The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-04
DR., ]. W. CLAWS0N
Continued from Fifth Page)

responsible for this don't care. Someone
got a few hundred dollars for this, few
measly pieces of coin for sending me to
prison and my family down TO ruin
why, say, look here know man I
could send 10 the penitentiary for life by
that"
The doctor leaned over and snapped his
fingers, SHARPLY looking at the officer. I'D
get two thousand dollars for it. Do you
suppose I'd do it? Ruin his family, starve
his children, for a little money!"
The doctor lowered his voice to a gutteral
tone. I'D work at ten cents an hour and
work it in the night the rest of my life,
before I'd do it
mo man can say anything against me
the last four years. I have not touched a
drop Of whiskey in that time / never
did an unlawful act in my life, except
when 1 was under the influence Of liquor.
] have attended strictly to business. I
have built up a practice and saved some
money. My wife IS a. member of the
church and a good woman. None better
ever lived. She's known all this trouble
all the time. She's spoken well of by the
best people Of Arkansas City. She's help
ed me to live an honorable life for the
last four years until we had attained d
high social standing in the community.
hts all gone now. Gone like a flash. My
wife's at home today and she can't see
in any direction. It's too black All these
good peole who urged me 70 quit drinking
and lead a moral life have gone inside and
closed the doors and my wife there at
home with our little girl might as well
he lost on the wide prairie at night. She
helped me al this time-these seven years
Never complained when I was drunk,
never murmur. The very force Of her
good nature made me a better man. I
haven't touched a drop in four years.
never should If j lived a thousand years.
THE GHOST OF DREAD THAT FOL-
LOWED HIM
'I wouldn't have touched It at all, but
you don't know the load l was carrying
These people that condemned me for
drindng-if they could have seen my
burden they would not have censured me !
so. For seven years the dread of this has
never lifted for a moment 1t ran /
through all the music and all the laugh /
ter that / ever heard. When we had /
guests at our home. when the children !
laughed about the place and l laughed /
and talked with friends / could feel it, 1
Feel it all The time. It always came !
chasing after every pleasant thought go /
close that 1 never enjoyed anything really. (
/ thought of IL at night after going 60 /
he'd. l couldn't forget II. I struggled TO .
forget for just a little while till l often
had a feycrish headache Ii robbed me (
of my sleep. destroyed my appetite. Il /
oppressed me tiu my very bones ached. .
! prayed to forget il. 1t was like a 4
swarm OF malicious spirits-revenGeful. /
spiteful spirits. hends that sat upon my
pillow and Cluns TO the ceiling. scram-
bled over my bed and Kissed and swavmcd .
IN the dark. ] never felt safe. was
morbid and suspicious. sometimes
couldn't endure it and I would drink
Then people would curse me- But my
wife she helped me and her goodness fin
ally conquered. We We're making d little
money and were growing happier Hu. lis
all gone now. ! knew it when 1 heard
your steps On The stairs this morning.
Mr. Trigg. 7 knew inscnctivtly ,ha- the
time had come"
Or. ClaNson shows by his talk that 10
has been "a lawyer. He is fuen- and en-
phatic. He doesn't stop 10 think up his
expressions. His eyes move about RAPIDLY
and he leans forward To emphasize his
gestures. After a few minutes silence.
when he had finished his retrosrectiau. he
inquired anNious,y:
How 'ous DO you think I'll he here
Mr.. Trisre"
It didn't seem either 20 relieve him or
depreSs him when told that he would u---