Richland beacon., 1873-03-22

VI OlHeTs. Ills WoTuS, L InuSI udNc Hu-
man lfs-if had had a pistol with me |
should have shot her-sOme day soon .
shall take a pistol Oh purpose and shoot /
her-I should murder my keeper
and go straight for the inno-
cent girl were spoken as calmly as |
though he said, Il owe five dOllars-l
must go and pay them and at the same
time with tone of deep cOmmiseration I
for 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 man
ner changed. No one afflicted with sui
cidal mania ever treated self-deStruction
with the horror, the consciousness of its
wickedness, and the religious doubts as TO
its being pardOnable under any circum-
stances, with which he considered it. He
had never once spoken of murder as a
crime.
After long careful consideration |
came to the following conclusions -
"He is not laborins under suicidal
mania.
"His impulse is real and will have fatal
results.
confinement in an asylum would have
no curative effect.
Then took down me- books bearing
upon the anatomy of the h; aan head.
1.-The next morning | 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
600 on he said.
{, -
did you tell them all that you have told
me?'
mo. I did not dare. said that had
horrible thoughts and cravings, but with
out entering into details rs 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 sufferings, suppOsing that 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.
"sAnd even if it were found 1 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 itwOuld give you achance-just
a chance of more than life.' His grasp
tightened. | could feel his heat 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 AL
mighty bless you! You'il:do it?
"Well," said my friend, lighting fresh
cigar, Ito make my story short, did it.
with the assistance of young surgeon
whose nerve could trust. We found the
miserable piece of lead near where had
suspected it to be. 1t was Just a case of
touch and 90. Had my knife wavered
twice the breadth of its own edge-had the
assistant been unsteady with the fOrceps
it would have been fatal. / don't want
to appear vain of my success. so I'll say
no more than this-he recovered"
"And hasn't killed anybody"
mo. and doesn't want to-"
"By JOve. Wouldn't be too sure Of
that. And so the girl he wanted te MUIR
der married the MsjOr? a
"She did,"
"Then if l 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 brute!'
"YOu'd better tell him sO-here III
comes."
"Does she knOw?"
"She does"
And she's not afraid?'
a NO.
: "One other question. Does your in
;. teresting patient still live in this coun
tryg"
"He does.''
SIN what State?''
"This State
"Near here?"
"Very near.''
: "Then with all possible Difference fo
. our friend the Major, think he is yer,
I foolish. Were i'm his place should say
U MY good sir, l admit that the ball frOn
q which you suffered so lOng cannot get bacl
n into your brains, but l am by no mean
0 sure that the ideas it engendered may no
return. At any rate your presence nea
n my wife is likely to make her nervous
Il and | appeal to you as gentleman to le
u cate yourself in sone other part of tn
r country. If you do SO shall have tn
u highest respect for you; if you do not
II and ever have the misfortune to pass will
i in a mile of my house, the interior G
It your skull will become more intimatel
n acquainted than ever with lead in tn
usual fOrm.'"
y Every neatly putt said the Doctor
"but our friend does not think of con
a mitting suicide nOw."
Mercy, DoctOr!" cried, "yOu don
:: mean to say that the man who wanted
~ ~ murder the Majors wife isis
70 "The Major himself. Yes, sir."-7s'
DIe Bar