The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1894-10-25
THE MORAL AWAKENING
"The Herald'S" Mystic Reporter Talks
Of The BasWell Murder.
GHOSTLY RECITAL OF CRIME
Harvey Pursued by the Phantom
OF HIS victim-The Action OF n
Cowardiy weakIing Under Com
troll of Great Knave.


Editor discovered clipping items: enter
Familiar Spirit, in the service of the
editor as special psychological reporter,
whose heather name the editor, for
convenience sake, has Americanized in
to Moody
Editor-Well. Moody, where have You
been and what have you seen? Shade of
Michael Scott / would knew the word
of power, that l might materialize your
Incorporealness and enable You to hand
in your reports writ out in fair chiroera-
ply, like any other reputable North
American reporter. I'll find it out yet,
so you might as well give it away grace
fully.
Familiar much!
Editor-Look here, Moody; you are be-
coming grossly modern and slangy, and
it does not harmonic with your unearth-
ly and bygone style. You are old enough
to know better. Don't you see that when
my time comes and wend my way to
your shadowy and perplexing abode, |
may be held responsible for the deterio
ration in your language and manners?
And am without any data by which to
judge how serious the consequences may
be. For aught l know you may be teach
ing the stately shade OF Sheba to dance
the Turkish wriggle, or persuading Cicero
that the picturesque and vigorous United
States of the Bovery is the sublimated
form OF modern senatorial courtesy and
eloquence. In short, raising particular
Sheol with the traditions OF Hades. Nov,
as your fair Theban would have said:
"More need have to gain the favor of the
dead, than that OF those who live; for |
shall rest forever there" At least, /
should prefer to rest, ii possible. There
fore, Moody, mend thy speech and pro-
coed to lay before me the naked hearts OF
those into whose hidden thoughts thou
hast slid unbidden-or Sudden unbid-
o, pshsw Turn on the lights and let her
go. My pencil pauses in its flight.
Familisr-Base scissors ielder. who,
knowing naught, assumest to know it all,
the breath OF whose nostrils is the public
clamor, blind leader of the blind, In whose
power the Fates have for little placed
me-hearken This night entered into
the mind of the young man, Harvey, the
slayer Of Bagwell
Editor-Ha! Ssyest thou so?
Familiar-A strange, weak mind it was.
Full of the mists bred OF indul gence,
abuse and uncontrolled passion. With
out exercise or discipline-but wide awake
now, and in ferment Of seething sensa-
tions. The wretched youth keeps going
over the story OF his crime. All that led
up to 1.-THE cold.blooded deed itself, the
awakening that followed il constantly
becoming more keen, the consequences
still to be endured, the causelessness of
it all. The deliberate, hideous brutality
Of it in the sight OF men is becoming clear
to him. He returns on the weary round
again and again. He cannot escape it.
The Nemesis of crime has him In its
clutches. Vainly and madly he calls for
RESPITE! respite! and nepenthe!"
from the curse OF memory, under the lash
OF fear and remorse. But it may not be-
He cannot still the tormenting tends that
have entered into possession OF his con-
sciousness. waking or sleeping, He re-
calls the first careless lapses, long for
gotten, that were the beginning OF his
fall. How clear the light in which he
sees them now! Step by step the accus-
ing fiend shows him each wrong and vii
lainy that slowly scared his moral sense
into utter callousness. He hears again
the voice OF the tempter, LaVergne, and
he remembers how easily he listened,
how weakly he fought the devilish sugges-
tion--little from horror of the deed, more
from fear of its consequences. How
strangely small seems now the promised
price OF blood! Little by little he recalls
the mesh LsVergne wove around him, as
familiarity with the idea robbed it OF its
grisley look. And when the others APP
peared in the plot, and companionship
made the matter still easier
Editor-Others What others?
Familiar-There were others. They
will yet be known. Let them suffer the
agonies OF suspense little longer.
Editor-But don't you see that this is
the very thing want to know-that the
public wants to know-that justice wants
to know?
Familiar-Ii told you you could not
tell it. Where were your proof? You
could not put nae on the witness stand.
Would Yakima jury hear the voice OF a
spirit? You are hunting trouble.
Editor-I don't know. You never can
tell what Yakima jury may do. In any
case, need not repeat what you tell me.
Who were the others?
Familiar-The others are-those who
shall be revealed in due season. Is not
G-b Wis on their trail? Possess your
soul in patience.
Editor-You are but vague, indefinite
and most eXasperating shade. 4 mere
suggestion Of a continuation. confonnd