The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-12-11
NOT FAR FETCHED AFTER ALL.
IN Icffcotive Dramatic Episode Suggested
by nm Aetna OcCurrencC.

An Icrcctivs Dramatic Episode Suggested
by M Actual Opcurrencc.
An ambitions young Ylaywriter was out
lining tho plot Of n ncw melodrnfna tho
bther day, IN which no proposed to mako
usa OF a novel and powerful incident. He
described It NJ follows:
''The villain Of this piecc,p he said, us
yuch a desperate, bloodthirsty wretch that
bis death by any such orderly, decent meth
ola as shooting or hanging would amount
almost to an anticlimax. can't have him
killed by the hero or the heroine, for they
have married and gone away on their we'd
ding tour, and arc lue to arrive on the
scene Just after the villain has died. After
much thought l have decided TINT tho
wretch shall die tho cowar1ly death Of q
suicide. He Is captured " and
locked In prison, but not until his person,
his clothing and the cell in which lie Is to
be confined have been subjected to a rigid
md repeated search for weapons or other
implements of destruction. After being
imprisoned he is carefully watched and is
permitted to have no communication with
the world outside.
AS tho day for his execution approaches
and the chances of escape grow less and
less, the vigilance Of the guards is in
creased. There must be no cheating of the
law; the murderer must pay the penalty Of
his crimes. But ono evening the prisoner
suddenly picks up the little stool In his cell,
places it near the grated door, and just MS
he says to the guard, You fellows think
you've got me this time, but'-he falls over
lendl
I'm the second act he was seen to take a
quantity OF strychnine, with which he had
intended to poison the heroine. and dis
solve it in o vessel OF water. With this
solution he saturated his collar and era
vat, and then when they were dry he put
them on and was wearing them when cast
into prison. No suspicion attached to them
and he was allowed to retain them. When
tho desperate end came all he had to do
was to dip his collar and Acravat into q cup
Of water, wiring them out and he had
enough poison ut hand to kill a dozen men.
The idea is a novel one, isn't it,"
II agree with you that it is novel," re-
Piled O friend who had listened to the re-
cital, ''but it is improbable, absurd and far
fetched. It is too ingenious to be believa'
ble."
''That is just where you are all wrong
interrupted the young dramatist. 8
matter Of fact the incident is not original,
but was suggested by something that hap
pened right here in New York only a few
lays ago. The spa puDIlsned &C
counts Of a victim Of the morphine habit
who had in his possession a large quantity
of that drug in sulphate form. He was
afraid it would be stolen or taken from
him, and to prevent its loss he dissolved il
into a solution and then placed in the fluic
q new undershirt. The garment ABSORBED
the solution completely, and after it haf
dried the man put it on and wore it. Whe1
he wanted to use the drug, he merely cut
piece from the undershirt md soaked it il
a little water and thus quickly procured
the opiate he craved. This is q true story
From the miserable fellow with the NOR
phine undershirt it is out NJ easy fight Q
fancy to the villain with the strychnin
cravat."-New York Herald.