New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-03-27

%, others ,v.,s,h,,,
xs... se. gc;'n - "a, -: :. lever i VI p ~ -
t aa4 sid e hs NJ - hey -'tf4i . 'Ae VI
B.. lie.
The Ara California says. We hsve ying bei''e
Letter r1:.:en y aiy o: la iowr, ia inend
n hi. city which g:resto vel con-eo'ed LsIfsl'Ne
% the sf.r, tina; Avail ourselves OF tie P'i'i'ss
OF making the following e1,rac::'
Mrs. Rreu,n aid 70: :el re gir.s % % % cer5'
and the cook beard NJ b. SAX M B. 4 re t"o.:''
wants were not going NJ; r b. sa Kiev VEN ~
ch-ch and the cook took he .vo eldest c1.ffen on,
70 walk. Grs. then took the youngest caLd N Ter
z.ms, and walked ~ and down me yelenoa UNI. &c
came ard took i from her. when she went srd isd on,
the chijreLs clothing resy for their bah Tnen 'hey
came back from the walk. The last the cook IS. d
Mrs.. u. was when she eff the verands snd ven lno
the house. II il supposed that re dia no, 'e hs VIC
.ha. be bad los. teavy, and deeply involved more
than ten minutes before her death. As sne was tosy
unscqusinted with her husband financial condt'oa,
she knew nothing Of his embarrassment snd waen ne
told her of bis situation and what ne meant 10 co WIN
himself the shock caused her to feel FAINT ana she
laid down on the sofa. A. this time he handed her
glass Of clsre with the deadly poson in IT, which he
drank, thinking IL only wine, and that It would
revive her. loaded p,stal on The table for use
in case sh. had not drank the wiHe. After drinking,
she cencbed her hands and struggled some, when ne
PIT the pillow over her face and smothersd her then
saturated piece OF sugsr with the poison, and fed Il
20 the child. When the cook returned, he took the
eldest enid, gil, and administered the sugar TO
her He then called the Boy Bobby ttS the 1o; ,R
father followed him. calling him hslittle man, took him
up in bic srrns carried him back, gave him some SUI
gar and smo,hered him. The girl who was prepar-
ing lunch in another apartment, did not think any
thing unusual OF any actions. Alter killing the entire
family the father secured all the doors and sal DOM
10 write but hearing Martineau come he stepped out
and holding the door in his hand, told him the gis
were at church. and ths, the would not bother about
lunch, but have dinner at ) O'Clock. He said Mr..
Brennan was not well and had laid down. In the let
ter be wrote he said he wanted Martneau, the Secre
tary Of the Company t. be sure they were Oil aesd'
quartz mining at Grass Valley, and had been un'or.
tunate, lost heavily, and was owing workmen and
storekeepers and felt that lie could not get out OF hs
embarrassment The citizens o: tue place, knowing
the family well and esteeming them highly, were
very deeply affected with this dread tragedy, and
could find no pallation for this Wholesale murder OF
his family.
The circumstances connected with this dreadful
affair." almost fully coiroborae this supposition Of facts,
as they occurred while the tragedy was progressing
The GOODNESS which he displayed in accomplishing his
horrible work the systematic manner which he pur-
sued in following il out and in destroying the lives of
bis vctims one by one until they were all dead-the
sitting down to write the letters to his Trends WINE
the dead bodies Ct fis wife and little ones lay around
hm-the fact that Mr. Martineau noticed nothing I'M
usual in bis appearance when he came to the door
and repeated tie conversation which We have given
above 90 to disprove the charitable supposton that
he was act ing under the strange impulse OF an insane
mind when he perpetrate1 this enormous crime.
On the other hand, is it possible that man can be
so constituted a. to be lacking in the necessary moral
courage to enable him to battle manfully with the
trials and misortunes of life ard yet have the courage,
nerve whatever we may please to call 1t, that ~
required TO enable him tn carry out ouch horrible
series of bloody acts against his own family and him.
self q recorded in this instance
We shall not stop to moralize upon this sad story,
nor indulge in melancholy musings over the untimey
end of the innocent victims. There is more import
ant duty TO be performed in pointing out the hunbug
of that worldly pride that society creates by its fool
| ish customs.
Here we have an instance of one who was endowed
with rare intellectual requirements, possessed OF
for and dotng wife, and three beautiful and affec-
tionate children, who had not the moral courage 10
brave the supercilious coldness and leernSs OF the
the public but who chose rather 10 take the fearful
| leap into the gulf Of eternity, with Gil TINS
accumulation of crime upon his soul. When
tie day comes that shall find society ready 10
synpathze with mslor une and To encourage men on
TO renewed eIefton after adversely shall have s'd
its heavy hand upon them, instead Of, now, turning
the cold sho ader and PatroIzingy plying the unior
tunate one, without Ceignng to recognize him upon
the platform Of equality the record of events will not
he stained with crimes ike this for the commission OF
which cold.hearted and calloused society must al
present stand responsible.
Our correspondent at San Francisco sends Us the
follow ing in re- gard to tle above melancholy af,r
"Our State continues to maintain its sad preemnence
in deeds of blood Fst upon the list of the cr OF
the ast fortnight il the Brennan tragedy at Grass al
lev. Michel Brennan was man Of fine education
aud of considerable talent respected by all who knew
him. and possessed of such capacities Tor business that
be might be certain Of having 80 long as he should
live, not only the comforts but also the Injuries Oh
life. His greatest treasure in the estimation OF many
who knew him, was lovely and accomplished and loy
ing wife and three beautiful children. II is sad that his
household was the model end the envy OF Grass Val
ley, where there many happy and prosperous lam
ilies There was one obstacle in the way of his hap
piress; he bad contracted debs which he could never
| pay. The Mount Hope Mining Company, OF which
| he was sgent had, under his management, con-
trsced debt TO the amount Of tltDOW and was hope
les.ly bankrupt. The thought that he was the cause
Of the suffering which was TO ensue from this bank
| ruptcy was too much for him. The suffering would
probably be but tte 81 far as We know, no one WIZ
be tLted Of the comforts of life by pecuniary loss in
| the Mount Hope Mimi Company; but there would
| s be thst mental suffering which men Icel at the
| dininution of their capital by the management OF
| others. Brennan would not Outlve this; he deter
mined to die and unwilling to leave his wife and chill
dren 10 struggle with poverty and to bear the disgrace
OF his suicide he determined that they should die with
| him. He studied his plan for weeks; sent to San
FrapcscO for ounces Of prssic acid; and having
received il and all being ready he gave mort al dose
irs to his wife, then TO child after another, and
finally himself; and the five souls we're freed from
the eoIrows Of earth.
| Tie Jury brought in a verdict OF Temporary ill.,
sanity IN the part of Mr. Brennan, but have seen
nothing TO Justify the verdict, unless i be assumed
| that the must be insane whoiis sick OF life On
| tie morning Of the tragedy Brennan wrote several
farewell letters Ia fiends, aud their language has
| clearness, cooluess and affecting force which could
| scarcely be expected from insane man. SO far a.
known there nothing dishonOrabe IN his failure
he might have freed himself tIon his creditors by the
| inso, nj Jaw ard lived in comfort afterward, but
| death was preferable 10 him. He was native OF
Ireland hut had lived many years in New-fork City,
where he was connected with the press II IL tald
that be was Of the bes, stenogrsphc reporters in
the nion He had amassed little fortune of $50 600
which hs lest by the failure of bis mining company.