American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-11-13
I" Janus WeathercOck.o

Proctor, in his youn ger days, was evil
IDENTIFY much impressed by that clever ras-
cal who, under the name OF Janus
Weathercock," scintillated at intervals in
the old London Magazine. Wainwright
for that was his real uame-was so brill
liant he made friends for time among
many of the first-class contributors to that
once famous periodical; but the Ten Com
mandments ruined all his prospects for
life. A murderer, q forger, thief-ln
short, q sinner in general-he came to
grief rather early in his wicked career,
and suffered penalties of the law accord
ingly, but never to the full extent of his
remarkable deserts. have heard Proc
Der describe his personal appearance as he
came sparkling into the room, clad in un-
dress military costume. His smart con-
versation deceived those about him into
the belief that he had been an officer in
the dragons, that he had spent a large
fortune, and now condescended to take
part in periodical literature with the cult
ure Of . gentleman and the grace Of an
amateur. How this vapid charlatan in q
braided surtout and prismatic necktie
could so long veil his real character from
and retain the regard of such men az
Proctor, and Talfourd, and Coleridge is
amazing. Lamb calls him the kind and
liRht-hearted Janus" and thought he
liked him. The contributors often spoke
of his guileless nature ut the festal month
ly board of the magazines, and no one
dreamed that this gay and mock-smiling
London cavalier was about to begin q ca
reer 30 foul and monstrous that the annals
of crime for centuries have no blaoker
pages inscribed ON them. To securethe
means of luxurious living without labor,
and to pamper his dandy tastes, this
lounging, lazy iitterateur resolved to be-
come . murderer on large scale, and ac-
e.. srU u-ifh for
geries whenever they were most conven-
TENT. His custom for years was to effect
policies of insurance on the lives of his
relatives, and then at the proper time ad-
minister strychnine to his victims. The
heart sickens at the recital of his brutal
crimes. On the life of q beautiful young
girl named Abercrombie this fiendish
wretch effected an insurance at various
Offices for Els, 900 before he sent her to
her account with the rest of his poisoned
too-confiding relatives. Somany heavily
insured ladies dying in violent convul-
sions drew attention to the gentleman who
always called to collect the money. But
why this consummate criminal was not
brought TO justice and hung my Lord
Abinger never satisfactorily divulged. At
last tins polished Sybarite, who boosted
thathe always drank the richest Montepul-
ciano, who could not sit long in room
that WA not garlanded with flowers, who
said he felt lonely in an apartment with
out fine cast of the Venus de Medicf in
it-this self-indulgent voluptuary at last
committed several forgeries on the Bank
of England; and the Old Bailey sessions
of July, 1887, sentenced him to Transports
ton for life. While hewas lying in New
gate, prior to his departure, with other
convicts, to New South Wales, where he
died, Dickens went with former &C.
uuaintance of the prisoner to see him.
They found him still possessed with .
morbid self-esteem and poor and empty
vanity. All other feelings and interests
were overwhelmed by an excessive idola-
try of self, and he claimed Il now quote
his own words to Dickens) soul whose
nutriment is love, and its offspring art,
music, divine song, and still holier
philosophy r. Fietds, in Harper's
Aagasias for Nousmber.