The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-11-14
ALMOST A TRAGEDY.

zENo BURNHAM AGAIN AFTER THE BLOOD OF
STEPHEN r. FIsKE-HIs ARREST AND COM
INITIAL TO THE ToMBs
Mr. Zeno Burnham, well known for years past in this
vicinity an auctoneer, to be peculiarly
fortunate individual, aside from being, alleged
very wicked one He had the i'll luck, some time since,
TO have the affections OF his wife, Tor whom he
to entertain the fondest regard alienated from him,
and now because that WIFE, he has been cast into the
Tombs The public olerably familiar with the re
cent between Mr.. Stephen r. Fiske business
manager of the Fifth Avenue Theatre, and Burnham,
when 1t alleged Burnham proposed, after the most
approved style Of
MODERN MuRDRRERs,
to put daylight through the body of the alleged
piferer OF his wifes love. The affair, It was
believed, had been amcably settled by the removal
of Mrs. Burnham from tie house occupied by Fiske
Since that time however the blood Of Burnham seems
to have been again raised to homicda heat with the
result above stated
on the complaint OF Fiske and on an indictment
found by the Grand Jury special officers attached
to the District Attorneys olce-Detective Richard
oConnor and Richard FIeds-arrested Mr.. Burnham
at O'Clock Friday afternoon at his house, No LAT
Broadway and hastily committed him to the Of
Warden John quinn. The charge against him is that
Of threatening TO take the life OF Fske The indct-
men found contains eight counts, four OF them charg
ing in FORMS the attempt Of Burnham to shoot
the complainant, and tho four other counts charging
different attempts to cut, stab, beat and wound him
with a knife. The annexed statement gwen by Mr..
Fske to the members Of the Grand Jury tells its
story: -
MR. FrsKEs STATEMENT.
On the evening Of October -, 1875 while ! at
tending to my business al the Fifth Avenue Theatre
noticed that | was followed by Icno Burnham IN q
threatening manner As passed him the corner Of
Twenty eighth street and Broadway he mutored
thing and stopped and asked him II he had spoken to
me- He said Eyes and mean to kill YOU" repeating
this many times With opprobrious opthots and saying
that he would follow me everywhere bcckoned 10 the
policeman front of the theatre who stepped up and
Burnham quickly away The next day, October IS
! reported Burnhan's threats TO my counsel A. Oakley
Hall, and TO Inspector Diks The Inspector TO
October IS that my letter duly received and
placed hlc that ne had sent for Burnham to give
him good advice, (Which, II not accepted his
case would be promptly attended tor
rested quietly under this promise and saw nothing
further Of Burnham until the evening OF November 3,
1870, when was dining at my residence, No 100 West
Forty ninth street My housekeeper rushed into tho
and declared that man chasing her.
moment after a violent kicking began my door and
the door kicked open, the lock and woodwork
pulled him into the light and saw that il was Zeno
Burnham, with pistol in hts hand | seized bis
hand and alter struggle threw him down and ordered
him TO give up the pistol which, after
he did Before this ! sent my friend, Mr. -, who
was living with mo, for policeman. He then said
by holding him down, and that II would let him up
he would either go away quietly or wait Tor the police
man. believed this promise and released hun, upon
which he caught up carving knife from the kitchen
table and again attacked me, excaimng, 'ph XIII you
plI cut your heart outm | ran forward, knocked him
down and took the knife from him In tho struggle he
was hit upon the forehead and bod profusey As he
stanching the wound the policeman arrived, and took
US both to the Forty seventh street station On tho
way thIther Durham offered TO withdraw his charge
against II would let him GO but u was not TIL We
arrived at station that found he had concoctod the
story that had stabbed him am informed and be-
leve that November be has repeatedly renewed
his threats TO kill me- and that on November no
stated to Mr. Hayn, Of the New York S'1. that he
would kill me- STEPHEN K FISKE
BuRSHAm IN THE
reporter of the HERALD visited the Tombs for tho
purpose OF seeing and conversing with the prisoner
Burnham. Warden Quinn courteously admitted the
reporter and directed him TO cell No 40 on the second
tier Burnham occupied the next cell 10 John Scan
NELL the alleged murderer Of oDonohue who was con-
versing through his prison crate with his wife Al the
time or the reporters entrance
Durham sitting on bis bed with his head rest
Ing on his hands, in bent posture Upon hear
ing tho VISITORS object in seeking him he seemed to
think absently for soma time aud finally approached
the cell door smiling In sort OF melancholy manner.
He said, WELL SIR arrested yesterday afternoon
by Officers O'Connor and Fields, as nearing the
door Of my house, after had been taking a walk with
MY Girl.
had done nothing that could recollect and knew no.
why arrested y
RSroRrER--Mr Burnham, tho papers attached to the
indictment found against you that since your
difficulty with Mr. Fiskc you have been making new
threats against his like
BURSHAM lsmiling ncrodulousyl-That h not So
sir told my wife when she leaving that man q
house that some Of my things which she had ken
away with her upon leaving mo not IN her pos.
session. and that n they not forthcoming I
would make q complaints against Mr.. Fiska
Altar a whlla Ia added with some vehanance OF