The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-02-13

should have shot her-sOme day soon |
shall take a pistol on purpose and shoot
her-I should murder my keeper
and 60, straight for the inno-
cent girl were spoken as calmly as
though he said, Il owe five dollars-I
must go and pay them,' and at the same
time with tone of deep commiseration
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 a long careful consideration |
came to the following conclusions -
"He is not laboring under suicidal
mania.
ellis 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.
lne neAU morning auureSSeu nlm
thus -
''Before l 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 had
horrible thoughts and cravings, but with
out entering into details as to what they
were. Once l 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.
"And 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 a chancc-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'll You'll do it?'
"well," said my friend, lighting fresh
cigar, ito make my story short, did it,
with the assistance of a young surgeon
whose nerve | could trust. We found the
miserable piece of lead near where l 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 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?"
"No. and doesn't want to-"
"By Jove. Wouldn't be too sure of
that. And so the girl he wanted to muir
der married the Major?"
:. "She did,"
"Then if 1 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 knov?"
"None better.n
"And doesn't care?'
Not Bit"
'Then he's brute -
You'd better tell him so-here h
comes"
"Does she know?n
She does"
"And she's not afraid?"
"No."
"One other question. Does your in
teresting patient still live in this coun
tryT1n1 ,oo. ,
In what State?''
"This State"
"Near here?n
"Very near"
"Then with all possible Difference 70
our friend the Major, / think he is yer
foolish. Were | in his place | should say
My good sir, admit that the ball froI
which you suffered so long cannot get bac
into your brains, but l am by no mean
sure that the ideas it engendered may nc
return. AT any rate your presence nea
my wife is likely to make her nervous
and | appeal to you as a gentleman to le
cate yourself in some other part of tn
/, country. If you do so l shall have tn
! highest respect for you; if you do no
and ever have the misfortune to pass witt
in a mile of my house, the interior {
your skull will become more intimatel
acquainted than ever with lead in tn
usual FORM"
VERY neatly put" said the Docto
"but our friend does not think of con
mitting suicide now."
Mercy, Doctor!" cried, "you don
! mean to say that the man who wanted
! murder the Majors wife isis"
1.-THE Major himself. Yes, sir."-7s,