The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-12-16
MADDENING RUM.THlRST.

Wn0C u OnC0 ffOmN0IuR fnyBlclhu Dlu ~
Embrace That Demon Which Already
Had Wrecked His Prospects-An "Occa.
sional" Drinker.
There is not a day in which the tele-
graphic columns of the daily press do
not contain cases of murder aud other
crimes, of which rum is the exciting
cause. These lamentable examples
are SO common that they hardly excite
remark. But there was ono case of at
tempted murder in Brooklyn, N. Y,
lately that pcrforce arrested the atten-
ton OF every reader The brief facts
of the telegraphic account were these:
On Sunday evening the night clerk
of a Brooklyn drug store was aroused.
after midnight, by some one at the
door. He arose from bed and went to
attend to the call. The man demand
ing admittance was DR.. Edward
Blakeny. He made a savage assault
upon the clerk with knife, iniiicting
n severe wound, and, leaving the young
man senseless and bleeding upon the
tloor-dead. as he supposed rushed
to the rear of the store, with whose in
ternal arrangements he was familiar.
and seizing jug of whisky kept there
for medical uses, drank nearly quart
of the internal fluid. Hugging the ves-
sci in his arms, he staggered into the
night, drinking as he went, and wan
dered about the streets in his stocking
feet A policeman, seeing the door
open. entered and found the wounded
clerk upon the floor. The young man
was taken to the hospital, where he re-
lated the circumstances. Blakeny was
found lying in the street, dead drunk,
and battered and bruised by falling
upon the stones. He was taken to
prison, where he is held on a charge
of attempting murder, upon which he
will be tried as soon as his intended
victim RECEIVERS sufficiently to appear
| against him.
The life story Of Dr. Blakeny is one
that can he studied with profit by
every one, especially by every young
! man. Some years ago hc came from
Europe to Brooklyn, poor young
man. but with talent and energy. So
great was his skill that he rapidly Sc
, cured an enviable reputation in his pro-
, fessiOn. The road to wealth was open
to him, for he speedily secured lucra.
tive practice. His personal qualities
were such as to command public conf
dence, and to gather about him a wide
circle of friends. No man. starting out
in life. ever conquered more rapidly
/ the obstacles in his way, and reached
more quickly the straight road to fame
and fortune.
| But he was one of those men who
L lo Il ,s,,l- III To- n6
glass of wine to refresh himself after
difficult operation. or a labOrious
round Of visits. He drank with his
friends, out of conviviality. 1t was all
in good fellowship; tho wine stimu-
lated his faculties and gave vivid ex-
preston to his brilliant conversation.
He had hosts of friends; men were
proud to be numbered among the init.
mates of the rising and talented young
physician. So it went on-nOt long In
actual space Of time-until the drink
habit was fastened upon him; thai
raging. burning. horrible thirst for rum
which has drawn una ,countcd thou
sands down to death, which is the near.
est human realization of the pangs ol
eternal damnati0n. became his master
Rum soon began ''at times to get the
better of DIR. Blakeny;" that is, in
plain English, he got drunk at inter
vals-intervals which steadily short
ened their duration. and the drunken
fits rapidly became moro frequent
Then the Eindest offices of considerats
and hopeful friends were enlisted tt
rescue him as he tottercd amid thu
ruins of his own manhood. The lead
ing medical practir oners OF the city O
Brooklyn could testify how often they
have taken him by the hand when HI
was prostrated, both literally and met
aphorically, and raised him to his feet
surrounding him with kindness, seek
ing to aid him with counsel bearing
with his follies and mania, and NO
shrinking even from his degradation
IN the hope of rehabilitating him. A
times he gave signs that such consider
alton was not lost. He would suspend
his orgies, sincerely try TO reform hi
habits and give promise of redemption
or at least of amendment.
But when the rum hend has hi
clutches upon man he does not tame
" yield up his dominion. Apparently
In the very tide Of successful re
] habilitatiOn Of his life Dr Rlaken,