The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-05-27
THE NEW YORK MURDERS.

New York has had monopoly of murder
during the last four months, and In many
cases the crimes have been accompanied by
circumstances of unusual horror. In two or
three instances the unfortunate victims were
wives and mothers, and the brutal criminals
their husbands. This is almost new leaf
in the rubric of murder-for even parricide
has been more frequent than the killing of
one party to the matrimonial compact by the
other. We find the key to the terrible dramas
in the addresses of Judge Edwards, previous
to sentencing Neary and Fitzgerald, two of
the wretched wife-slayers. "You have been
for many years Incorporate in your habits ,
said his Honor, "and your physical powers
have been weakened by drink" If their
physical powers have been weakened, it IS not
illogical to conclude that their mental capaci-
ties have been proportionately impaired-for
the three-cent poison of the Five Points MUIR
ders the mind before it skaters the body. 1t
makes Conscience drunk-a reeling loafer,
not celestial gude-and familiarizes its
slave with thousand horrible fantasies and
dreams, which finally take form and shape,
and redden into fearful crimes.
The haunting horrors of delirium tremens,
are but the precursors of terrible outrages
against society and life-the premonitory
shadows of the coming crimes The man
who SINNERS his brain with the constant
fumes of bad liquor until there is rocking
and ringing in his head, and the pulses strain
and throb, as if they would burst asunder,
becomes accustomed to the atmosphere of
guilt, and finally, from out his blood-shot
eyes, begins-like the Chourineur in Sues
novel-to "see red" The vision at last be-
comes reality-the dream is replaced by the
deed, and the miserable drunkard stands
above his victim, with the instrument of death
in his hands, as crimson as his thoughts!
The curtain rises, and the drama COM
mences with an opening chorus of "Jolly
companions, every one!" In the back ground
is a. groggery, to which the singers repair,
and devilish good-natured felow--a prime
hand-a prince of boon associates, treats the
crowd-the members of which reciprocate
the kindness. The second scene is still the
groggcry, though the fun has grown more
fast and furious, and the establishment has
assumed the appearance of a dance-house, and
the scanty robes of wild-eyed women faunt
n snowy coors across the stage. The third
scene is delirium tremenS, which is anything
but popular entertainment" though it is
often popular occurrence; and the fourth
scene is the miserable howell in which the deed
of death is consummated. The curtald- tails
on a distant view of a scaffold, with a SYM
pathizing crowd around it! 1t is a drama
which could be written by Mephis topheles
alone-ferce tragedy, thrown into bold relief
by gimpses of savage and defiant mirth.
We do not believe in the possibility of
compelling men by law to be virtuous, and
consider the extreme views of the Mainiacs
as the worst impedimcnt to the progress of
temperance; but, in the face of the facts which
we have mentioned, we regard with favor
any endeavor- cautiously, sensiby, and man.
fully made-to suppress the evils of the grog-
gerry system.-Dela.