, 1866-12-09
THE FASCINATION OF CRIME.

Thc9r IL snmethinp 11yst AriO1a md fnav.
n,ir,h,e IN tbe fasc,ro Atom wb,cb cr,r,o exa-+.
nnnn al, r,.ssrx az rcr,on. Whcncc cor,.s
Iris ,s.c;n,tjon What il the cssrncr the
secret swine ot thlt dscn 3nextincn,s,,a1,,o
,s,'..s., a.. r., -, III, aas 80 sa1sstas
and cloxnI.h have and t,rn,a hca,tbr Ind
morbid. in the minute details Of crirne. that
shock the moral scnee and make the hestt
bleed with pity Every one knows what q
rush there is Tor the newspaper that contains
the particulars OF the last shocking mur-
der" In any community hnv j" the last new
novel" is thrown aside, aud all other news
regarded ss tame and infipId In comparison
and bou the fasiesr steam presscs can hardly
throw ofr copies .npidiy enough TO satisfy
The curiosity of the public.
TiIu1d, delicate women, who swoon At the
sight of blood. md who could not sec q fly
winged without screaming aloud-ani ccn-
Tie, hlsl-bred men, Who cannot witrcss an
net of brutality or cruelty without dtssust,
arr found aeyouEing with Intense interest
thr dctails fan afro 'ious crime; aud It Is
scarcely an c2asgeration to say that, next 10
aeras hero in The excitement of an ovation,
thcrc Is no spectacle that gathers to such
hrcus Of admiration all tue eyes aud
minds Of people, as q great criminal
in all thoughts to its own centr>. No great
ar,fst-no orator in his rrondcst dsys-cycr
ruuecd such deep aud fcycrish anxiety. A
wreiched brute, whose very stupidity, per-
haps, is the main cause Of the atroclty Of his
cr;E1e. suddenly finds himself the acynosusc
Of ntiuhbu1iug eycs.r because his passions
have found issue in vengeance more shock
in- in il, ]et.i,s tl,,p murders ,rcnrr,t,v ara
Nav, We have crcn known hououets and
ssce,.xceutcl bi1tt dour n bc throxn ,nto
IN. nri>nnrr,. t,ox xhcr,. s.t = c,.,ntoo1.,,o,.,
Ing. acknowledgement m,r .7rs,r.,sd ~
rnrr1,cr of rho.c MI, !, r.. ,otarton. ~.
thc proo,5 werr orr hc,m,nr ~
How eha,, We crpl.tn thr ,bcnornenon
Docs the secret Of our sympathv ia rnch
cares lie iu the fact, that. in the r.cita, Of
some criminal action, re recognize in our.
selves something which bet.ays dim nos.
sibiI;ty OF our committing that deed nnder
temptation Is the criminal felt IN br n
brother. and are our thonebts 1ile t1,o th.+
rrnmp, roh,, Bupyan' when he s.u :,
trupka,d srr, ,ripr along tbe street nncn.
tally 10 cxclair, J s. Thcre hut for The
cTacc of God. ros ,ohr Rnrvon y, n,,ht
less, this is 4 paa,al explanation or tho
enigma. We are st.. led al seeinr - a. IN .
glass darkIy" fearful reaectfon NJ
the worst part OF ourssIyes; and thl.
euatebes kold of our interest, and f,rce,
Us through all tho details Of tbc b3,torr
But, bcyupd that dim q. ,,rc ~ ,n,,,o.t.
connection with The nr1sonrr ,t ths 80
there comes a1eo into n,,r w. ,.,,-,I
fi,c far cmotior xhi,h r,.ses ..t,,a ,.sIi ppS.
- ,,ss ~ AuAu'J
edge Of pleasure uususpectcd bv N, hr.
.,,aa ~ a. .-5 ..,
Ani- 10 toe cFo"os loc nufaestf VINO
dles publicly on the Ecahold. Is not blood
thirsty aud destrtate criminal In he thrnst
ont of IN. wt,,1d and n. sn,i.t- ,-ho.,1
~ h.. aat,.aaa e .as eo.s "aose laws
crime, hut trhlima thoush appalling epee.
80, Aae suenEan 81 endurance WIN
"n.en noW"o ne.usc eau Austa1u ateell In
1e tas' euo 1ea' 1u'ss1 e1ue"l'S'
NJ ucso. nio1e oeepss fo"annc taaa
any W '"e nsaoes ~ tnc 1"'aiie osama, tos
FhaH fhey enner IN ttS, nc endures IN dread
ffat1g. Ii MN tneJ oehold Inc trne passion
-the genuine torture OF tue mind and ths
ooos-tne extreme ea1aS1rophc that can BE-
-! lie Q! 1eeAie'sness' OF savage temper
-uo ueaeAeo taSel'ns ano' - men auu
h.aas @ @ 80 icaa " soen CREATURES 10
~ ~ o',,a, s"..u Aa no'e,s anu Fo"anees'
>ae AZ "e'o'o1amas' ~ lol-
s.a.- :. .A..ss, - ~ou,ee, 1a.t ~nen lucy
the seaaold, cnr1oslty almost ir7esls,,ble Is
rouked, In those having nerve 10, the crisis
to sec all that can be seen, Snrarn4 In Ma
poem On Curiosity, has yiyid1y porfr,rra th,,