The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-03-19

When Dukes told bis bastard story, peo-
pie said that no man would have told 1t; and
when his black.hearted letters were made
public, the indignation was more intense
The verdict Of decent humanity was that
hanging was too good for man who bad
entered home to violate It's sanctity
The representations which he had made to
the father concerning the young girl,
coupled with an infamous proposition, all
this. was looked upon as aggaryating the
villainy. The killing Of the father was
hudly more murder than the driving
the steel-pointed letters into his heart.
People thought Of the disgrace to the
family Of the exposure, and agreed that 1t
was all as bad as could be. To how many
came the thought-Perhaps the scoundrel
lies2 He had made shameful confession,
but no sense Of shame showed in those
lines in which, with the pen Of ready
writer, he amplified his confessed iniqui-
ties with redundent phrases. 1t seemed
that he could not confess to enough-eyes
that looked 10 lust, serpent advances, re-
tanning in his DEVILS grasp the SCARED
hand and reveling in his easy conquest,
eaves.dropping, gathering up the title
tattle Of the town, cowardly retreat from
the ruin he had wrought. Even though
he bad murdered the father, it does not
seem to have occurred to the townsfolk, or,
for that matter, to anybody else, that there
was an unhappy orphaned girl to whom
something was due-at least a suspension
Of judgment; that perhaps the villain had
confessed too much.
Every man whom Dukes named to show
that he was no worse than other people
has made affidavit that with respect TO
himself the assassin lied; that with respect
tothe young woman,i it was lie that she had
b zen known as u wanton, and for himself
he believed her to be pure and good. The
verdict Of the perjured jury, arousing pub.
lie sentiment to the highest pitch OF indig.
nation, touched. also, the finest sensibili-
ties, awoke all that was kindly human in
every breast the representations Of the
traducer and assassin were publicly de-
nounced as fendish lies and society ad.
yanced with open arms to the poor girl on
whom has fallen an avalanche OF horror
What il there had been no murder-no
clearing by packed and petiured jury?
Suppose Dukes had merely talked his
shame about the town. Correct womes
would have avoided her, and men careful
Of reputation would have been afraid to
give her countenance. "Give dog bad
name" Ia a saying which means most when
applied to q woman-she Is convicted
without hearing; previous good character
avails little, in making. up the general YER
dict, nothing; society brands the convict
with the Scarlet Letter-she can not live 1t
down, she can not wear 1t of. Women,
Jealous Of the good name Of their sex, re-
sentiul Of any blur upon their common
womanhood, are quickest to believe and
punish. The whispered dagger stabs many
q pure woman in the dark, and 1t may be
that she knows, not why, only that she is,
avoided. We hear, believe. and condemn
the one we think to be wronged, and have
no penalty for the aggressive wrong'doer.
II Dukes had stopped short OF murder 1t
Ia MT probable that he would have lost
anything Of his social standing. Certainly
men never expect to lose, and society
encourages them-gentle'women even cod
die them, with the apology that maybe he
is little wild, but he is always gentle
man in the company OF ladies" The
Scarlet Letter is not for man, but a
woman may have it stamped upon her
without ceremony and often without know
ing 1t is there. 1t isn't fair, and it isn't
Christian.