The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-03
FOR LIFE OR DEATH.
Blu GEORGE H. WESLEY.


Some OF US said yes. some no-Morton
was snent-an unusual thing for Nor
ton. for he had views on everything
under the sun. and a tongue that was
facfle IN expressing them.
What's the matter. DOCTOR" asked
Frazer. turning 70 our meditative COM
panion. Wake UP and say something.
Is suicide justifable. or is IL not2'
"Ah, um" said Morton coming back
to earth, "the mention Of suicide al
ways sends the wool gathering. DO any
Of you happen 10 remember Col Leigh
TOM"
Remember jolly old leighton. Of course
we do responded young Briggs, ''and
also that most charming wife OF his.
Wonder what has become Of them?'
"Ah. she was charming. was she not?''
said Morton. Positively the sweetest,
tenderese most delicate little woman
ever set eyes on. Can you imagine any
one thirsting for her blood2"
Great Jupiter. no. What was it.
matter OF jealousy. money. or revenge2"
1T was neither" replied the doctor,
mysteriously-"but let me tell the story
from the beginning And you. Fraser,
keep your ears open. for being no dog
matist this win be as near as l shall
come to answering your question"
I'm the first place. then, Leighton and
We're brought up together. We battled
our way through school side by side,
and then fought in the same regiment in
the civil war. No finer soldier than
Leighton ever drew sword. Physically
he was a splendid fellow. and mentally
he was as bright and sound as a new
dollar. our regiment saw much rough
service, and whenever we met the foe
leighton was to be looked for in the
thickest of the fray. But bravery cannot
stay the course OF a bullet. so one day my
poor comrade was brought into the hospi-
tai tent badly wounded bail had
pierced his shoulder, glanced on his col
lar-bone, and gone no one could tell just
where 1t was stll i'm his body, for there
appeared no Oriice Of exit He grew bet
ter slowly, however, and in the course Of
a week or two he started northward to
regain his strength, and so we separated
w hen the war was over came to New
York, and hung out my shingie on quite
a prominent thOrOughfare. One after
noon who should burst In upon me, but
my old friend Leighton. No burst isn't
the word. for my visitor was not the big
bOisterous, good-natured fellow L used TO
know, but a feeble. broken-down skeleton
OF a man, a poor pitiable libel on the
picture OF him that hung on the walls
of memory At the first glance / saw that
he was a victim to the opium habit DO
you know what that means any Of you
fellows? Here's how one man puts II:
Throw a bucket of water into a piano
and then light fire under 1t, and its
strings viii not be more out Of tune
than are an opium smokers nerves out
Of order
Il placed an easy chair for my visitor
and he sat down. There was an expression
in his eye that alarmed me; a strange
hunted look such as l had seen in cases
of insanity. He spoke calmly, however.
and soon had the story Of his
life during the few years we had lost
track Of each other
1T appeared that when he came north
he rapidly regained his strength and soon
was apparently as we'll as ever. But pres
emily he began to suffer from pains in
his head, pains which at length became so
severe that he was driven to opiates to re-
live him.
But I have not come to consult you
about this said Leighton. this / can bear:
must bear. Would to God that these pains
We're always racking mel The worst is
when they are not.
= Doubtless they leave you very much
exhausted I said.
g They leave me- he replied. in slow
and deliberate tones. with a burning. all
but unconquerable desire to take human
life.
"Now, / am not generally a nervous
man, but must confess that l started at
this, and instinctively looked about me
for some weapon Of defense.
oh, don't be afraid said Leighton,
with sad smile, the fit isn't on me now.
l should not have come in If It had been.
have once or twice been nearly starved
not daring to leave my room. can con-
quer my madness now, but the question is
how long can / continue to do So It is
growing stronger every day, and my pow
er OF resistance | feel to be growing weak
er. Soon the craving for blood will over
rule everything else within me- 1 am like
man who has slipped over a preelpice,
and feels the earth and shrubs to which
he clings, slowly, slowly but surely Civ
ing way 20 precipitate him into the gulf
below. 1 have taken wretched ours out
OF the street and killed them in my fren-
~, in the hope that l might so exhaust
this awful desire. 1t is Of no avail. l must
have human life.'
Remarkably strange" / commented
as he paused. Does this dreadful de-
sire of yours demand human life in a
general way, or the life of some one in
. Why do you ask that, Norton he
cried, bending forward with sudden ex-
citementJ
You must answer me- Leighton. or
l can do nothing for you, said decisive
~.
lay, you are right he said, setting
back again in his chair. Well then,
sometimes it seems that any life will
do; and then again Listenl -Four days
ago 1 saw in Central park a beautiful
young girl Her face indicated a nature
pure, sweet and refined. l followed her
down the walk, out through the gate
and on, on to her home in Jersey City.
I was led to do it by this devil that has
taken possession Of me. 1 hung around
her dwelling and presently she came out
and sat on the piazza to study her les
sons. Poor child, she little knew how
near she was to death. Doctor il I had
had my pistol with me 1 should have
shot her. You may smile. but some day
soon I shall take a pistol and go there
and kill her
Il had sufficient experience with the
insane to know that argument was OF
little use, so 1 did not attempt it, Nor
did my studies fit me to deal with such
a In ac