The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-03-20

bulCiudi inuhia ioioiy, Al tFOf, bptuhb VI
suicide. When man says he is going
to drown himself, you may generally
direct him to the cars that will take him
to the river side with the fullest ceavic-
ton that he will not breakfast with
crabs. If, in an exceptional case, sui
eide is mentioned, it will either be treat
ed lightly as an act that is not crime,
or the patient will be very earnest in his
assurances that he would never commit
it. Remembering my poor friends
manner, noticed that he spoke of tax
ing his own life with much more emo
ton than he eyinced when he told me of
the impulse to shed the blood of others.
His words: Il must have human life !;
if had had a pistol with me / should
have shot her some day soon / shall
take pistol on purpose and shoot her !;
/ should murder my keeper and go
straight for that innocent girl, were
spoken as calmly as though he said, Il
owe 50, and 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 manner was
changed. No one afflicted with suicidal
mania ever treated self-destruction with
the horror, the consciousness of it's
wickedness, and the religious doubts as
to its being pardonable under any cir
cumstances, with which he considered
it. He had never once spoken of muir
der as q crime.
"After long and careful considera-
ton, / came to the following conclu-
sions
"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 bear
ing upon the anatomy of the human
head.
"The next morning l addressed him
thus:
=" Before / answer you as to whether
you would be justified before God I'M
der the impulse you have told me of, in
taking 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 you have told
me-?
"'No; did not dare. said that /
had horrible thoughts and cravings, but
without entering into details as to what
they were. Once l went so far as to say
that I feared was becoming dangerous,
and the fool smiled.
"Good. Did you ever speak of
searching for that ball 2
"'Yes they said it might be the
cause of my sufferings, supposing it had
lodged near the brain, but that no one
would take the responsibility of search
ing for it-so to speak-in the dark.
"'They were right the operation
might kill you and the ball not be found
after all.
Z" He looked up, and the dull, defect
ed 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 had his hand on my arm and
tried to speak, but he could not.
"Still it would give you a chance
just a chance of more than life His
grasp frightened. / could feel his heart
beating And submitting to such an
operation, almost hopeless though it be
would not be quite suicide.
Z" He fell on his knees and sobbed like
child. You'll do it p he cried God
Almighty bless you You'll do it p
"Well," said my friend, lighting a
fresh cigar, to make my story short, 1
did it with the assistance of q young
surgeon, whose nerve L 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 waverea 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 1 wouldn't be too sure of
lIldt. Anu 81 VIC gin hC WanOCu W
murder married the Major?'
"She did"
"Then, if 1 were her husband, I'd
take precious good care that your inter-
esting 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"
GO Not bit. :"
"Then he's brute.
"You'd better tell him SO; here he
comes"
Does she know ?"
Size does.
"And she's not afraid ?"
"No."
Gone other question. Does your in
teresting patient still live in this coun-
try ?"
Z" He does"
"In what State ?"
"This State.
"Near here ?"
every near"
"Then with all possible Difference for