The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-04-13
ALrER1rY IN THE BOWL.
Tho horrible Possibilities OF Conduct
While Thoroughly Drunk
From the Chicago Herald.


I absolutely unconscious OF his act and be
/ utterly incapable Of recalling it." This wal
! said by Chicago physician who IS eminent
/ for his knowledge Of BRAIN and nerve DIS
I orders. In subst 8ntiatiOn Of the statement
/ that man NAV be 50 drunk as TO be I'M
/ conscious and yet act seemingly in most
! intelligent manner, a gentleman well
! known in Chicago real estate circles tells
: the following story Of himself:
II met al old college friend when l was
/ last IL Chicago. and invited him to dine
4 wi b me at a Clark street restaurant.
1--WE had two or three drinks of French
| brandy before eating, and we each drank a
! couple Of bottles Of champagne. l recollect
/ distinctly parting with him jcst outside the
/ restaurant, and then all was blank TO me,
! When / recovered consciousness 1t was in
my room at the Grand Pacific hotel. Now
| perfectly sober, but incapable through ner-
| vousness Of further sleep, l arose, lit the
| gas. and looked at my watch. IL was .
| o'clock.
II was thoroughly alarmed Throwing
myself on a chair | sought desperately TO
recall the time, eleven hours in all, since l
left my friend But no, try as | might,
could remember nothing How did 1 get
70 the hotel There was unconscious ac-
| ton certainly. / had evidently CAREFUL y
undresssd and turned off the gas. My
! clothes were on the same chair had been
accustomed to place them, and my shoes
and stockings were beneath the chair.
This was the first time in my life that
had been really drunk, and l was scared
beyond estimation. What had l done in
these eleven hoursl What offensss might
not have committed. | was morally GER
tain my name would be IN ths morning
papers, and If so ] should commit suicide
None of my family had ever done dis
graceful thing, and would not survive dis
honor.
Presently, unable TO bear my own
thoughts, dressed and went down into the
office. ! asked the clerk if he had seen me
enter, but he had not. | had evidently got
early to my room. There was some conso-
lation in that.
"Oh, how wretched | was. My head
ached, my heart ached. l would drink no
more; never. The night finally passed.
After breakfast, with saddened counte-
nance, fastened to the real estate Office
of --, whom you know. l remembered
he had given me an option on some acre
property in the city. and that option expired
the day before. As the purchase of this
property was the chief object of my coming
to Chicago, / was exceedingly mortified
that l should have let the day go by. II
was a valuable tract and worth every cent
was asked for it.
"Now note what follows Incredible as
it may seem, swear that shall relate it
as it occurred, and that every word of it is
true.
Entering the brokers' Office, after the
greetings Of the day, | said somewhat
timidly:
mr.. -, if you have not changed your
mind about that tract am prepared to buy
it this morning.
1.-The broker stared at me in astonishmen.
for moment and then said laughingly:
"'Oh, see; you will have your Joke
70 I
more serious in my life. tell you / wish
to buy that tract of land
1.-THE land is sold-sold yesterday said
the broker, with smile.
"'That is too bad / exclaimed bitterly.
Who bought it. have set my heart on
getting it. Now don't you think you might
induce him to part with itp
-" Il doubt it exceedingly. In fact, he told
me that he bought to hold for a juple Of
| years, believing it would double in value.
1 am greatly disappointei-more so
than l can express in mere words said
| But will you tell me the name of the pur-
chasera He may be prevailed upon to part
| with it.
"'Are you really in earnestY asked the
broker, who seemed to be completely mystl-
| ted. DO you mean TO say that YOU have
no recollection of entering my office yester.
| day afternoon and buying that tractp
entered your ofiice | bought the
| land, It's impossibler
mot only not impossible, but veritable
fact. suppose you know your signatureg
$50 speaking, he opened his safe and took
out a document. 1t was the contract for
| the property in question, aud to it was ap-
pended my check for 81, 900. / had actually
| filed out the check myself. MY handwrit-
| ing was as free from shakiness as though |
| had never taken drink in my life. 1t
| passed belief that l could have entered the
office and bought 100000 worth of land,
and that when l was absolutely out of my
| reason. l could not possibly recall any.
/ thing connected with it. | again grew
| alarmed. II l could unconsciously make
| such good investment might have done
something foolish on larger scale.
II inquired the II ne when l entered his
| Office, and when | left there. His answer
| showed that had gone there direct after
leaving my friend. But what did | dc
afterwardl l would find out at any cost.
II asked him if he did not perceive BY
my manner that L was drunk, and b,
laughed.
"'You were as sober then as you are now
You don't get drunk. he added Now ]
come 10 think of it, you did speak some
what slowly, but that ascribed to the i'm
portance of the transaction
DO you tell me that my manner was il
no sense strange? Did not reel or stagger.
| assure YOU saw nothing strange,
would have sworn you were perfectly sober
and it demands your most positive assur
ance to the contrary to make me believe
it said he. i most assuredly would have
postponed the transaction had | though
you were drunk
Leaving him, | went back to the hote
and found the clerk who was on duty wher
| entered the hotel He knew the precis,
time l entered, and it was clear that haC
gone from the broker directly there. HI
was incredulols when | told him l had nc
recollection of seeing him, or in fact of en-
tering the house. He assured me that haC
asked him several questions in the mos
coherent manner, and that when asked fo
my room key told him | was going to in,
room to take a nap, aud that if any one
called to tell him that l would see him.
II was once upon jury at the trial of G
man for an atrocious murder On the gal
lows he protested that, while he must be
iieve he committed the crime, since ths
witnesses confirmed it, yet, in the face o
death and the consciousness that in a few
) moments he must be in the presence of hi
Maker, he protested he knew nothing what
ever of the occurrence. The murdered mar
was his friend, and instead Of doing him al
injury he would have done him any fayo
he could ask. The criminal had not songh
executive clemency; he refused TO have hi
case appealed. He told his lawyers fiatl,
that, having killed his friend he would pa
the penalty; that it was just and right. A