The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-01-27


"On the night he met his death ]
was coming home from the city Of
about ten minutes past o'clock. j was
Just turning the corner of the fourth
street from our house. on the way from
the station. when heard report of q
revolver and saw red fash in the di-
rection of the north walk in our gar
den. You know there are few houses in
that vicinity, and / had clear view
across the vacant lots.
Fearing that something had gone
wrong, hastened home. l entered at
the side gate because it was the shorter
way to the north walk. crossed the
grass and came upon my father lying
exactly as you saw him on the morning
of the inquest. The revolver You found
In the shrubbery was by bis side.
II had no sooner seen him than l
knew he had committed suicide. 1 had
heard him threaten to do it often and
knew that he had at last given way to
what seems a family failing. My ia
theirs father took his own life, and SO
did one Of my fathers brothers.
Ralph Benton studied the faces
around him.
lyon are all surprised, he went on.
81 knew you would be. In bending
over my father to see if life were ex-
tinct noticed an envelope pinned to
the underside Of the lapel of his coat.
tore it off. struck match and hastily
wnaI hn 30 thn
was short statement to the effect that
nothing had lately gone to suit him;
that he had quarreled with Mr.. Allen;
that his own children did not love him
and wanted him out of the way to get
his money. He said he was obeying an
uncomfortable impulse to end his life
by his own hand, that be believed the
inclination was hereditary and that he
had not been free from it one moment
since his brother had killed himself in
Harlem five years ago. He ended by a
few words to his sister, my Aunt
Martha. He told her that he knew she
had been contemplating suicide for the
same reasons that had actuated him
and begged her to hold OH as long as
she could, but that she need not count
on ever defeating the will of Provi-
dence, which had decreed that every
one bearing the name of Benton should
die by his own hand. My father was
really not in his right mind. I"
A white, desperate expression had
captured Ralph's face. He drew deep
breath and then continues:
81 don't know what the law is on
this point, Hendricks, but 1 deliberate
ly took it into my own hands. 1t &C.
CURED to me that no one else had
heard the report of the revolver and
that l was the only one who knew of
the accident. Like fash it came over
me that could do good deed in COW
ering up the fact that my father had
killed himself. My sister and l have
read several books by certain philoso-
pher who claims that hereditary be-
liefs, such as my father possessed, can
be overcome with reason and constant
habit OF banishing all morbid thoughts.
believe you teach something of that
kind, DIR. Lampkin, in your practice"
said Ralph, directing his words to the
doctor. II think have seen something
Of it in the papers.
LampKln uOudeu.
You and your sister were certainly
doing the correct thing" he answered.
1t seems to me-
go ahead with your story" inter-
rupted Hendricks, little look of dis
pleasure in his eyes.
"You can guess the rest" said the
young man. Il remem bered my aunt's
peculiar tendency and was. sure she
would take her life. in spite of all we
could do, il she discovered the manner
Of my fathers death and his insane
message to her. ] noticed that my feet
were making impressions in the sand
and just then saw the swing. did, Of
course, a thoughtless thing when toss
I'd into the grass the revolver my IA
Their had used, but it really did not oc-
cur to me at the moment Il was fright
fully agitated) that it would throw sus-
picion on any one in our houee. I did
not think Of that till was safe in my
room, having reached it in the exact
manner You described. That's my story.
did NOT want to tell it. but IL seeing 70
me that I had to do it or go to prison. I"
Hendricks face held an expression of
vast inczedulity. For d moment he sat
looking at the. floor.
IT thouRhS YOU were going 10 confess
really incriminating, in q
lesser degree than mnfder. however, "
he said. 81 presume it did not occur to
you that in covering" up what you
claim was suicide you were ,fraudu-
lently making certain life Insurance.
companies liable to you and your sister
for over &i00, 900, which. owing to GER
tain clauses in the policies, would not
be collectible except in case of death ia
an ordinary manner.
'I never dreamed Of such thingl'
gasped Ralph. 81 knew nothing Of the
policies or the clauses.
~ only mentioned It, of course, ~
said Hendricks, "but IL would have
been better for your case II you had put
1t that way. You see, jury would re-
gard 1t as more plausible than-well,
than the reasons you have stated. Such
q motive, just that sort Of considera-
tion for your aunt, is too nne. toe