, 1874-09-03
A FTENnIHH NRTkfE,


--.--...---..--.--.e
A FIEND1sH CRIME.
In Mr. Daly'a play, "Undor tho daslight," the
tho yillans, who tic thoir victim across rail-
road track and Leave him there 10 10 killed hy
MI approaching train, from which position ho is
rescued by friendly hand In tin,o to savo hia
]lfo. At tho timo OF tho frat production Of this
play, this particular situation was looked upon
as highly sensational, bocauao II was not likely
oyor to occur tn actual lifo. Tho exact sitt1a-
ton, however, haH occurred In actual hfo, with
tito duplorablo exception that thcro was no
fr1on0ly hand to resouo tho victim from his fate.
A few nights Since. near Jeiforsonyijlo, Ind,
August Gardner, young Froncl'man, while
walking along tho railroad track in tho direction
Of Louisville, In search Of employment. was &C.
coatod by threo rufl}ans who demanded his
money. Ho appealed to their souse Of generosity
by telling shou ho WAS n poor nun in search Of
work. Tho appeal waa III vain, however, tho
fends not only being destitute Of generosity,
bat, as tho sequel shown, Of all human feeling
also.: After taking hts small supply Of money.
tloy throw him down upon tho track and bound
him 10 It, notwithstanding hia pitoous pleading
for 1neroy, and ILLS appeals to them not to kill
him. for he did not know thom, had mover done
them any harm, aud would mover gay anything
about tho robbery. Ill in vain! Thoy turned
cold ear to his ontreaties. bound him to tho
rails, and loft him to bis fato. The poor wretch
LII
strength, for ho knew TINT trim would soon
paas that way, and in the darkness Of tho night
he would DO ul,aoon by tho ongiuoer. Tho hor~
ror ho must havo suffered, his agony as to hoard
tho train In tho far distance 'evory instant conn.,
ing nearor to him, no pom could describe His
Screams for help aroused no ono. 10 was nloue
with bis fate, but 10 struggled OIL btavoly to ro-
lease himHolf. He could not unfasten tho ropes,
but ho succeeded III 80 1ooHoning them aa to bo
ablo to swing bis armH aud body OF the track.
A few minutes moro and 10 might porhaps
roleaso lis legs also. This faint hope, howoyor,
was never realized. Before he could accomplish
it, tho remorselosB Bcroam Of tho engfmo WIS
heard. Ho closed hiA eyes, and in anothox in
dsAuL kla HDNf1 *hLA 4@kA pofNl1NA 4Vtk H1kA
hurled him OF ut tho sido Of tho track, He
crawlod away aud lay bleeding and nearly sense-
less all night long in the tlarkness and the rain.
Tho next day ho died.
The a1annla Of crime do not furnish amore ap-
paling or atrociouB ono than this, or ono moro
utterly destitute Of morcy ind humanity. In all
tho torturo-chanabers Of the world there has
! 1lovor boon o rnok moro fearful. Il recalla the
"Liviug Doath," "Tbo Fa1i Of the House ot
| Usher," aud tho horrible stories Of tho 1nquiai'
tion which Poo 80 graphically pictured. 1t pro.
] sonts picture OF domoliao cruelty wbicll car
! only find its equal In Homo Of tho medieval
| priuts Of hell depicting the tortures Of u1e
damned. If thoro had boon motive Of revenge
or any exciting canae whatovor, 1t may
hayo lcsaouod tho horrors Of tho scone. Bui
thoro WIS 10 motive except to cover up tht
| eyidonco Of robbory.-tho robbery Of . pool
laboror Booking employment who had boggot
tho Aeuds to spare his life and promised novel
| to dig1i1go tho robbery. AZ no crime cau bt
imagined moro cruel tLau shis, 30 no puniah
ment can bo conceived adequate to compensate
for 1t, except punehment in kind. II tilt
perpetrators arc evcr caught thoy could not Oh
I joct to tho righteousness Of tho retrlbutlon tt
tic them to the same rnil and loave thom to tht
samo tato. ~ the victim IL dead, however, i
will bo difficult to convict my one; aud, ever
should the crime be proven aud the perpetrator'
brought to the gallows. thoso will not DO wanting
| plenty Of maudlin philanthropfsts to whtno oyo
their punishment.