The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-22

Democratic papers which are engaged in
disproving the existence of Mckinley pros
perity by citing instances of individual suf-
fering should not overlook an incident re-
corded in the city papers yesterday. 1t was
the sad case of a man who gave his name
as Hills, though for family or other rea-
sons he may not have given his real name.
Owing to the repeal of a tariff for revenue
only, or the continuance Of the gold stand
ard, or some other cause he was out of
employment and funds. and came to this
city to better his condition. His dress and
manners were those of a person who, if he
had not seen better days, was DESTROYS of
seeing them and of maintaining a social
status commensurate with his tastes. In
casting about for a means of raising money
he was unfortunate enough to adopt plan
which brought him under the suspicion of
the police. This may have been due to his
ignorance of law or of commercial usage,
but in either case it was the direct result
of his impecunious condition and hard times.
Being unable to give satisfactory answers
to the pointed questions of the police he
was placed under arrest and his room was
ing letter was found in a valise:
Sir-The satchel you see contains twenty
pounds of the most powerful explosive
known; 1t is ten times more destructive
than dynamite and it explodes by concus-
sion- In my right hand / have 3S-calber
revolver and 1 am a dead shot. L am des-
perate and must have a certain amount of
money. This you can furnish. Without it
l am determined to die, but will not die
alone, for upon the first sign of treachery
or a determination to thwart my purpose |
will explode this immensite and we will both
go to death together, and, incidentally, so
will every one inside of thirty feet of where
we are. am no crank, but am desperate,
seeing, those | care for wanting things they
nave been accustomed to; and, struggle as
i can, i cannot secure remunerative en-
ployment. Hence my resolve to either pro-
cure what need for them or die in such a
way that the disgrace of my act cannot at
tach to them. In case l am forced to kill
both you and myself there will not be even
remnants found of us. Treat me right and
do not even contemplate treachery; if you
do you know the penalty. Do as l ask
without parley and you are as safe as You
ever were.
The letter was inclosed in an envelope
marked strictly personal" and any person
to whom it might be handed would doubt
less so regard it. Perhaps Mr.. Hills did not
know that this mode of raising money was
unlawful, but in matters of this kind ig-
norance of the law excuses no one, not even
a person thrown out of employment by hard
times. The point of interest in the letter.
and that which makes it useful to Demo-
cratic papers, is the writer's statement that
he is desperate, seeing those 1 care for
wanting things they have been accustomed
to, and, struggle as can, I cannot secure
remunerative employment" Here, then,
was stranger in a strange city, presum-
ably a victim Of hard times and in the vain
search after Mckinley prosperity. He comes
to indianapolis in search of employment
and before he could perfect his arrange
ments is pounced upon by heartless min
ions of the law and sent to Jail, simply be-
cause he had in his possession some cards
and letter heads with other peoples names
on them and because he could not explain
the foregoing letter to the satisfaction of
the police.
By singular coincidence this happened
the very day before the visit of President
Mckinley 1t seems the irony of fate, at
least Democratic papers ought to be able to
make it appear so, that a person coming
to the city in search of employment on the
very day before the arrival of the advance
agent of prosperity should be forced to re-
sort to such desperate methods and fall a
victim to laws under which the rich are
growing richer and the poor are growing
poorer 1t is great case for the purveyors
of calamity