The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1873-11-13
What Morphine Did.


The early part Of the prc,ent
year the city of Upsala, in Swc-
den, was the scene OF disastrous
fires, one of them (21st of Febru-
ary) destroying % houses. -Four
children, unable to escape, per-
lshed. Six days aftcrward the
city was again found to be on fire
in three places. Tho alarm was,
however, given so promptly that
the flames were soon extinguished.
A person was caught sprinking
tho staircase of an old bnildiIg
on Kongen street, with kerosene.
Upon being searched, number
Of "Greek fire kindlcrs" were
found in his pocke cts. He was
taken to the police office, where
he gave his name as Benson Lorn.
veg, aged 20, q native of Trondh.
jem, aud by profession a school
teacher. Upon being questioned
as to what he had been doing
with kerosene, the prisoner made
a startling statement. He said, in
faltering voice, that since the
3lst Of December, 1872, he had
set fire to numerous houses in
Upsala, and that he was the incen.
diary that caused the fatal confla-
grafton of February 81, Lornweg
continued: "The great cause of
my troubles and crime has been
the habitual use of morphine, to
which / became addicted last
year, after first taking it in order
to allay intolerable neuralgic
pains. FINAL = the drug became
such a necessity for me that had
to spend nearly my whole salary
in purchasing morphine; and,
when cnce under the influence Of
the latter, l felt an irresistible de.
sire to set houses on fire, / did
this the first time last New Years
night at the house of my employ
er, Mr.. Riderstag, whose children
| gave lessons in Latin and French.
The fire was extinguished, how
ever; but on the following night 1
tried it again-this time on Bel
ling street, with better success.
The house 1 set fire to was des-
iroyed. The passion grew on me
SO rapidly and terribly that l fire.
quently felt tempted to become
an legendary in broad daylight,
and l even was irresistibly tempt.
cd to burn down houses in which |
human beings were sleeping"
Lornweg was speedily tried and
sentenced to death. Efforts were
made to obtain the doomed teach
er's pardon, but King Oscar re-
fused to commute the sentence, and |,
on the appointed day Lornweg
was on the scaffold. lie was very
pale, and his hair had grown gray
while in prison. But he was re-
markably firm, and when the ex-
ecutioner told him to lay his right
hand on a small marble top table,
in order that it might be cut of,
he readily did so. He WINGED when
the executioner's cleaver entered
his wrist, but did not utter even a
groan. The executioner took the
hand ard flung it into the basket
which was soon to receive Lorn-
weg's head. He then told the
culprit, whose right arm was ban
daged hastily, to sit down in an
arm chair. placing on his head a
grotesque paper hat, with the in
scription. "This is an assassin"
The wretch renamed in this posi-.
ton for one hour, during which
he became very faint, and finally |
closed his bandage of his mutilat-
ed arm, saturated with blood, pre-
senting a horrible sight. He was
baIf dead already, when the exc
cutioner led him to the block.
Upon laying his head upon it,
Lornweg exclaimed in a feeble
voice, "Lord God, have mercy
upon me-" Then a stroke of the
axe put him out of misery.