The record-union., 1893-03-25
MT ADVENTURE With A BURGLAR.


many sorts of people, 1 have met with
adventures more or less thrilling -adven-
lures which have, think, done much for
my benefit by causing me to think more
of the uncertainties OF this world, where
all is vanity, and turn reaectively to that
other world, wherein there is a reward for
honesty and hands unstained by crime
for maintain, in the face of all opposing
theories, that crime is never jusliliable.
Society may exonerate the man who, in
selt-defense, Stays another man; society
may continue TO receive and honor the
man who has been declared not guilty OF
murder while his victims grave is yet
fresh in the silent city of the dead, but as
sert that at the day of judgment the man
who kills must answer for his crime-fOr a
crime it is to Kill another. The Scripture,
/ believe, does not discriminate between
he who kills man in defense Of his own
life and he strikes with malice afore-
thought" To take human life is muir
der--it is forbidden by the Scripture,
upon which the civilization OF the world
has rested from the time of its conception.
| am quite sure that could every man
experience once the overwhelming terror
and horrid conviction of biood-guiltiness
has committed his first murder, without
actually sleeping his hands in blood,
there would be fewer OF these crimes to
record. The low nature of a brute who,
like bulldog, crushes the life out Of his
victim and exults in the perfection OF his
deed, does not enter into this argument
he IS an abstract subject. Bear IN mind
the fact that I am writing with reference
only to men Of at least ordinary inteIli-
genee, and not of thugs, who, having
been criminally born, must sooner or
later criminaIly die, and who, between
the one fact and the other, must crimi-
naLy exist.
A man may believe that he can take
the life of his fellowman and treat the
matter as "a most deplorable affair."" or
as mere bagatelle, but when he has done
so he cannot hide from his own heart the
fact-fact, mind you-that he is mur
derer. 1t is a fact which, like BanquO's
ghost. Will not down; fact which will
ever pursue the guilty man-unto the
grave will it pursue him. Strive as he
may to obtain pardon of God, there is
always the still, small voice that whispers
doubt into his mind. There are men
who have slain their fellowmen in the
most Cold-bloOded way, who have APP
parently forgotten their deeds Of blood,
who have lived the rest of their days
quietly and in conformity to the laws of
their country, and to US, as superficial
observers, they have not been tortured,
or even annoyed, by the slightest twinge
of conscience. But no man can read the
secrets that lie hidden in the hearts Of the
busy, pulsing, scheming world of human
beings, who, as numberless as the sands
OF the sea, have passed before him. 1t is
only the man whose fortitude is not
equal to the emergencies which arise
when there is dark page to conceal WHIP
cries out in agony and seeks peace and
rest by telling unto the world the story OF
his crime.
However, this is not exactly what in
tended to discuss in this paper. II was
my purpose to make plain 10 the reader
my assertion that many crimes, murders,
l should say, would never have been
committed if those who were guilty
could have foreseen the mental torture
which, sooner or later, must follow the
deed. And, in order TO put my theory in
such way that it may be more readily
understood, l will relate a thrilling eX-
perience of my own an experience
which | shall never forget, and which
has doubtless had disastrous effect upon
my nerves, and indirectly has shaken
my faith in the reliability of the affairs,
social and political of this whirling
cosmos.
1t was near midnight. I had been
writing steadily for several hours, and
The time had slipped by unheeded.
Finally, my lamp, having no more oil in
1t, grew dim, and l, suddenly made con-
scious of the fact that | had no right to
impose upon my mind ana body with
unlimited impupity, made haste to retire
1t was a very dark night The sky was
covered by "A heavy strata of drifting,
rIin-laden clouds, and the wind moaned
about the caves and ratified the windows.
Having eXtinguished the expiring
lamp, lighted candle and passed to
my room, which was on the ground floor,
Al the extreme south end Of the building
too far removed from any other occupied
chamber to allow any sound coming from
it TO reach any of the other inhabitants
\ door III this room opened upon the
grounds, which wore filled with shrub
berry. When | entered my room this
door stood slightly ajar. 1 closed and
bolted it, placed my pocket book, which
contained large amount of bills, under
my pillow, set the candle upon a small
table and retired, first, however, putting
out the light.
1 am not heavy sleeper, and on the
night in question l was a little less sleepy
than usual Prolonged mental activity
had made me nervous. For an hour |
lay very wide awake, and, strangely
enough, my thoughts were of a noted
burglar who had been captured several
weeks before; who had said to his captors
that he would not hesitate to take human
life in order 10 regain his liberty, aud
had proved his assertion by killing the
jaiier, and, with the keys OF the jail, had
easily slipped unnoGced from the cells.
amused myself by wondering whether
this desperate would be captured, and
tried to imagine the sensations of his
mind if he were cornered, placed in
irons and retaken to the Jail, not as a
burglar now, but as a murderer, who had
killed with malice aforethought, etc.
Sleep, which had held itself aloof, now
came upon me as a sudden overpower-
ing drowsiness, and the mesmeric infiu-
ence of the dTowsy god was upon me.
My mind was a chaos in which / could
realize, vaguely, the presence OF burglars,
murderers, glbbets and other Somber
1anciful images, ali very much exag-
garated and distorted. My body, which
lad been somewhat restless, now lost all
its rigidity and became limp. Another
moment and l would have been sleeping
soundly.
But at the very moment when con-
sCjouSnesS ceases and insensibility to
light and sound enSues, my left hand
which had been lying on the outer cover
ing OF the bed, slipped OF and fell over
the edge. As it swung downward l. came
in contact with an object under the bed;
an object which, from its apparent size,
as indicated by its immovability and its
peculiar elasticity, as indicated by a slight
spriuginess when touched, sent start
ling sensation through me and 1 aNoke.
In an instant the drowsy god had fed;
my mind was no longer a chaos. Ny
hand, softly striking the object under the
bed, had evolved a mystery.
For e few minutes | remained inert
and endeavored TO solve this mystery in
my mind without the aid OF any of the
senses. This method, however was not
satisfactory. One might as well have