The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1894-04-26
THE VI ADMAN.

The man began thus: My name,
director, cannot be altogether I'M
known to you. | am Giuseppe Ga
brini. Although still young-I am
thirty eight years old-my inventions
have brought me, if [ may venture to
say so, good deal Of renown. OF
course you have seen in the newspa-
pers that an American syndicate has
paid me 100000 for my electrical
railway.
These details simply serve to show
you that ! am not an ordinary man,
and will, at the same time, make you
understand the extent Of the misfor-
tune which has befallen me-
A pause, then he continued: about
seven years ago [ married Clara Re
nandi, charming girl Of very good
family. At that time / was a young
engineer, unknown to fame, working
hard, but earning little. There We're
moments when it was hard to get Oh,
but my wife helped and encouraged
me in the struggle for existence.
Thus two years went by Then I
succeeded III making the company for
which | was working accept an invon-
ton of mine, machine for extracting
fOssilized carbon by a new system.
| was paid very decent price for it.
From that moment my means We're
most comfortable, and l was able,
therefore, to dedicate myself entirely
to the study and development of my
electric railway, which l had already
been at work upon. From that in
slant | ought to have been perfectly
happy, and, indeed, / thought that [
was = : Alas, Fate had de
creed otherwise.
"One day-take note of this. direc-
tor-One day |. who for lack of time
read so little, chanced to cast my eyes
over the account Of a most frightful
deed 1t was the story of mana
labOrer who was suddenly siezed
with a mania for infanticide, and
while under the influence of this hor-
rible idea killed his three children.
At first | was astOnished and really
doubted the truth Of the tale But
little by little it seemed to me less
strange, and l began to look into the
question, even reading the books of
specialists on the subject. For hours
at time my mind would dwell on
the matter, and in spite Of myself |
found my brain perturbed by the mys-
terious problems Of will power and
desire.
Two days later while dining with
my wife, and still absorbed in medi-
tation, l began to handle my knife
rather feverishly, thinking as [ did so
that it was with a weapon similar
to this that the workman had muir
dered his children. \ x * | made
violent gesture. = = A sharp
cry recalled me to myself. Clara
showed me long red scratch on her
hand.
"'Are you crazy?" she exclaimed.
See what you have doner
Il did not reply, but with increas-
ing agitation looked at the hand she
held out, and at the drops of blood
rising on the white skin. Oh. the
fierce JOY [ felt when | saw that blood,
i * Twas suddenly assailed by a
wild desire to see more Of it; to see it
flowing IN a stream. x * = Oh, to
hold a woman tight in ones grasp,
push her down trembling and fright
ened, and while she weeps and cries
for mercy, while she sobs and screams
by turn, drive a knife slowly into her
bosom. : Yes, that was what
| wauted to do now. Kill a woman
my wife! = This horrible
idea took possession Of me, wrote it
self on my brain in letters Of fire.
Then began a terrible, almost savage
battle within me, a struggle without
cessation.
Il forced myself to care more and
more for my adored Clara, but in
vain. # Finally finally
how can | say it? This life has been
going on for two months, 3 =
Until to day'I had been able to con
troll myself. * : & But this NOR
ming the temptation was stronger
than ever, and [ decided to put an
end to II, once for all, so with knife in
hand L entered my wife's room. = =
She had just left it. Then, like a
mad man, | started to run, and came
here to beg. you to protect me from
myself, to shut me up, put me in a
strait jacket even, if necessary; any
thing, . anything, to prevent my
committing a crime"
The superintendent of the asylum,
who had grown a trihe pale during
the recital, touched the bell at his
side and, as an attendant appeared,
said:
1t shall be as you desire, sir"