Eastern times., 1856-03-27
The Shawmut Avenue Tragedy.

Coburn and Dalton, the actors in the out
rageous assault upon young Sumner, have
both received their sentences of Imprisonment
for the assault, but the end is not yet. A Ii
bel for divorce has been filed in the Supreme
Court by the counsel of B. F. Dalton, and it
is said that strong circumstantial evidence will
be adduced to sustain the charge of adultery
preferred against his wife. From the amor
Gus nature of the correspondence produced in
mitigation of sentence ofthe parties convicted
of assault, there can be no doubt that Mr.. D.
has good and sufficient reasons for desiring to
be released from the bonds OF mairimony.
The following, among other letters, which
passed between her and Sumner, is sample
of the kind of free-love sentiment that is. alas,
getting too common in our larger cities =
THURSDAY EVENING, Nov. 2, 1855.
My Darling William Your letter of to-day
1 received with the utmost pleasure-it as
sured me of your love for me. You say, why
not tell you that l lOued your thought that
you were aware of my undying. my never
ceasing love for you. AS long as God permits
me to live, shall love you-yes. adore you, l
think, my darling. love you better than my
husband God forbid it, if l am wrong in so
doing, but 1 cannot help it. My sweetest one.
may we ever continue to hUe a-let our love be
so pure, so holy that the angels may look down
on us and bless us with their approval. And
now, my darling little baby don't think it
hardly prudent for you to come here to see me.
| will go to ride with you, or any other place
you may appoint, with the greatest pleasure.
Cannot you appoint some time and place.
long to be enfolded in your darling arms. l felt
real bad after reading your letter to think had
made you unhappy, but l will try never
again to hurt your feelings in such manner,
so you will forgive me, know. darling-will
you? Will you return me your ring of mine :
1 will place another on your finger which
want you to promise that you will never re-
move until our lore ceases, and then cast it
aside forerer. My charming one. do you show
my letters to any one s-not even your friend,
Mr.. -, do yous The next letter of yours
shall expect you to appoint some place where
can 60 with you, or meet you alone. With
much love remain, Your own NELLIE.
In the attempt 10 show provocation for the
assault on the part of Dalton and Sumner, one
thing seems TO have been clearly proved; it
is that Sumner was the seduced party, though
this by no means exonerates him from crimi-
| naity in the affair. The fact is, our large
cities are becoming quite Partisan in the usag-
es of their fashionable circles, though without
corresponding modification Of public senti-
ment Hence, when an event transpires
which would hardly be food for scandal in
European society, our puritan sensibility re-
ceives shock, and enacts tragedy. 1t is
no longer disreputable for fashionable ladies to
push their gaieties to the very verge of frail-
ty and where there are so many of both sex
es who have nothing TO do but indulge their
taste for dress and their passion Tor Irritation,
it is not strange that now and then the bounds
of propriety are overstepped, and the peace and
happiness of families forever destroyed. A
man in Boston or New York, who has hand
some wife, instead Of teaching her to be a
fashionable lady, and trot,ing her out like a
fast nag, as an object Of public admiration,
would do well to take country residence, and
surround her literally with those home enjoy
ments and responsibilities which preclude the
thought and desire of fashionable dissipation