St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-01-12
A scandal in New York High Life.

New York social circles were greatly
startled, Wednesday evening, by the
statement that James Gordon Bennett,
proprietor of the New York Herald,
had been publicly whipped by Mi.
Frederick May, brother of the young
lady to whom Mr.. Bennett is engaged.
While accounts of the affair greatly
differ, it seems to be agreed that MI.
Nav provided himself with cowhlde
and law in wait for Mr.. Bennett In
front of the club house. On the latter's
appearance he was assaulted, beaten
and thrown down. 1t seems that Mr..
Nav without saying word took a
light cowhide from under his Overcoat
and struck Bennett on the head with 1t
three or four times. He then knocked
him down on the sidewalk, and DELHI
erately sat down on him for a moment,
but did not strike him while he was
down. Mr.. Bennett got up and faced
his antagonist, and again Mr.. May
knocked him down. When Mr.. Ben
nett had been cOwhided and knocked
down twice a gentleman stepped in
and separated the cOmbatants. Mr..
MAY walked down the avenue, while
Mr.. Bennett was taken away from the
scene of the encounter by his friends.
The direct cause of the assault on Mr..
Bennett is matter as to which none
of the parties to the affair nor their
friends were willing to give any posi-
tive information. The principals, in
deed, refused to say anything about it..
There is no doubt, however, but that
the affray grew out of the engagement
Nj n.
seems to be little doubt that Mr.. Ben
nett has been acting in manner which
Miss Mays family and friends have
considered disgraceful to him and dis
toward them.
There is no question but what he has
been an uncOmmOnly fast young man,
and his engagement to Miss May, a
beautiful and accomplished girl, who
knew nothing of the ways and wiles
and wickedness of the world she is in
but not of, was a great surprise to all
who knew both parties, and her pa
rents were blamed for suffering them
selves to be dazzled by the wealth of
a sutton as unsuitable for their daugh-
ter as well could be. Mr.. Bennett has
lived a very free life, though three
quarters of the stories of his harum-
scarum adventures may be dismissed
as idle tales. 1t is said that reports of
some of his misadventures came to the
knowledge of the father of his fancee,
several months ago, and the marriage,
which was announced for the early
was postponed because the
after positively refused his consent,
md put the lover on a six months
probation. The story goes that before |
he term expired Mr.. Bennett mistook |
/ Union league waiter for an African
thief about to make war on his favorite |
Stanley, and incapacitated him for
lOstilities, and came very near smash |
ng member of the club under the i'm
PRESTON that he was the British gov
This mixed things. But it
S understood that Miss Nav was ar
anged III bridal costume for the mar
iage ceremony on Christmas morning,
When he was unfortunately unable to
tut in an appearance, having been on
|. tOot the night before, and, when he
lid appear, there was an unpleasant
less between himself and her father,
nd her brothers vowed they would
ave satisfaction. But the course of
Oung May in striking Mr.. Bennett
meets with nothing but apprehension
rom respectable people.
The talk now is duel Young Nav
5 Il nephew of Col. Chas. A. May, of
lexican war celebrity, and of Julian
lay, who shot Mr.. Cochrane in Il duel
t Washington some years ago. Ben
ett, i'll being publicly cowhided, shares
he fate of his father, who several times
Underwent the infection.