The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1898-05-05
for the murder of my own father.

1
street from our house, on the way from
the station, when heard a report Of a
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 l had a clear view
across the vacant lots
Fearing that something had gone
| wrong, FASTENED home I entered at
! the side gate because it was the shorter
way to the north walk. l crossed the
| grass and came upon my father lying
exactly as you saw him Oh the morning
of the inquest. The revolver you found
in the shrubbery was by his side.
81 had no sooner seen him than ]
knew he had committed suicide. had
heard him threaten to do it often and
knew that he had at last given way to
what seems 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.
"You are all surprised" he went on
Il knew you would be. In bending
over my father to see if life were ex-
tinct l noticed an envelope pinned to
the underside of the lapel of his coat. /
tore it off, struck match and hastily
read the contents of the envelope. 1t
was short statement to the effect that
nothing had lately gone to suit him !;
that he had quarreled with Mr.. Allen;
that lis own children did not love him
and wanted him out of the way to get
bis money. He said he was obeying an
uncomfortable impulse to end his life
by his own hand, that he 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"
A white, desperate expression had
captured Ralph;s face. He drew a deep
breath and then continued:
II don't know what the law is on
this point, Hendricks. but | 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 a fash it came over
re that could do good deed in COW
ering up the fact that my father had
killed himself. My sister and have
read several books by a certain phiioso-
pher who claims that hereditary be-
liefs, such as my father possessed, can
be overcome with reason and a constant
habit of banisl'ing all morbid thoughts.
! believe you teach something of that
kind, DR.. Lampkin, in your practice,
said Ralph, directing his words to the
DOCTOR II think have seen something
of it in the papers. -
Lampkin nodded.
"You and your sister were certainly
doing the correct thing" he answered.
cit 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, if she discovered the manner
of my fathers death and his insane
message to her. l noticed that my feet
were making impressions in the sand
and just then saw the swing. did, of
course, thoughtless thing when toss
ed into the grass the revolver my ia
Their had used, but it really did not &C.
cur to me al the moment Il was fright
fully agitated) that it would throw sus-
picion OH any one i'll, cur house. l 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 it seems to
me that had to do it or go to prison. :"
Hendricks face held all expression of
vast incredibly For moment he sat
, silently looking at the floor.
II thought you were going to confess
something really discriminating, in a
lesser degree than murder, however, "
lie said. Il 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
fer over 500, 900, which, owing to GER
tain clauses in the policies, would not
be collectible except in case of death in
IN ordinary manner.
81 never dreamed of such thingl"
gasped Ralph. Il knew nothing of the
policies or the clauses.
II only mentioned it. Of course. :
said Hendricks, shut it would have
been better for your case if you had put
it that way. You see, jury would re-
gard it as more plausible than-well,
than the reasons yon have stated. Such
q motive, just that sort Of Econsideru-
tion for your aunt. is too fine. toe
psychic, for the mind of the ordinary
juryman. .
Ralph's startled eyes were fixed on
! the face of the detective.
DO you mean to say, Hendricks,