Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-08-22
A TERRIBLE AFFAIR.
Wholesale Poisoning Case at vioks
burg - Twelve Persons already
dead and othersin Jeopardy.


Our sister city, Vicksburg, has been
visited with calamity which has cast q
gloom over the entire community and
sent shudder of horror through every
heart. The Times of the 18th, which
reached us last evening, thus tells the sad
story:
On Tuesday evening last, very gay
party of young ladies and gentlemen,
some from this city, the remainder re-
siding in the vicinity of that place, we're
assembled at the residence of Mrs. A. l..
Hebron, the respected widow of the late
Col John Hebron, near Bovina, in this
county. The evening passed off most
pleasantly, with the usual amusements of
dancing, conversation and music.
Within the brief space of time that
has elapsed since those glad young spirits
parted Wednesday morning, seven have
uttered their last good night" and
have passed beyond the river of death
Twelve others are still i'll, .and some Of
them quivering between life and death,
tottering on the very brink of the grave.
Among those who have already perished
we note the names of Miss Rebecca He.
bron, Miss Ellen Tribble, Messrs. James
Billingsea, VIM. Tribble, Hal Wilkins,
Thornton Sthreshly and Allen Auter.
Those now i'll are Miss Mollie Downing,
of this city, Miss Victoria Bachelor and
Miss Viola Brabston, Of the Bovina
neighborhood, and Messrs. Joseph and
Alexander Johnson (brothers), Granville
Hicks, Andrew and Henry Bolles
(brothers), A. G. Brooks, Captain j, M.
Bachelor, Henry Brabston and William
Hunter
All the parties were similarly affected,
and each had, we learn, strong symptoms
of cholera but we understand that the
medical gentlemen in attendance concur
in the opinion, that the guests at the
party were poisoned, possibly by having
some poisonous substance administered
in some portion of the food. This opin.
ion is strengthened by the report that
such guests as did not participate in the
lighter refreshments of the evening
cakes, ices and confectioneries-have
experienced no oinconvenience. We trust
the affair may be thoroughly investigated
to the end, that if so horrible a crime al
poisoning a large party of innocent
young ladies and gentlemen, has beer
committed, the guilty perpetrators of the
atrocity may be brought to condign pun
ishment.
In addition to the names of those W.
have mentioned, we learn that five SER
wants have died from the same cause
and with the same general symptoms
and it is q suspicious fact that each o
those servants accompanied some of tht
guests in the capacity of personal atten
dants So far as we learn, none of thu
servants employed in the house of Mrs
Hebron, the esteemed lady hostess, hav,
suffered in any way AS a matter o
| course, there are many rumors in regarC
to this mysterious and melancholy afhie
ton, but at present we forbear to men
ton them.
Our whole community is greatly
grieved and excited by this sad affair
and the sudden death of so many younl
persons, and the dangerous illness Of 81
many more, all highly respected, anC
members of our most esteemed families
has cast a universal gloom over our citi
zens, and brought forth, as such an even
could not fail to do, the warmest anC
sincerest sympathy for those whose
hearts and homes have been shrouded il
sorrow, by the death of their sons anC
daughters in this mysterious and terrible
manner Those who yet live have the
most earnest prayers of our whole people
| for their rescue from death, and restora-
ton to life and health