The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1895-01-23
''The man is sane. colonel. and I so re.

ported"
lies not sane, the commander re-
torted. "Why influence me to stir up q
civil murder trial which disintegrates
a command and disturbs discipline? He
should be sent to an asylum"
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
he 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 firmness
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 delicately chosen
and passed below the oolonel's guard.
"That will do, DOCTOR" said the colo
mel stiffly, his color rising, as Davis
left the office. Even after Arizona service
has killed your respect for man his
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 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
tho colonel sent Henderson to civil trial
and bullied Davis in the hopes that no
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, E" 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
1t 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 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?"
1.-THE mans as sane as you are, colo
mel, and even granting he is not--which
l don 1.-THE class Of insanity which he
affects, If real, would be subsequent to
the act, SO he would BIO 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 id
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
Mexican miner near Las Cruces three
years before, but that he had robbed him
of but half his buried gold, and that he
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, asked when he had
finished, ARE you still crazy, or are
you only lying?"
Neither he said simply. LAS
mount the scaffold I'll incline my head
toward you, which is to affirm in the
presence of eternity that speak the
truth. l."
After my discharge | actually went
from Deming up to Las Cruces and fol
lowed the rascals directions, but found
no buried money, though old Perez had
been murdered, as stated Shortly after
ward met DR.. Davis and told him of
my chase. He laughed pleasantly, and
then | asked him. doctor, would you
mind telling me how you could be so
certain that Henderson was not really
insane?"
why, you should know that, he
said, with slight twinkle. you help
ed me establish the fact Do you recall
that gave you diagnosis Of his case
before his cell and had you placed ON
guard to observe the completing symp-
toms?"
Eyes, but he really showed them.
$50 would you had you been feigning
insanity, as he was doing, and over
heard me and believed, as until now
you evidently did believe. that ] spoke
the truth
/ now understand Henderson's ex
ueme bitterness toward Davis who had
duped him into self conviction. -Phila-
delphia Times