her skin, but the second passed through the
heart. Her death was instantaneous.
The act was so sudden that her partner did
not perceive it until she fell dead at his feet.
You may easily Judge of the confusion and the
horror which it excited. The doors OF the sa-
loon wdqg at once closed, lest the ASSASSIN
should escape. There was no necessity, how
ever, for the precautions, for he presented HIM
self at once, and told the persons present to
give themselves no trouble; that he, and he
only, was the person who committed the crime.
You will not be astonished that almost all
the ladies who were near the victim tainted.
The son of the French Consul had presence OF
mind enough to draw the pognard from the
body, but the moment he did SO he also fell
senseless. The mother Of the young lady ut
tered the most frantic shrieks, ard made dcs-
perate efforts to get sight of her child. She
was kept from doing so by her friends, and was
taken home by force, while the bleeding body
of the victim was deposited in an apartment
close to the ball room, for the inspection of
the magistrate. The funeral took place on
Sunday.
The assassin is a young officer Of engineers.
It is said that some of his safriends wished to
furnish him with the means of destroying him
self bv his own hands, to escape death OF IN
famy. He has refused, in order, as he says: to
die the death of Christian; that his life does
not belong to him, that he has taken that OF
another, and that he will leave his at the dis
posal of Heaven and Of the judges. He ex-
presses an earnest desire that his condemna-
ton shall take place as soon as possible, and
says that his sufierings are intense, and that he
is weary of life He continues to wear two
shirt studs which the young lady presented
him. He often tears them from his bosom,
kisses them, and utters the most frantic ex-
pressions Of sorrow and remorse. He has re-
fused food of any kind except coarse bread and
water and even this in the smallest quantity.
The two or three first days he was not per-
mitted to communicate with any one. He is
now allowed to see some of his brother Off
GERS, and those who have been with him come
away weeping He is only twenty-four years
old. His brother officers and chiefs are doing
all they eau to have his life saved. At all
events his mind is gone. He has continually
before him his victim, with whom he fancies
he talks, and his complaints and his moans
bring tears from the eyes Of all who hear him.
The hand of death is upon him. If he die not
by the hand of the executioner he will die of
grief before long. He was an only child. His
mother had followed him in all his changes of
garrison except the present. She idolized him;
and all accounts agree that he was an excellent
son. What destiny!