Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-03-13

lug 10 SHOW tuat tucu Ocatn
was accidental, why should there not be
as possible) justifieds
"In the fourth place, granting that
there was either real homicidal mania
or fancied homicidal mania, tending to
suicidal, or simply the latter-was there
possibility of cure
"As the three first questions rested for
their solution on one set of facts, and the
deductions to be drawn therefrom, con-
sidered them together. A victim of sui
cidal mania rarely if ever speaks Of sui
eide. When man says he is going to
drown himself, you may generally direct
him to the cars which will take
him to the river side with the fullest con-
viction that he will not breakfast with
crabs. If, in an exceptional case suicide
is mentioned, it will either be treated
lightly, as an act that is not crime, or
the patient will be very earnest in his as
surdnces that he would never commit it.
Remembering my poor friends manner,
noticed that he spoke OF taking his own
life with much more emotion than he
eyinced when he told me of the impulse
to shed the blood of others. His words,
1 must have human life-if had had a
pistol with me l should have shot her
some day soon shall take pistol on
purpose and shoot her-I should murder
my keeper and go straight for that inno-
cent girl, were spoken as calmly as
though he said, I owe five dollars-I must
go and pay them,' and at the same time
the predestined victims. They were to
die for no fault of their own, but they
were doomed to death-if he lived.
When, on the other hand, he spoke of
saving their lives at the sacrifice of his
own, his manner changed No one
afflicted with suicidal mania ever treated
self-destruction with the horror, the con-
sciousness of its wickedness, and the re-
ligious doubts as to its being pardonable
under any circumstances, with which he
considered it. he had never once spoken
OF murder as q crime.
'After long and careful consideration
l came to the following conclusions:
''He is not laboring under suicidal
mania.
'His impulse is real and will have fatal
results.
confinement in an asylum would have
no curative effect
''Then / took down my books bearing
upon the anatomy of the human head.
X n 4 Il X
"The next morning I addressed HIM
thus:
Before / answer you as to whether
you would be justified before God, under
the impulse you have told me of, in TAX
ing your own life to save that of another,
you must answer me several questions
Go on, he said
When you consulted those doctors
did you tell them all that you have told
me?'
"'No. did not dare. said that I
had horrible thoughts and cravings, but
without entering into details as to what
they were. Once / went SO far as to say
feared was becoming dangerous, and
the fool smiled
"'Good. Did they ever speak of search
ing for that ball?'
"'Yes, they said it might be the cause
of my suHerings, snrposing it had lodged
near the brain, but that no one would
take the responsibility of searching for it
so to speak--in the dark
"'They were right-the operation
might kill you, and the ball be not found
after ALL
"He looked up, and the dull, detected
look that had become habitual passed
from his face
"'And even if it were found went
on, its extraction might cause your death
all the same
"He laid his hand on my arm, and tried
to speak, but he could not.
"'Still it would give yoAa chance-just
chance of more than me- His grasp
frightened. could feel his heart beating
And submitting to such an operation
almost hopeless though it be-would not
be quite suicide
''He fell on his knees and sobbed like
child. You'll do it, he cried God
Almighty bless you'll You'll do its'
X
"Well," said my friend, lighting fresh
cigar, ''to make my story short, did it,
with the assistance Of young surgeon
whose nerve could trust. We found that
miserable piece of lead near where had
suspected it to be. 1t was just case of
touch and go. Had my knife wavered
twice the breadth of its own edge-had
the assistant been unsteady with the for
ceps-it would have been fatal / don't
want to appear vain of my success, so I'll
say no more than this-he recoUered.
"And hasn't killed anybody?"
"No, and doesn't want to-"
"By Jovel l wouldn't be too sure of
that. And so the girl he wanted to
murder married the Major?"
"She did,"
"Then if were her husband I'd take
precious good care that your interesting
patient didn't come into the same State
with her."
my dear fellow if you were her hus-
band you'd do exactly as her husband
does"
'Does he know?"
"None better"
"And doesn't care?"
Not Bit"
"Then he's bruter'
"You'd better tell him so-here he
comes"
"Does she know?"
s'She does"
"And she's not afraids"
"No."
zone other question Does your il-
teresting patient still live in this coun-
tryf"
s'He does.'
"In what States"
''This State"
"Near heres"
Every near"
"Then, with all possible Difference for
our friend the Major, think he is very
foolish. Were in his place l should
say, My good sir, admit that the ball
from which you suffered so long cannot
get back into POUR brains, but am by no
means sure that the ideas it engendered