Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-07-15
A DIVORCED WIFE,s REVENGE.
ASSASSINATION OF A SOUTHERN
POET.

was yesterday afternoon thrown into a
state of great excitement by the particu-
lars of most outrageous and murderous
attack upon Pearl Rivers, the newly
welded wife of A. M. Holbrook, Esq.
The real name of the lady, by which
she is unknown to the reading world,
is Eliza J. Poitevent, and it is but few
weeks ago the wedding took place.
Jennie Bronson, the woman who made
the attack, is the former wife of Mr..
Holbrook, by whom he is divorced by
regular decree of court. Her desire for
revenge was rather sudden. She had
given in her acquiescence to the new
marriage. and it was only known yester-
day, when the circumstances of the hor-
rible affair began to circulate around
the neighborhood, that she was bent up
on some deadly injury upon the unfor-
tunate victim of her jealousy.
About twenty minutes before the at
tack was made, a closely yelled woman
subsequently ascertained to be Jennie
Bronson, was seen standing on the cor
ner of Orange and Constance streets,
looking toward Magazine street, evident
ly expecting the arrival of some one.
Growing impatient, she walked up Con-
stance, and around to the rear of Mr..
Holbrook's residence. This was about
one o'clock.
The house is one of row, is two sto-
ries in height placed somewhat back
from the street. Knowing from her for
mer life the surrounding, the exits and
entrances to the mansion. Jennie Bron-
son, with tread like cat, stealthily
crept through the back gate, crossed the
yard, ascended the stairs into the hall
way, directly over the lower passage,
with a fell and murderous intent -
Pearl Rivers, unconscious of danger,
stood in the room at the end of the hall,
up stairs, making her toilet in front of
the bureau, or, rather, was dressing
for dinner" Jennie Bronson advanced
and covered her head with a pistol
Pearl Rivers turned and saw the woman
with the pistol leveled, the sight burst
ing into her vision like an aparition.
The crack of the pistol and the sudden
turning of Pearl Rivers were simultane-
Gus, and one-two-three shots were
fired in an instant at her unfortunate
head, the assailant looking like demon
in her hate, all three shots taking effect.
1t may have been the instinct of self
preservation, or perhaps the quick
prompting of her woman's impulse, but
for some reason Pearl Rivers, small and
fragile as she is, rushed toward the MUIR
deress and grappled with her, large and
powerful as she was, wrestling the pistol
from her grasp, while its barrels were
yet heated and smoking. Then the
rage and fury of the assassin knew no
bounds. In frenzy, and while the
powers of the young lady were gradual
ly departing from her, the woman seized
the ornamental vases and bottles on the
bureau and crushed them, one after the
other, upon her head, raining blow after
blow, cutting deep cash in the fore
head, another over the ear, third on
the crown. from all of which the blood
poured, mingling with that from The
pistol wounds previously given, anc
Pearl Rivers would undoubtedly have
been killed but for the arrival of a thir6
party. This was a good strong Irisl
woman, who, hearing the noise of con
tention. rushed up the stairs and pin
ioned back the arms of the virago, ren
dering her powerless for more harm
while she ground her teeth in impoten
rage.
While she was struggling with tn
L servant, Pearl Rivers darted down stair
and out of the house like flash, an
= into the house of Mr.. Rainey, calm
= upon the family for Gods sake to pro
tect her. Jennie Bronson turned t
wreak her vengeance upon inanimat
things Her dress and hair were cover
9 ed with Pearl Rivers blood. She tor
the young wife's dresses out from th
armoirs and strutted in them as at
masquerade she broke mirrors and toi
), let sets she descended to the yard, ant
seizing an ak that lay in the woodshe6
: rushed with it into the house, and NAL
ing for the grand piano, hewed the fin
work of it into bits she dashed ope
the cover, and with several sturdy an
y vigorous blows with the ak, cut the de
y icate chords of the sounding board, an
- rendered the beautiful instrument worth
less: She attacked the glass mirror
and smashed them into splinters. TurI
: ing around and seeing the table just lai
- out for luncheon, with the crockery an
= tableware upon it, she destroyed tn;
= = with blow after blow, strewing the fra,
= ments about the floor in every direction
. From the storeroom she seized the chan
: pagne, and opening bottle, drank i
" entire contents almost at gulp, destro
ing everything upon which she could |;
- - her hands, and sparing nothing beaut
= full or artistic with which the mantl
= were covered, and running the interi
~ of one of the most tasteful and we'll de