The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1912-08-31
CHAPTER XVI.
The Forty.Nlnth Hour.

first day 20 tell us that the inspectors
plan for disposing of the postmaster,s
body had been successful and that no
suspicion had been aroused. The sec
ond day a pleasanter mission brought
him to deliver kilograms from Gran
dali and Louise that all was well,
that the general was slowly improv-
ing and that Katharine wqk recover
ing rapidly.
bound. defying MS, now cursing. now
pleading, now in brilliant phrases
striving TO convince as by logical ar
guments so def. SO forceful. so cum
ming that weaker and less wise man
than Davis might have been con-
WINGED by them.
His logic failing he would turn to
merciless invective and ribald threats,
his penetrating voice making the
whole hut hideous as he prophesied
for us both grotesque horrible deaths,
brain-breaking punishments In this
world and the next. Then, overcome
once more by the intensity of his un-
satisfied desire for the drug that had
long been his master, he would moan
and plead and weep for morphine.
AZ times delusions would seize his
brain BY the hour he would rave OF
beautiful cities and wonderfully fair
women and pleasant pastlmes. Ma
jestic lines of poetry would flow from
HIS fevered lips, to end in shrek OF
agony as his quivering. knotted mus
cles all but tore his nerves apart.
Again the weird morphine fantasies
would take hold of him and rush OF
horrible grotesque ribaldries would
foul the air
At times he dozed, moaning in
agony even in his sleep. Three
times day we offered him food, and
once of twice he took little water,
but the one thing only he craved, the
one thing he hungered and thirsted
for was morphine, and that Davis
would not let him have. though all the
while It lay there almost within his
reach. where he could see II.
And still he defed us.
But after forty-eight hours OF this
terrible torture nature would be put
off no longer She demanded rest.
Young had sunk into troubled. I'M
easy sleep about seven I'm the morn
ing Davis and |, having spelled each
other as guards during the. night, sat
talking about our prisoner | hap
pened TO remark that II was a pity
that capital punishment could not re-
move such criminals as Young from
the earth. The inspector, In spite OF
the rigorous way he had kept up the
torture. seemed to have strong sym
pathy for Young
81 don't believe in capital punish
ment at ALL he said explosively Our
whole system Is wrong. 1t took us a
good many centuries TO discover that
insane persons didn't need prisons,
but doctoring They Just can't help
being criminals. Stand behind a line
OF prisoners as they march In 20
breakfast In the penitentiary Not
one OF them will have normal head.
Is that their fault? II is the fault OF
society. It's our fault. This poor
devil here. his father a drug fiend and
his mother drinking herself into in
sanity. what chance did he have?
Yet who knows, some day this marvel
GUS new surgery may be able 20 take
the children OF even such parents as
his were, reshape their skulls and
make them honest, useful citizens"
There was a stir on the couch and
Young opened his eyes. The fire OF
the drug-madness and the look of
hate seemed TO have vanished.
Il give up." he said II can't stand
the strain any longer. I'll tell you
anything YOU want TO know"
He spoke quietly and calmly. Yet
there was something in his voice that
rang true. l felt that this time he
meant what he said Apparently
Davis, too. realized that at last
Young's spirit was broken. Without
hesitation, he seized the hypodermic
syringe and plunged II into Young'ss
arm. The prisoner breathed long
sigh OF relief The color came back
into his face and strength to his
voice. His muscles stopped witch
ing.
Now" said Davis gently, where
are the yellow letters hid?"
In tln-box under fiat stone near
the spring" Young replied.
Which stone?"
It's the third from the spring com
Ing this way"
Davis was up like a shot and out
tho door raapnaarfnp otfcLlv NTH on
ordinary document box.
And the Parrish papers--where are
they7' he asked sharply.
They are in the box. too" said
Young YEARLY. May haFe'~anoth-
er shot2"
Davis studied his face and felt his
pulse and then reached for the
syringe.
Where's the key?" he asked as he
Al. A..