Anadarko daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 1908-191?, 1910-10-26
BY James McDoWeH.

I AM a broken man. when | killed |
my wife. my interest in life ceased |
do not reproach myself now for /
ending my wife's sufferings in the way | |
did took the hardest part, for the |
memory OF her passing away is always
with me. Now that | am barring my
soul TO the world, l may perhaps hnd
peace. have tried everything else
and have y-+ to find It.
Fanny was my childwife. She was
the daughter OF my best friend. and
had watched her and loved her from
her cradle days, and when | married
her | combined the love for ehild
with the love for wife.
At the time OF our tragedy we we're
about 120 miles from Calgary, the
nearest Inhabited place. and were APP
proachirg the widest section OF our
journey We had been riding for four
hours without break, because | want
ed to complete our trip as soon as
possible. Fanny was a few feet ahead
Of me, and the pack-mule brought up
the rear
We were both browsing In the saddle
more or less overcome with fatigue
and the intense heat from which the
heavy woods afforded US little protec-
tion, when suddeAy was aroused by
cry and, looking up, saw Fannys
mule rearing on his hind legs.
thought that he had ben stung by
hornet, and hurried toward him. BE-
fore had advanced yard, the brute
toppled over the edge OF the precipice
which yawned, and disappeared.
came upon the dead mule first A
| few feet away l found the shapeless
form OF my wife-every bone In her
body broken. Her head and face were
not badly injured. She had fallen
1000 feet. pressed my canteen to
her lips, and the brandy and water 1t
contained brought her back to con-
sciousness.
"Jim," she moaned. "if you love me.
end my agony!"
/ put my head in my hands and
groaned. knew that II would take
me ten days to bring help from Cal
gary, and | believed that poor Fanny
could not survive as many hours. l
heard the bowling OF the wolves, and
the horrible truth that II l left her to
summon help the beasts would make
short work OF her came to me so clear
ly that | at once banished the Idea
| stood by and watched the woman
loved better than anything else in the
world suffering the tortures OF the
damned with not a single chance OF
recovery.
Every now and again. Fanny would
lapse into unconsciousness, and dur
ing these periods would walk up and
down, wondering what course to pur-
sue. Should | kill my wife? | felt
that to accede to her request would
be murder in the eyes OF men. But
that did not worry me. | was willing
TO commit murder to end her terrible
sufferings. But was there the faint
est chance of saving her? That was
the great point upon which the whole
thing hinged.
again she opened her eyes. you
are a coward. JIM" she said, "or you
would kill me. You know | haven't
a chance to live and l may suffer this
torture for many hours"
But, Fanny" | groaned, Il can't
kill you. Some one may come along
and we could get you to help"
ITS ten days to Calgary. What
chance have | for living that ten
days?" she asked. 81 can't live, any
way. | am all broken inside Of me.
You are coward"
For five hours this went on. Alter
nately there we're spells Of conscious
ness in which my wife moaned and
shrieked with pain and reviled me as
a coward, and then came unconscious
ness, during which | saw that pain
still persisted.
At the sixth hour could endure II
no longer. | kissed her good-by.
took my pistol and pressed the muZ-
zle OF It against her head. She closed
her eyes and said "fre," but had not
strength enough to press the trigger,
and my arm dropped TO my side.
"Oh. you coward. you coward" she
cried.
walked away that l might think II
I out all over again. The same prob.
lens presented themselves TO me, and
| could see only the one answer Death
alone could end my wife's tortures
Natural death might be delayed for
hours, perhaps even days. There was
nothing at hand to relieve the pain
! II fell asleep, as | was bound to
, sooner or later, we would fall ready
victims to the wild beasts. The wolves
{ were already closing in on us.
For three hours debated the ques
ton, and again | decided to kiln my
wife. And again faltered at the last
moment And so it went on until the
tenth hour.
My wife's agony seemed to Increase
. Finally, | knelt by her side. We prayed
together for the repose OF her sou
and for forgiveness for my act.
Then killed her!
covered my wife's remains with