Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1895-05-25

SIT WAS HARD TO ENDURE"
story, but would not tell it in court.
Two of the jail officials were also told
his story in confidence, and it was never
made public. According to notes taken
at the time, the man said: Il was born
and bred in Christian family. My ia
Their was preacher, and educated me
himself. was graduated in law, and
also studied medicine. [ was not
pleased with either profession, but
wanted to become a merchant. [ had
10 means with which to start in bust
ness, so l became a bookkeeper, and
yes engaged in that occupation when
came to Washington seeking employ
naent. I came here to avoid becoming
murderer.
s'That may surprise you; but it is a
fact. I had three children, little girls.
I became convinced that my home had
been invaded by villain, and that my
wife's affections were alienated from
me- l thoroughly satisfied myself of
the fact, and then bought a revolver
with which to murder the invader of
my home, and also to kill my wife.
When I entered the front door of my
house, with that weapon in my pocket,
my youngest child, a three-year-old
girl threw her arms around my neck,
kissed me and said: Here tones my
good papa
Il went away in few minutes, and
threw that revolver down the sewer on
a street corner. / could not do the
deed, for that little girl softened my
heart and drove the spirit of crime
away. 1 told my wife what had oc-
Cured. told her I had been saved by
the child, and begged her to reform.
She merely smiled and hummed tune
indifferently. l then arose and told
her that was going away, because l
could not remain there and endure hui
initiation. / told her that | would
leave town, because to remain would
make criminal Of me. AS l walked
out of the door, she laughed at me. 1t
was hard to endure; but I kissed my
children, and told them / was going on
long journey; and l never saw them
afterwards. thought that it was bet
ter to leave them, to give them up, than
to remain and have them bear the stig-
ma Of having a murderer for their IA
ther.
II went to Philadelphia and New
York, and then came here. l sent home
all of the money l made, over my
meager living expenses. / did it all
for the children. God only knows how
Iloved my little ones. My wife wrote
several sarcastic, scolding letters to me,
but never answered them. l merely
Enclosed check every week in an en-
velope Finally she came here. She
did not come as a penitent, but as a
Nemesis. She demanded all of my
wages, and threatened to make unkind
reports of me to my employer. told
her knew of her wickedness, but that
did not want my little girls to know
that their mother was an unworthy
woman. She followed me about town,
came to my place of business, and then,
on that fatal night, she came to my
boarding house, accompanied by that
villain. I shot at him, and he ran.
Then, in my frenzy, killed her. That
is all there is Of my story. l will not
tell it in court. My children may bear
the sad memory of the cruelty of their
father. They shall never hear, if / can
prevent it, that their mother was an
unworthy woman"
It was a strange story. Nobody ever
heard of the name of the other man.
He was never traced. He was never
mentioned during the trial. The jail
officials at first believed that the story
was made up by the man; but they
finally believed him, and pitied him.
BY telling his story in court, and prov
ing it, the prisoner might have success
fully pleaded temporary insanity. But
he was heart-brolzen before the deed
was committed. He spoke but the
truth when he told the judge that he
wanted to die. Life was of no value tc
him. An effort is now being made to
secure his pardon; but it is not likely
to prove successful. The convict will
do nothing to aid in the accomplish
ment of that result.
In that same cell two years age
there was confined a prisoner who had
deliberately and maliciously shot and
killed a man who, he said, had ira
educed his wife. Somehow, by legal
1egerdemain, he was acquitted. He re
turned to his business, as bartender
but never prospered. He was EN-
ployed last winter by one of our lead
ing hotels, but when the proprietor
learned that he was a murderer he dis
charged him. He was haggard, thin
and looked like a hunted animal. WheI
he left the hotel, he said to the pro
Eprietor: ''This is the fourth place