The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-09-03
EQUEST

L. II. VALENTINE.


u "hAt
Especial Correspuudencc.l
CHICAGO, Aug. 25.-When T. P. Lem
muck was brought to trial hundreds of
people who ordinarily seemed not to
care for the excitement of a criminal
court thronged into the room. Lem
muck was well connected. His father
had been Il town marshal and at one
time had been a prominent candidate for
constable of the Eighteenth district.
Simpson county, Ky, but was defeated
by Bill $. Marcus. who just before the
election Shot a mad dog and thus lifted
himself to Il ecu place in the aAec-
tons and gratitude of the people.
7. p. Leminuck was arrested on the
charge Of stealing Il horse. and the evil
dence was So conclusive that the Judge
offered to bet that a verdict Of guilty
would be rendered. Just before the
charge was delivered to the jury Lem
muck asked permission to make a state
ment. and as no objections were offered
the young man arOsn and spoke as fol-
lows:
Il am prepared to interest if not
startlc the scientific world. | acknowl-
edge that / stole the horse, and | assert
that | could not help ii. Gentlemen. !
am the victim of a disease which | shall
term eQuestr1Lnauia. and with your per
mission | will explain myself. Several
years ago, just after l, wa graduated
from the Ptrnyroyal university, l dis
covered IN evening that q peculiar
weight had fallen upon my mind. 50
far as | could discover, there was 10
cause for such a depression.
81 was we'll educated, | was engaged
TO marry Il lovely young woman ana
had IA fair account with a well known
bank. And above all other reasons
why should feel lightnesS of heart. my
health was excellent. Yet my spirits
were heavy and ! was miserable. /
consulted Il physician and he dismissed
me with "A blue pill. called on Il Chris
tian Scientist ami was told to believe
that | was restored to gayety. But my
spirits were constantly growing heavier.
In the deepest despair | Went to my room
Il night, and as ! lay upon my uneasy
bed the thought that | was suffering for
something suddenly came to me, and
then sought to discover what that some
thing was. IL wasn't whisky loathed
the idea of getting drunk. 1t wasn't
gambling. for l hated the mere sugges-
ton of chance. What could il be? !
got up and walked until | had worn q
path in the carpet.
Il put my brain upon the rack and
tried to torture from 1t the secret Of my
distress. and failing | placed it III the
cradle of my fancy and sought to soothe
il into compliance. [ lay down again
and suddenly a light, glazing and hor-
rible, fell upon me. And i'll that light
! saw the diagnosis of my disease
equestrimania. | knew that relief lay
only in my stealing a horse. | had no
need of IL horse, and just at that mo-
mcnt | would not have given ten cents
for a Maud s, bu' | would have risked
my life for the caIuce of stealing a flea
bitten colt. Butt did not surrender with
out IA struggle: | was resolved to battle
against the awful appetite. The next
day | called upon the young woman
who was to be my wife.
She complained of my Indifference
toward her. Last week you We're a
knight to me- she said. But now !
broke in, i am a day of commonplace
things. Yes. she replied, and why
Because. | answered, giving her an i'm
pluring look. L must steal IL horse, /
shall nev"r forget her pleading. Oh, i,
: but q, g., ,hjmare.' she cried, and !
could " -isp, 1t is any sort Of a
s]tari!r. II you really feel that
' ,mt,t seal "A horse. love She suppl
GATED. steal mine and no harm can
ONE. ! will swear that | ave it YOU,
Nay | replied. that would not be a
theft, and tniS terrible thirst tells me
that | must steal Then, If Won must
sh" exclaimed, you no longer have a
claim upon me-. And so | leit her. |
went over into Bgacken county and
stole AN old yellowish horse with har-
ness marks upon him. | rode him 1if-
teen miles and sold him for ten dollars.
Il returned home perfectly relieved
My mind was clear and my appetite Wa,
appreciative. | resumed work on Il book
| had in progress, The Ethics Of Moral
Philosophy, and found it Il keen pleas
ure. | did not attempt TO renew my OBJ
AS~'iOHo Nihi INC yOuI-S NOlidI, ip4 al
though | was firmly resolved never t.
steal again, yet l did not know but
the disease might come upon me at some
future time. Well, l must have gone
for three months before ] felt the slight
est indication Of a return of the malady.
but n night it seized me again. l Won
dered if / could not cool myself off by
stealing something light. Why not
steal cats Until this awful craving should
pass away: | would make the expert
ment.
Il began to steal cats, and / confess
that my appetite was for Il time APP
peased, but after awhile l found that
cats were not strong enough, and then !
stole Il dog. This satisfied me some
what, and | went on stealing dogs for
several days, but at last the craving for
something stronger came upon me with
such force that | was compelled to steal