The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-12-19

| Pi"'o VI JuS'icc' "o puiiu gorgeous chlSrches
in which to worship the Creator one da V in
seven, and demonstrate our sincerity BY
breaking His decalogue the remaining sir,
We have our physical epiden1ics of cholera, Of
smallpox, Of typhoid fever; why not our
moral epidemics of violating all the Command
ments, in order to discover which sin has the
most flavor, and is, consequently, the most
| enjoyable! On the whole, we conclude that
murder-pre-eminently cold-biooded mur-
der-is that for which we most banker for
which we are gifted by nature, the sin which,
our laws are especially designed to cover With
the mantle Of charitable forgiveness. Havings
fastened our affections on the pet Command
ment we desire to defy, we display our inge-
nuity by inventing various sauces piquant
with which to flavor this defiance.
There are fashions in the cutting of clothes:
why not fashions in the cutting of threats?
De Quincy should be alive to-day to paint the
beauties Of ''murder considered as one of the
finearts )" should have stood on Monday night
within the shadow Of Liberty street and wit
messed how little lower than the angels is
mani 1t is charming spectacle, ye law
abiding citizens Of Americas greatest city,
Will ye gaze as we turn on the calcium light
which alone was needed to make the bloody
deed as dramatic sensation as ever the
modern playwright dared to dream? Two
men meet by accident, men who had formerly
been partners in the disreputable business Of
lottery dealing and had quarrelled themselves
into dissolution, each taking with him his III
gotten gains each living on the fat and the folly
of the land. They meet, indulge in language
BETTING their honorable calling and finally
the man Simmons calls the man Duryea ga
thief"
"Don't you call me thief" mutters Dur
yea, swearing
II will call you thief" says Simmons,
with an obscene oath.
Duryea strikes Simmons They clinch and
roll into the gutter Simmons, the more pow
erful man, seems to have the advantage, and
Duryea tries in vain to free himself from the
grasp of his adversary.
&C. d you!" he exclaims, 'let me-
up!"
'You'll die first" replies Simmons, giving
him tremendous blow.
The blood gushes from Duryea's eyes and
nose and trickles down his cheeks.
''For mercys sake, let me up |" he cries.
$50 to h-!' Simmons answers, with
another blow. The blood covers Duryea's
face and streams over his collar and his shirt
as he again cries, "For mercys sake, don't
kill mel"
''Kill you !" Simmons exclaims, in fearful
paroxysm of rage, 'Td kill you dozen
times if could"
Duryea succeeds in raising himself little.
He seizes Simmons by the throat and attempts
to choke him. Simmons gasps for breath.
His face is livid, and it seems as if Duryea
were to have the best of it after all. He tries
to free his neck, but cannot
&C. d you'll" he gasped, 'Tll kill
you'll" =; "a. - .....,
Putting his hand into his pocket he draws
forth q knife 1t flashes in the air, and in
the next moment is buried in Duryea's neck
ooh! oh! Duryea cries as his head sinks
back, bathed in blood
Again the knife flashes in the air; again il
descends; the arteries behind the ear have
been cut; another stab, and the writhing Dur.
yea is dead.
.By j., he's dead!' Simmons remarks,
eoolly, as he draws the reeking knife out Of
the dead mans neck, and looking at it COM
placently, mutters, "By G., thought I'd
do it once, and I'm glad I've done it now!"
When all is over to the satisfaction Of the by
ISLANDERS, who have given their moral support
to the performance by never raising hand in
defence Of the murdered, and when Duryea ID
quite dead, policeman appears and demands
the knife.
Gail right" answers the hero Of the fray,
ssyou can have it now. don't want it any
more" The hero Injuries his ankle; but
what of that !? Are there not carts with which
to convey his brave person to the police Sta
ton, and are there not cigarse-the very best
for him to smoke after he gets there? Does
he not know that murder is; made easy and
justice is ''played out?" He cooly sends Ton
a surgeon, desiring him to 'pull away" He
turns round to survey the corpse as it passes
by, without tremor in his face. Why should
there be? Does not Simmons know that
courts and juries are on his side? What
matters it if journals protest and women
shudder for the lives of husbands pursuing
the very dangerous occupation of minding
their own business, in the region Of q street
well named Liberty Ay our hero can even
afford to lose his temper at the delay in fur
nishing him with an ambulance in which to
pursue his triumphant way to the hos
pital sWhen is that ambulance going
to come? It's very cruel keeping ma
here. My foot is very bad" Surely
the man who hacks his fellow to pieces hos q
right to protest against neglect of lame foot
has right to be surrounded by confidential
friends to whom he communicates in whispers
with view probably Of buying up whatever Of