The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-10-20
MORAL PHENOMENON!


TIE toilo1Diag is tbc account qftbe ,nads- 81 rs
Lane, by DGDid WiYian5, .si.sg in O C.aGn-
daigma paper.
HIS mother being widow, married fccoai
huiband with whom fie now lives, ami With
whom David lived, but for whom he loft I'll AZ
lection, for reaions we DO not fav are well found
ed. About the age of Is, David was one day,
much aeainft his will by order of his fep father,
detained from fchool for the purpofe of affitiag
IN builneis about the farm. On this day, by ac-
cdent, log rolled on and injured one leg, that
it never could be refored to much ufe {; and
fince that time, by fome other accident, he has
been injured in the other, 70 that he has become
cripple to that degree that he cannot walk
mile in day.-At this misfortune he continu-
ally rePinng, blamed the fep father for keeping
HIM that day from fchool, whereby he received
his wound, and mortified at his appearance a.
mong his mates, fome of whom, he fays ridicu-
led HIM, he became weary of life, and determin.
ed to end his misfortunes and his life; for this
means fnlcide and murder preiented themielves
TO him, the hrit awhile appeared the mott eligi-
Bile, but it brought TO him the horrors of ap-
pcaring by his own violence before God, who
would not pardon him, and he was induced to
abandon that for the latter, which would offer
a better execute to God {; befides, death by hang
ing by other hands than his own was deirable.
1t; he became attached TO it as very pleafius
fcene to pats through. The confederation of
the cries it mutt occalion his mother at times al.
mott unbent his refolutions but the idea of its
being fweet revenge on his rep father, aroufed
his refolution to the act, and bore down every
other confideration.-Thus determined, the
next thing was a fubjed on whom the deed
might be committed. A grown perfon or a
child was quefion.-The former he conclud.
I'd Ntnffh o, IL. G..
den death and unpreparednefs, his darnnation
might be chargeable to him, and he be doubIy
guilty; the latter being more innocent, he
might avoid that charge, and refolved on it but
no one IN particular occurred to him at any time
until five minutes before he committed
the deed, period of about fix months.
All the morning of the day and until he execu-
ted his plan, be felt irreffable defire to MUIR
der, a dehre as he exprefes il, " like one hank
erng after fruit" Ira, twin fon of Mr. Lane,
gathering plumbs alone, aud the parents being
aeient, afforded favorable opportunity and
iubiect, ne nltantly leized muket, fred at, and
Tightly wounded him in the 6de Of the aldo
men. He then led theinnocent victim into the
houie, and on to the bed, and took a ftation at
the door. Ira, after little time, got from the
bed and going for the door, to fee if his father
was coming, was told by David that his father
would come by and by, and ordered him to the
bed again, and to be fill to which he {ubmit.
ted Perceivlng this wound not mortal, David
thought this work but half finifIed, and the re-
ward only the fate prlon for life it nut be
completed, and hetook the axe, went to the bed,
truck it twice into Ira's head and with the Sd
truck his head nearly off,
David often confidered Of the grief he would
bring on his mother, but it never once occurred
to him that any would he brought to the pa
rents of the murdered child. His whole intent
appears to have been on the main Object HANG.
ING. He fuppofes that preparation of the
murder when it appeared TO him, his ituation
would recommend 20, demand or excite the
mercy and forgiveness OF God, and becaufe the
crime bad been committed under 70 many pali-
atIng circumstances, his appearance before God
occaiioned by other hands than his own by vio-
lence NUT entitle him to- mercy.
His own account admits that the example OF
pious mother and brother were uninfuentiaI
to him nc had an evil temper, aganfl the indul-
gence OF IT he had often been warned, though he
never committed any other crime, of any degree
than that which he is TO atone with his life. He
IS ditreied for his unhappy mother, larnenfs
the borrow of the bereared parents, is much con-
cerned for his rate, but has no defre to efcape
hrs punlihment, yet had be rot committed the
act, and could live innocent as before he thinks
that he would not do the like, and life might
yet be defrable to him.
LAW CASE.
CoUEr, CHELMSFORD, (EVc.yJULY 81, 1901