Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1895-02-04

and in q moment had all but seen the
stabbing Of Jenkins Then. as always
before. the waltz again
Ia the morning reported 1t was
clearly a case of acute madness, or no
one who ever performed tour of guard
duty with Henderson, had ever seen
madness. but to our establishment and
horror the post surgeon thought other
wise and so officially reported.
The colonel was furious He had in
spected the man The man was mad
He called up Davis and informed him
of these facts. Davis replied firmly.
THE man is sane colonel, and so re-
ported
Hes not sane. /" the commander re-
torted. why influence me TO stir up a
civil murder trial which disintegrates
a command and disturbs discipline1 He
should be sent to an asylum. F"
Ten years ago Davis would have ex-
planned and at length why he thought
Henderson sane. but since these callow
days he had once offered gratuitous in
formation to a superior in command, so
be said simply, I'm not influencing
You TO anything. colonel. unless it is
permitting you to do your duty by do
ing mine.
Davis. spoke with the gentle tirmness
of one struggling to be respectful and
showed the effect of severe staff train
ing in duty untainted by the despotism
of absolute command The word per
hitting had been delioately chosen
and passed below the colonel's guard
THAT will do, doctor, said the colo
mel stiffiy. his color rising, as Davis
left the Office Even after Arizona service
has killed your respect for man bis
opinions are still entitled TO it, for they
are the result of experiences that have
cost the man Yet my faith in Davis
weakened 1t takes more than FIVE
years confidence in a human being to
outweigh our own fallible deductions
even ON subjects of which we are va
riously ignorant. The egotism of being
rational is so pleasingly pleasant. Still
the colonel sent Henderson to civil trial
and bullied Davis in the hopes that he
would stop it.
The trial was held near the post, and
many attended it. Before it proceeded
to the arraignment the court summoned
Davis for opinion. Again the same re-
ports he had made so confidently to the
colonel Every one was dissatisfied,
and the court proceeded to trial The
colonel again called Davis up.
Davis. said he bluntly. this has
gone far enough. | was witness in
that mans trial today, and the man is
mad, and the court and every one knows
it except you, who of all persons should
know it. From the testimony the jury
must convict, which means the man
shall be hung. don't want a man of
my regiment hung unless I'm convinced
that he deserves it. Now, stop your pro-
fessional stubbornness and request some
one in consultation before the verdict
Would you have crazy man hung?"
'The man S as sane as you are, colo
mel, and even granting he is not--which
don t-the class of insanity which he
affects, if real, would be subsequent to
the act. SO he would be punishable
whenever reason or lucid interval re-
appeared. 1t would be only little too
kind to hang him now, that is all, " re-
piled the surgeon.
So the trial concluded. and Hender-
son was sentenced to be hanged On Pc
tition Of the jury the judge granted a
stay of execution until medical experts
could be summoned from San Francisco
These, after consultation with Davis.
pronounced the prisoner sane.
During the week before the day set
for his execution Henderson confessed
his feigned insanity to me while / was
taking him some tobacco and said that
he felt kindly toward every one for his
treatment in trial, except that Did
post surgeon, who had played it on him
that he might hang. If only had my
liberty long enough to kill Davis" he
said to me one day. I'D die happy.
He said that had been good to him.
had fetched him some clean clothes and
tobacco, and that he would reward me-
Then he outlined how he had killed q
Mexican miner near Las Cruces three
years before, but that he had robbed him
of but half his buried gold, and that be
had intended to return for the balance
and had never done so. Then he gave
minute directions as to the place and
exact locality and amount of the buried
treasure
Henderson, y asked when he had
finished. are you still crazy. or are
you only lying?"
Neither. he said simply AS
mount the scaffold I'll incline my head
toward you. which is to affirm in the
presence of eternity that speak the
truth
After my discharge ! actually went
from Deming up to Las Cruces and fol
lowed the rascal's directions, but found
no buried money. though old Perez had
been murdered, as stated Shortly after
ward met DIR. Davis and told him o.
my chase He laughed pleasantly, and
then asked him. Doctor. would yor
mind telling me how you could be Sc
certain that Henderson was not really
insane?'
Why. yon should know that " b.
said. with slight twinkle. "You help
ed me establish the fact Do you recall
that gave you diagnosis Of his cas-
before his cell and had you placed OF
guard to observe the completing symp
toms?'
'sYes, bnt he really showed them
$50 would you had You been feigninl
insanity. as he was doing. and over
heard me and believed, as until nov
So, arsdo,,f1x- 1id f,oliava that I e1,nk,