sketches new and old-第40章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


but　it　is　of　no　consequence。　　He　has　probably　ceased　to　bother　about　it
by　this　timeand　I　have　not　commenced　yet。　　I　confess；　madam；　that　I　do
something　in　the　way　of　editing　and　lecturing；　but　the　other　crimes　you
mention　have　escaped　my　memory。　　Yet　I　must　have　committed　themyou
would　not　deceive　a　stranger。　　But　let　the　past　be　as　it　was；　and　let　the
future　be　as　it　maythese　are　nothing。　　I　have　only　cared　for　one　thing。
I　have　always　felt　that　I　should　be　hanged　some　day；　and　somehow　the
thought　has　annoyed　me　considerably；　but　if　you　can　only　assure　me　that　I
shall　be　hanged　in　New　Hampshire〃

〃Not　a　shadow　of　a　doubt！〃

〃Bless　you；　my　benefactress！excuse　this　embraceyou　have　removed　a
great　load　from　my　breast。　　To　be　hanged　in　New　Hampshire　is　happiness
it　leaves　an　honored　name　behind　a　man；　and　introduces　him　at　once　into
the　best　New　Hampshire　society　in　the　other　world。〃

I　then　took　leave　of　the　fortune…teller。　　But；　seriously；　is　it　well　to
glorify　a　murderous　villain　on　the　scaffold；　as　Pike　was　glorified　in　New
Hampshire？　　Is　it　well　to　turn　the　penalty　for　a　bloody　crime　into　a
reward？　　Is　it　just　to　do　it？　　Is；　it　safe？






A　NEW　CRIME

LEGISLATION　NEEDED

This　country；　during　the　last　thirty　or　forty　years；　has　produced　some　of
the　most　remarkable　cases　of　insanity　of　which　there　is　any　mention　in
history。　　For　instance；　there　was　the　Baldwin　case；　in　Ohio；　twenty…two
years　ago。　　Baldwin；　from　his　boyhood　up；　had　been　of　a　vindictive；
malignant；　quarrelsome　nature。　　He　put　a　boy's　eye　out　once；　and　never
was　heard　upon　any　occasion　to　utter　a　regret　for　it。　　He　did　many　such
things。　　But　at　last　he　did　something　that　was　serious。　　He　called　at　a
house　just　after　dark　one　evening；　knocked；　and　when　the　occupant　came　to
the　door；　shot　him　dead；　and　then　tried　to　escape；　but　was　captured。
Two　days　before；　he　had　wantonly　insulted　a　helpless　cripple；　and　the　man
he　afterward　took　swift　vengeance　upon　with　an　assassin　bullet　had
knocked　him　down。　　Such　was　the　Baldwin　case。　　The　trial　was　long　and
exciting；　the　community　was　fearfully　wrought　up。　　Men　said　this
spiteful；　bad…hearted　villain　had　caused　grief　enough　in　his　time；　and
now　he　should　satisfy　the　law。　　But　they　were　mistaken；　Baldwin　was
insane　when　he　did　the　deedthey　had　not　thought　of　that。　　By　the
argument　of　counsel　it　was　shown　that　at　half　past　ten　in　the　morning　on
the　day　of　the　murder；　Baldwin　became　insane；　and　remained　so　for　eleven
hours　and　a　half　exactly。　　This　just　covered　the　case　comfortably；　and　he
was　acquitted。　　Thus；　if　an　unthinking　and　excited　community　had　been
listened　to　instead　of　the　arguments　of　counsel；　a　poor　crazy　creature
would　have　been　held　to　a　fearful　responsibility　for　a　mere　freak　of
madness。　　Baldwin　went　clear；　and　although　his　relatives　and　friends　were
naturally　incensed　against　the　community　for　their　injurious　suspicions
and　remarks；　they　said　let　it　go　for　this　time；　and　did　not　prosecute。
The　Baldwins　were　very　wealthy。　　This　same　Baldwin　had　momentary　fits　of
insanity　twice　afterward；　and　on　both　occasions　killed　people　he　had
grudges　against。　　And　on　both　these　occasions　the　circumstances　of　the
killing　were　so　aggravated；　and　the　murders　so　seemingly　heartless　and
treacherous；　that　if　Baldwin　had　not　been　insane　he　would　have　been
hanged　without　the　shadow　of　a　doubt。　　As　it　was；　it　required　all　his
political　and　family　influence　to　get　him　clear　in　one　of　the　cases；　and
cost　him　not　less　than　ten　thousand　dollars　to　get　clear　in　the　other。
One　of　these　men　he　had　notoriously　been　threatening　to　kill　for　twelve
years。　　The　poor　creature　happened；　by　the　merest　piece　of　ill　fortune；
to　come　along　a　dark　alley　at　the　very　moment　that　Baldwin's　insanity
came　upon　him；　and　so　he　was　shot　in　the　back　with　a　gun　loaded　with
slugs。

Take　the　case　of　Lynch　Hackett；　of　Pennsylvania。　　Twice；　in　public；　he
attacked　a　German　butcher　by　the　name　of　Bemis　Feldner；　with　a　cane；　and
both　times　Feldner　whipped　him　with　his　fists。　　Hackett　was　a　vain；
wealthy；　violent　gentleman；　who　held　his　blood　and　family　in　high　esteem；
and　believed　that　a　reverent　respect　was　due　to　his　great　riches。　　He
brooded　over　the　shame　of　his　chastisement　for　two　weeks；　and　then；　in　a
momentary　fit　of　insanity；　armed　himself　to　the　teeth；　rode　into　town；
waited　a　couple　of　hours　until　he　saw　Feldner　coming　down　the　street　with
his　wife　on　his　arm；　and　then；　as　the　couple　passed　the　doorway　in　which
he　had　partially　concealed　himself；　he　drove　a　knife　into　Feldner's　neck；
killing　him　instantly。　　The　widow　caught　the　limp　form　and　eased　it　to
the　earth。　　Both　were　drenched　with　blood。　　Hackett　jocosely　remarked　to
her　that　as　a　professional　butcher's　recent　wife　she　could　appreciate　the
artistic　neatness　of　the　job　that　left　her　in　condition　to　marry　again；
in　case　she　wanted　to。　　This　remark；　and　another　which　he　made　to　a
friend；　that　his　position　in　society　made　the　killing　of　an　obscure
citizen　simply　an　〃eccentricity〃　instead　of　a　crime；　were　shown　to　be
evidences　of　insanity；　and　so　Hackett　escaped　punishment。　　The　jury　were
hardly　inclined　to　accept　these　as　proofs　at　first；　inasmuch　as　the
prisoner　had　never　been　insane　before　the　murder；　and　under　the
tranquilizing　effect　of　the　butchering　had　immediately　regained　his　right
mind；　but　when　the　defense　came　to　show　that　a　third　cousin　of　Hackett's
wife's　stepfather　was　insane；　and　not　only　insane；　but　had　a　nose　the
very　counterpart　of　Hackett's；　it　was　plain　that　insanity　was　hereditary
in　the　family；　and　Hackett　had　come　by　it　by　legitimate　inheritance。

Of　course　the　jury　then　acquitted　him。　　But　it　was　a　merciful　providence
that　Mrs。　H。's　people　had　been　afflicted　as　shown；　else　Hackett　would
certainly　have　been　hanged。

However；　it　is　not　possible　to　recount　all　the　marvelous　cases　of
insanity　that　have　come　under　the　public　notice　in　the　last　thirty　or
forty　years。　　There　was　the　Durgin　case　in　New　Jersey　three　years　ago。
The　servant　girl；　Bridget　Durgin；　at　dead　of　night；　invaded　her
mistress's　bedroom　and　carved　the　lady　literally　to　pieces　with　a　knife。
Then　she　dragged　the　body　to　the　middle　of　the　floor；　and　beat　and　banged
it　with　chairs　and　such　things。　　Next　she　opened　the　feather　beds；　and
strewed　the　contents　around；　saturated　everything　with　kerosene；　and　set
fire　to　the　general　wreck。　　She　now　took　up　the　young　child　of　the
murdered　woman　in　her　blood　smeared　hands　and　walked　off；　through　the
snow；　with　no　shoes　on；　to　a　neighbor's　house　a　quarter　of　a　mile　off；
and　told　a　string　of　wild；　incoherent　stories　about　some　men　coming　and
setting　fire　to　the　house；　and　then　she　cried　piteously；　and　without
seeming　to　think　there　was　anything　suggestive　about　the　blood　upon　her
hands；　her　clothing；　and　the　baby；　volunteered　the　remark　that　she　was
afraid　those　men　had　murdered　her　mistress！　　Afterward；　by　her　own
confession　and　other　testimony；　it　was　proved　that　the　mistress　had
always　been　kind　to　the　girl；　consequently　there　was　no　revenge　in　the
murder；　and　it　was　also　shown　that　the　girl　took　nothing　away　from　the
burning　house；　not　even　her　own　shoes；　and　consequently　robbery　was　not
the　motive。

Now；　the　reader　says；　〃Here　comes　that　same　old　plea　of　insanity　again。〃
But　the　reader　has　deceived　himself　this　time。　　No　such　plea　was　offered
in　her　defense。　　The　judge　sentenced　her；　nobody　persecuted　the　governor
with　petitions　for　her　pardon；　and　she　was　promptly　hanged。

There　was　that　youth　in　Pennsylvania；　whose　curious　confession　was
published　some　years　ago。　　It　was　simply　a　conglomeration　of　incoherent
drivel　from　beginning　to　end；　and　so　was　his　lengthy　speech　on　the
scaffold　afterward。　　For　a　whole　year　he　was　haunted　with　a　desire　to
disfigure　a　certain　young　woman；　so　that　no　one　would　marry　her。　　He　did
not　love　her　himself；　and　did　not　want　to　marry　her；　but　he　did　not　want
anybody　else　to　do　it。　　He　would　not　go　anywhere　with　her；　and　yet　was
opposed　to　anybody　else's　escorting　her。　　Upon　one　occasion　he　declined
to　go　to　a　wedding　with　her；　and　when　she　got　other　company；　lay　in　wait
for　the　couple　by　the　road；　intending　to　make　t