The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-08-31

NC give " OlueIS III my l6CIure-my
sermon, might call it. Do you think
that would tell other born criminals
to deny themselves the pleasure Of
having offspring and myself not have
strength to abide by my own doctrine?
No! I am q criminal, congenitally q
degenerate. 1t was crime to bring
such as I am into the world. 1t would
be greater sin for me to become ia
ther."
yes are strange combination Of
good A1d evil. Preacher jim"
"That is true of all men. He who
is considered wholly good is merely one
in whom the good greatly preponder-
ates. The converse is also true, and
the worst men have some good in their
natures. That might be their saliva
ton were this truth recognized and
acted upon, but it is not The whole
world, save perhaps very few who
are regarded as fanatical dreamers,
look upon the criminals case as hope
less reformation impossible. He is
merely thing to be despised, to be
bounded, to be imprisoned if he steals
~
length he turn upon those who have
driver him to despair. This is the
crime Of civilization. 1t is the crime
of the century,"
do you hear that, Mr.. Barnes-the
crime of the century? Preacher Jim
defines it for you. You thought it was
the killing of Matthew Mora, but
told you that it was not the crime of
any one man. Now you learn what it
is. 1t is the blind bigotry with which
boosted civilization tortures the de.
generate products of it's own vices,
making hard laws for their punish
ment and measuring their acts by
the standards of sound and normal
manhood. That, Mr.. Barnes, is the
crime of the century, crime which
must be eradicated in the next CEN
fury, or else within another hundred
years it will have wrought ruin upon
the race
"You are right, Mr. Mitchell. Ny own
case is a bitter example of the truth
of the doctrine which you, advocate.
am what you aptly called a degenerate
not as plea for myself, but merely as
an assertion of the truth. But let me
continue. AS have said, have al
| ways loved Lillian Vale, despite my
recognition of the fact that She never
could be mine. But soon man named,
or, rather, calling himself, Morton
came upon the scene. He was wealthy
as we'll as handsome, just the sort of
man to turn a young girls head. He
won her heart. At first, when 1 saw
him making love to her, I would have
strangled him but for the constant
effort which always made to over
come my homicidal tendencies Later,
when 1 discovered that Lillian had
learned to love the man, l would not
have harmed him for all the world.
And so he found the opportunity to
win from her all that girl should hold
most sacred. / went away for time,
hoping that absence would give me
strength to bear my loss, without yield
ing to the criminal proclivities which
| merely smoldered within my bosom.
When returned, ! found Lillian had
become a mother. Again it was with
the greatest difficulty that I refrained
from murder, but the motive for such
an act was merely jealousy. 1t was
the fear of becoming the father of q
child of hers, of seeing in the beloved
darling of my wife reproduction of
my own degenerate SELF which had
lost me my Lillian. And now to see her
fondling the offspring of another was
hard indeed to bear But did>not then
know Of the degradation into which he
had plunged her. 1 thought they were
indeed welded, as they pretended to
be. If had known the truth. would
have killed hing
"Poor fellow! How you have suf-
feredv'
1.-The weeks and the months rolled
Dy. Slippery Sam, one of my trusted
friends, from time to time occupied a
room in the same house in which Lii
ian lived. He did this at my request
to bring me reliable news of all that
occurred. l had sort of presentiment
that some day she would need my aid.
The time came at length. One night I
was with Slippery Sam in his room
when heard noise below. listened
and felt sure that some one was NOV
Ing about in Lilian's room. 1 went
back and brought out candle. By it's
dim light | saw man hurrying down
stairs, carrying bundle 1 hastily
followed. He walked swiftly through
the dark streets, but 1 kept him in
view. Finally he reached an old grave
yard and with difficulty climbed over
the fence Then l discovered his pur-
pose. He had stolen Lilian's child. 1
saw him strip off the single garment
in which it was clad, and saw him
deposit the infant in the high grass.
Il was leaning against the wall, un.
der the protecting shadow of a door
way next to the rail fence, when he
leaped back into the street and hurried
up town. l imagined that this was the
husband, who thus took the first step
toward abandoning poor Lillian. I was
convulsed with rage and sneaked along
behind him, hesitating whether or not
to strike him dead. AS these thoughts
were surging in my brain the man