The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-12-20
YIELD NOT TO TEMPTATI0N
FOR JAILs ARE UNHEALTHY.
Time of Cain Until Wednesday of
Last Week.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor' S
good" etc. While a rifle is not included
in the category of the ctc's., it is just
as wrong to covet your reighbor's fire.
arms as his wife, a fact which can be
easily attested by Joseph Murphy, col
cred. to his sorrow.
The sin of covtuousness has been the
ruin of many good man, and while this
terrestrial ball whrls through ethereal
space, it will continue it's devastating
influence on the sons of men. Had not
Cain coveted his brother Abel's success
in his agricultural business the world S
first tragedy would have never been en-
acted, and Abel's fields and horticul-
tural gardens deprived of their master.
Coming down, the annals of time to
the later period in the world5s history
we find that a certain King by the name
of David had taken a fancy to another
mans wife and had sworn to have her
for his own, in spite of the fact that
she was already blessed the one hus-
band, which was the usual allotment to
wife in those days. But we are told
that her exceeding great beauty had
captivated the King and that she was his
though by day and his dream by night
And so after much flirting with this
other mans better Dave decided to
put the lady's husband out of business.
To his mind this other gentleman seemed
superplous member of the human
family, and so David decided to place
him in the trent rank of army that he
might be killed to allow his own love
affair to persue it's course TRANQUILITY
and undisturbed.
And so David fell victim to the
sin of covetuousness. Had he put the
temptation from him and said, May, nay
/ will not disturb the peace and con-
tentment of your humble homestead, his
conscience would hove been clear with
no gruesome spectre of dead husband
to rise before his midnight dreams.
Thus does the sin of covetuousness do
its deadly work and lead its victims to
more and greater crimes.
This conclusion is derived from the in
stances above quated, tokether with the
experience of Joseph Murphy, who in
spite of his name, is not Irish. In other
words he is a colored man.
On Wednesday of last week as Joe
passed the pawn shop of Mr. Daniel
Harris he spied a fine Martin rifle dis
played on the outside. And he at once
coveted it. The first thought that struck
him was that he wanted it, the second,
that he was going to have it and the
third was query as to how he was
going to get it.
Being a man of few words and decided
action he took it, placed it or his Shout
der, and marched off down the streets,
whistling The Boys in Blue are March
ing By
For one week he kept it. On last
Wednesday he attempted to sell it Mr..
C. H. Bachelor, who recognized 1T and
sent for Mr.. Harris. Murphy is no fool
and he didn't stop to ask any questions.
He just left.
Thursday he was apprehended on VIII
mington street by officer Banks and
yesterday morning he tried to explain to
Mayor Powell that when man is
tempted and falls the crime is not his,
but that of the unseen power which
prompted him to sin.
The mayor understood all that, but
thought it wise to keep him in cell
where no temptations would placed
before him. And he went to Jail under
$50 bond.
And so ends the story of the man who
listened to the voice of covetuousness.
Be sure your sins will find you out.