The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-15

bones Of some long.buried hermit. and he cites q
nnmDer or instances In which such bonee AYE
spite of much longer interment than fourteen
years. lie dwells, too, vita becoming difldence
on ne lrrepro9chable character and reputation,
ana ine lmpTobability OF a man Of such conduct
suddenly, without any previous experience, IN
crime. committing a horrid murder. In this
terry Of his own career. He has offered : solu-
tion OF this sudden impulse to crime by &C.
commented on the dubious character OF that OK.
pIanetlon; AT the last let Eugene Aram speak
tor himseIi. Convicted and condemned TO death,
ne ettenipted suicide in York Castle the night
before his execution. Before opening the. veins
OF ms arm, with a razor he had concealed for the
What am l better than my fathers7 To do II nst
ural and necessary. Perfectly sensible OF this, fear
no more to die than I did to be born. But the manner
ON Is something which should. in my opinion, be de-
cent and manly. l think l have regarded both these
points. certainly nobody has n better right to dis-
pose OF a man'Slife than himself; and he. not Others,
should determine how. As to any indignities offered
TO my BODY, or silly reflections on my faith ana
morals they nc las they always were) things IN
dinerent TO me. think. though contrary TO the com
mon way OF thinking; 1 wrong no man by THIS ana
nope IL Is not offensive to that eternal Being that
formed me and the world; and as by this 1 inJure no
man. no man can he reasonably offended. lsoiicit-
ously recommend myself to that eternal ana al
mighty Being. the God OF nature. II 1 have done
amiss. But perhaps I have not. and l hope this thing
will never be imputed to me. Though l am now
stained by nialevolence and suner by prejudice. I
nope TO rise fair md u~nblemished. Ny life was not
polluted. my morals irreproachable. and my opinions
orthodox. slept sound till 8 O'Clock, awaked. and
then writ these lines:
Come. pleasing rest, eternal slumbers fall.
sea- nine that once must seal the eyes OF All;
CAIN and composed. my soul her journey takes,
kS9 guilt that troubles and no heart that aches.
Auieui thou sun, all bright like her arise.
Ad'eu' fair friends. anu all that's good and wise.
Are these lines the dignified farewell Of a mar
tyred philosopher or the egotistical exit OF a
criminal posing MS martyr and philopheri over
Arains farewell ono can exclaim with Joseph
surface, All. my dear sir, It's this very con-
scious innocence that is of the greatest preju-
dice to. you" One would be so grateful for just
some little acknowledgment of human weakness
IRON ms consciously irreproachaoie assassin.
Was Eugene Aram a wcll-intentioned man
Ihat would be the most instructive question to
resolve. We are inclined to answer IL In tho
negatives: but It is difficult to give q decided
~ oral testimony; All we can say with absolute
certainty Is that he murdered Daniel Clarke and
discovered n European affinity in Celtic roots.
For the latter achievement he is entitled to rank
former he was hanged at York, hall, f%ainting
from his attempt at suicide which had been
happily, or unhappily. frustrated. and his body
hung in chains near Knaresborough. One Of his
saw the corpse swinging in its chains on Thistle
Hill and g~leetully ran to tell her mother that
she had seen her father hanging up on the hill;
INC sight seemed to give her satisfaction.
native village. loathed and detected, his win.
dows smashed by old pupils Of Aram's. and died
at y place called Marion.
Mrs. Aram kept q pie, and sausage shop IN
ii. B. IRvINo.