Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1874-11-26
December and May.
A Gushing Young Dansel Suing
an Ex-COnvictfo for Breach of
Promise,
From the Brooklyn Sunday SUM-


Promise.
From the Brooklyn Sunday SUM-
The details Of the great $780,
600 breach of promise suit of j.
S, T. Stranahan's niece, Miss
May Chambetlayne, aged fifteen
years, against John Butte Holmes,
Civil Engineer and millionaire,
aged fifty four, exclusively repor-
ted a fortnight ago in the Sun
day Sun, can not but be sill fresh
iu the minds Of our readers. A
warrant, issued by Judge JO-
achimsen, has been out for Holmes
arrest, the amount of bail
being fixed at $4,000, but the
old gentleman deftly eluded the
Sheriff until he had succeeded in
getting the bail reduced to S5, 900,
and then to $4,000. This was
done by Judge McAdam on mo-
tion of Holmes counsel, without
consultation with Messrs. SPELL
issy, Gibbons & 'McInerney, the
attorneys for Miss Chamber layne.
Accordingly yesterday Holmes
surrendered himself and justified
in two sureties of $4,000 each to
stand the issue of the suit.
FoRGER AND MURDERER. IL
Holmes has a remarkably badre-
cord for man OF his wealth and
position. lie has wife now liv.
ing, tut she was compelled to'sep-
arate from him years ago on ac-
count of his brutality and indie
cency. The books Of the New
York Court of General Sessions
show that John Butte Holmes was
convicted on December 81, 1867,
of forgery and sentenced to fit-
teen years and half at hard Ia
Dor in Sing Sing, The forgery
consisted in afixing the signature
of one Emma Duck, wnom he
represented to be his vile, but who.
was in realty his mistress, his
wife being alive, to a deed ofland
which he sold to Mr.. James F.
Nagle. After serving five years,
Mr.. Bleecker and other inhuen-
tial citizens interceded for him,
and obtained his pardon from the
Governor.
During the rebellion, John
Butte Holmes formed the acquain-
taDce and seduced the affections
of the wife of Dacid Gourly,
Brooklyn policeman. Holmes
and Gourly met in Greenwich
street, New York, near the Bat
terry, one morning and an alter
cation ensued, in the course of
which Holmes shot and killed the
man whose home he bad dishon-
ored. The murder caused intense
at the time. Holmes
was tried in the Court of General
1864, He pleaded self.
defense, and was convicted of
IN TIA FOURTH DE-
An appeal was taken 10 the
Supreme Court, and pending its
decision. Holmes was admitted to
bail. No sooner was he Tree, how
hver, than he fed to the country, |
but was subsequently rearrested
and sentenced 10 one year in-the |
Penitentiary, which he served.
Other stories, not SO safely |
vouched for, and of a much more
horrible character, are freely told
about him by his acquaintanees,
ex,employes and by members OF /
the New Y ERIK bar and others. Y A
for assault is said to be |
out for him in, New Jersey, and
women are constantly turning up
who claim to have been the VIC
tims of his insults. Hti tttff
He has fled an answer denying |
the alleged premise to marry Miss
Chamberlayne, and his counsel
has made a motion to vacatr the
order of arrest, based on an affi-
lavit of Mrs. Maddox, who char
ges the fair plaintiffs mother
with being an improper charac-
ter, but at the same time speaks
in highly eulogistic termsof Miss
May herself = 40 = g. -A@'
A Fitchbnrg man developed