The Nevada journal., 1858-02-26
From the Grass Valley Telegraph-Extra Feb. %.
AWFUL TRAGEDY!
FIVE pERS0NS-AFATHE NEITHER
AND THREE CHILDREN POISONED!

|
into a state of great CONSERVATION about
seven o'clock on Sunday evening last
by the astounding Intelligence that Mr.
Michael Brennan, President of the
Mount Hope Mining Company, had de-
stroyed, by poison. lis entire family
consisting of wife and three children
and then administered the fatal drug to
himself! The poison used was the most
certain and deadly of any known
Prussic Acid. AS the terrible news be-
came generally known, the street lead
ing to the scene of the tragedy became
thronged with people, drawn thither by
curiosity or interest in the fate of the
unhappy sufferers.
FINDING OF THE BODIES.
The last that was seen of any of the
psrties about the house was about II A.
NJ. OH Sunday. Mr.. Brennan about that
time managed to get all the members of
the family into the house and closed and
securely fastened the doors and windows
from all communication from the out
side, or from the servants apartments
They thus remained until after dark,
supposed by the servants to be asleep.
Not being able at that time to arouse
them. the door was forced open when
one of the most appalling and heartrend-
ing sights was disclosed, which has ever
fallen to the lot of man to witness.
APPEARANCE OF THE BODIES.
The dining room and servants apart
ment is separated from tie other part of
the house by an open passway. To the
right of this, as person enters, is
lodging room, nursery and sitting room,
all connected with each other by doors
opening from one to the other. In these
three apartments the bodies were found.
One of the children was found on bed
in the bedroom, another on the bed in
the nursery. and in the sitting room,
upon a lounge, reclining as if in sleep,
lay the body of Mrs. B., her husband lay
upon the floor by her SIDE. and immedi-
ately at his feet, also upon the floor, lay
the body of the little boy, the same
which is noticed in the testimony before
the Coroner as having run out of the
house screaming, frightened probably
by the sight of its mother, which it had
no doubt seen, as she lay corpse upon
the lounge.
The acid. which is almost instantane-
Gus in its effects, had been administered
to each one separately, in different
rooms, and pillow, no doubt, immedi-
ately pressed upon their faces to smoth-
er any possible outcry. When found,
the face Of each body, with the excep-
ton of that of Mr.. BIS, was covered
with pillow. Mrs. B. was undoubtedly
Fthe first victim--then the children one
| after the other, the tragedy finally clos
ing with the unfortunate man himself.
The cause of this dreadful sacrifice of
life was, without doubt, misfortune in
business. The company of which Mr..
B. was the head and in whsch he had
invested all his means, has recently
been unfortunate, ard he had been COM
PEELED to assign the property to one of
the principal creditors. This he did
some two months since. The letters
which were left by the unfortunate man,
and which we give below, betray long
contemplation of the event, and the ut
most GOODNESS and determination in car
rying out his resolve. The evidence
rnd attending circumstances show most
conclusively that Mrs. B. was an uncon-
scious party to the dreadful tragedy.
How the poison was administered to her
is and ever must be mystery.
| THE VERDICT.
| al IHuucSI WAS ueIQ over the DOdlcS
on Monday morning, by F. w. Thayer,
Esq, acting as Coroner, when the fol-
lowing verdict was rendered -
We, the undersigned, jurors, find that
Michael Brennan came to his death by
Prussic Acid, administered by himself,
and that Dorinda Brenan, his wife, and
Ellen, Robert and Dorinda, his children,
came to their deaths by Prussic Acid,
administered by said Michael Brennan,
under Temporary insanity.
| j. McMurtrey, E. W. Haywood,
WIN. Belts, j. H. Henderson,
John Blackford ~ Lucius I. Roland,
T.. McLaugbhn, Justus Lockwood
| James Elton, Thomas Lloyd,
4 A. b. Brady, S. D. Boswolth,
Fl. D. Cady, Sam'l Brigham,
G. G. King.
| The ages of the parties are as fol.
lows: Mr. B. was about SO and his
Nifa On. +bo L