Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-05-04

preached me, iigurativcly, again.
What else can use? Something I've
got he asked plamtively.
"a don't know l said. You'll have
to experiment"
Ben did experiment. lie put into his
solution OF sugar, bread and meat and
other things, l don't know what.
1T don't ferment' he called out to
me.
Keep it in warm place" I advised
him.
So Benjamin took it TO bed with him
that night. l. was glorious summer
Something must have happened to It,
| for Benjamin declared the next morning
that he could smell the rum. Yes, sir
sure enoughi' Sounds of great rejoice
ing issued from his little cage.
Now" l replied, ali you have to do
| is to distn IT,"
Then I explained still, but Ben
| thought he could not manage it, or per-
| haps he could not wait. Anyway he
| drank his decoction the way il was.
, For a few days Ben was a very i'll
man.
1t was after his recovery that he de-
cided to prepare himself for the minis
| try. He took UP theology. He became
| very religious man. He drove tho
| chaplain who visited us every day crazy
| with his questions. He constructed
| sermons. and what Is worse he preached
| them to us. Judging from our frequent
remarks to Benjamin, he had no right
| whatever to the title of popular
| preacher"
| mt on my official robes, and as
| mayor Of Death Chamber ordered him
| 10 stop. It was then that learned of a
| piece of perfdy on his part Benjamin
had crossed his fingers when he had
| taken the oath to respect my high Of
flee.
In my official capacity I appointed
| ct 10 Ia, him hprpEE
| Every man there insisted upon prepar-
| ing u brief for the prosecution, but no
one would speak the word" for Benja-
min. so / finally had to undertake his
| defence myself.
He was tried and convicted, but II
made no difference. l sentenced him to
| death, but he kept right on preaching.
We eXpostulated with Benjamin. We
! pleaded, we coaNcd and threatened, but
| II was useless. He preached and eX-
| hcrted and ranted until We had no peace
| day or night. / had something now 10
worry about What could do TO stop
his flow of eloquence?
At last / had It. / dug pit for my
colored brother. / tempted him and ne
FELL. He ceased to care for our spiritual
welfare, or his own. FOR that matter.
| pretended TO be very busy one
morning. During his usual flow of
highly splced rhetoric | WAS unusually
silent. Benjamin became curious. He
| even paused occasionally, ms though to
| listen for my protesting voice. Finally.
| when he could stand the suspense ana
| HIS curiosity no longer, after no had
caught glimpses Of me- as / went 70 the
bars and looked furtvely about as
| though to be sure no one was watch
| ing me, Benjamin sent me note. He
| wanted 60 know what | was doing
] Endorsed his note with q word--a
| magic word. 'conJured' Ben "!ih
| just one POLICY
Benjamin was delirious, Policy. In
| 1--WE minutes he had established his poll
| Cy shop. He cut the numbers from his
calendar and was ready for business.
Would we play with him? Would wef
| He sworo TO be honest
] hesltuted. doubtful A follower OF
| the ministry, Il did not look we'll At
| length / allowed Beuiamln's fearful
| pleadngs 10 overcome my scruples.
agreed, providing benjamin would
| promise never to preach again. Would
| he stop preaching forever
Benjamin reached out his hand; II
| grasped his Bible He swore, l thought
he would never stop swearing.
Benjamin devoted his life 10 the
game. lie forgot his case. He didn't
care whore he was. Every night M
midnight the three numbers cOnstitut-
ing the winning gig were drawn. II
was brcathless moment. Fortunes
were won and lost Like all bold specu-
lators, ! was lucky from the beginning
Benjamin died owing mo something
over $40 100000. ] have met with very
great misfortunos during my life.
All OF his waking hours Benjamin
constructed systems which could not
lose--for Benjamin could not resist the
temptation OF playing against his own
game.
Then he began his great opus-a
dream book with a "gig" index. n was
a cyclopedlc work Should Benjamin
dream during tn night Of u chicken, or
a watermelon. on razor, a dead man,
a graveyard, a tombstone, cohin, or
woman-and he was very likely 10 have
one OF these noctornal visions, and tel
peated here--he would turn % his man
userlpt. note the numbers opposite tho
omen and play them 10 win for fabulous
amounts. There was an exact science