Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-04-23
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BRATTLEBORO:
FRIDAY EVENING, APRIL 20, 1876.


Black aiIcrs nnd their victims
Seldom have these columns told a sadder
story than that which was revealed in u
brief paragraph which appeared on Mon
day. 1t recorded the death of a clerk of
eighteen by his own hand. lie had been
detected stealing five dollars worth Of
goods from his employer, and search af-
ter death brought TO light the cause of his
theft and sclf-destruction. In his possess
sion were letters from person in Lowell
who had hold upon him, and from time
to time "put on the screw" Unless money
or goods were sent, n dreadful revelation
was to be made. The unhappy boy could
at length bear it N longer, and put an end
10 his life.
There are crimes for which hanging seems
far too good, and black mailing is emphat-
ically one of them. We have repeatedly,
during the past FIVE years, referred to in-
stances of this description, and 1t is be-
You'd doubt that they are far from un-
common. Ifpeope in such straits .could
only summon up courage TO take the bull
by the horns, they would be amply re-
warded, for they may rest assured that no
trouble, no shame, can be so intolerable as
the living under the rack of relentless
black smaller. Thackeray tells us how Col.
Esmond's old acquaintance, honest Tom
Trett, who had sold his company, married
wife, and turned merchant, was dread
fully gloomy for time, though living in
fine house and carrying on a great trade, TO
all appearance. At length Esmond saw
his friends name i'm the Gazette as a bank
rupt, and week alter this circumstance
the bankrupt walked into Mr.. Esmond's
lodging with face perfectly radiant with
good humor, and as jolly and careless as
when they had sailed from Southampton
ten years before. "This bankruptcy" says
Tom, "has been hanging over my head
these three years the thought hath pre-
vented my sleeping, and have looked at
poor Polly's head on 'tother pillow, and
hen toward my razor on the table, and
hought to put an end TO myself, and So
give my woes the slip. But now we are
bankrupts. Tom Trett pays as many shil-
lings in the pound as he can his wife has
a little cottage TO herself. l am neither
afraid of bankrupt nor of creditor, and for
the last six months have slept easy" Wise
reflections, which should be laid TO heart.
But it may be objected, "Oh, Tom Tretrs
trouble was only pecuniary." But even
TO this there is an answer not devoid OF
comfort. 1t has been well observed that
let the worst arrive, it will reach the vic
tim as something very different from what
lie imagined. The crash comes; nothing
could or did avert it; it Is here, and he is
a beggar. Worse than all he is disgraced.
Deeds come TO light which cause him to
blush deeply when revealed, although he
blushed but slightly perhaps when doing
them. Everything, then, that ho dreaded
has arrived. But now that he is face 10
face with it the terror vanishes. His
strength is greater, his sorrow less. Even
the shame is not so terrible as imagination
pictui ed it. His wife and children do moi
shrink from him, the dog ticks his hand
the tradesman is obsequous, the heart still
beats and heaven is above all. Even
should self-love carry its pain TO the grave
and the memory of the catastrophe over
shadow his remaining years, he has still
the consolation of having purchased life by
enduring thus much pain, and has fulfilled
otilOuS iESlOiiSl'lllllN> ~ tub'N htl'Nll'i'u
on him.
Cannot some OF those now grooming un
der pressure get strength from such re
Elections? There have been men who have
passed long years of crushing agony under
threats Of charges perfectly false. A cast
came to light some years ago revealing
how an elderly banker, a highly nervous
man, had thus endured internal tortures
At length, driven 10 despair by the con
Embarrassing demands of his tor
turers, he turned upon them and freeC
himself. They aie now undergoing an al
most lifelong sentence. With the utmos
spirit, an eX-Lord Lieutenant of IreanC
met like attempt instantly by givini
those who made it into custody, thus evinc
ing a courage of the rarest sort, and fol
lack or which the unfortunate Lord Lon
donderry, better known as Lord Castle
reagh, is strongly suspected TO have de
stroyed himself. 1t is better TO face an un
just charge, or even just one, with frank
ness and courage than TO allow all life to ~
poisoned with it.-N. Y. Times.