sketches new and old-第35节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


bad。　　Your　great　grandfather　was　hanged。〃

〃That　is　a　l〃

〃Silence！　　Hanged　sir。　　But　it　was　not　his　fault。　　He　could　not　help　it。〃

〃I　am　glad　you　do　him　justice。〃

〃Ahgrieve；　rather；　that　the　jury　did。　　He　was　hanged。　　His　star　crosses
yours　in　the　fourth　division；　fifth　sphere。　　Consequently　you　will　be
hanged　also。〃

〃In　view　of　this　cheerful〃

〃I　must　have　silence。　　Yours　was　not；　in　the　beginning；　a　criminal
nature；　but　circumstances　changed　it。　　At　the　age　of　nine　you　stole
sugar。　　At　the　age　of　fifteen　you　stole　money。　　At　twenty　you　stole
horses。　　At　twenty…five　you　committed　arson。　　At　thirty；　hardened　in
crime；　you　became　an　editor。　　You　are　now　a　public　lecturer。　　Worse
things　are　in　store　for　you。　　You　will　be　sent　to　Congress。　　Next；　to　the
penitentiary。　　Finally；　happiness　will　come　againall　will　be　wellyou
will　be　hanged。〃

I　was　now　in　tears。　　It　seemed　hard　enough　to　go　to　Congress；　but　to　be
hangedthis　was　too　sad；　too　dreadful。　　The　woman　seemed　surprised　at　my
grief。　　I　told　her　the　thoughts　that　were　in　my　mind。　　Then　she　comforted
me。

〃Why；　man；〃　she　said；　〃hold　up　your　headyou　have　nothing　to　grieve
about。　　Listen。

＇In　this　paragraph　the　fortune…teller　details　the　exact　history　of　the
Pike…Brown　assassination　case　in　New　Hampshire；　from　the　succoring　and
saving　of　the　stranger　Pike　by　the　Browns；　to　the　subsequent　hanging　and
coffining　of　that　treacherous　miscreant。　　She　adds　nothing；　invents
nothing；　exaggerates　nothing　（see　any　New　England　paper　for　November；
1869）。　　This　Pike…Brown　case　is　selected　merely　as　a　type；　to　illustrate
a　custom　that　prevails；　not　in　New　Hampshire　alone；　but　in　every　state　in
the　UnionI　mean　the　sentimental　custom　of　visiting；　petting；
glorifying；　and　snuffling　over　murderers　like　this　Pike；　from　the　day
they　enter　the　jail　under　sentence　of　death　until　they　swing　from　the
gallows。　　The　following　extract　from　the　Temple　Bar　（1866）　reveals　the
fact　that　this　custom　is　not　confined　to　the　United　States。〃on　December
31；　1841；　a　man　named　John　Johnes；　a　shoemaker；　murdered　his　sweetheart；
Mary　Hallam；　the　daughter　of　a　respectable　laborer；　at　Mansfield；　in　the
county　of　Nottingham。　　He　was　executed　on　March　23；　1842。　　He　was　a　man
of　unsteady　habits；　and　gave　way　to　violent　fits　of　passion。　　The　girl
declined　his　addresses；　and　he　said　if　he　did　not　have　her　no　one　else
should。　　After　he　had　inflicted　the　first　wound；　which　was　not
immediately　fatal；　she　begged　for　her　life；　but　seeing　him　resolved；
asked　for　time　to　pray。　　He　said　that　he　would　pray　for　both；　and
completed　the　crime。　　The　wounds　were　inflicted　by　a　shoemaker's　knife；
and　her　throat　was　cut　barbarously。　　After　this　he　dropped　on　his　knees
some　time；　and　prayed　God　to　have　mercy　on　two　unfortunate　lovers。
He　made　no　attempt　to　escape；　and　confessed　the　crime。　　After　his
imprisonment　he　behaved　in　a　most　decorous　manner；　he　won　upon　the　good
opinion　of　the　jail　chaplain；　and　he　was　visited　by　the　Bishop　of
Lincoln。　　It　does　not　appear　that　he　expressed　any　contrition　for　the
crime；　but　seemed　to　pass　away　with　triumphant　certainty　that　he　was
going　to　rejoin　his　victim　in　heaven。　　He　was　visited　by　some　pious　and
benevolent　ladies　of　Nottingham；　some　of　whom　declared　he　was　a　child　of
God；　if　ever　there　was　one。　　One　of　the　ladies　sent　him　a　while　camellia
to　wear　at　his　execution。〃＇

You　will　live　in　New　Hampshire。　　In　your　sharp　need　and　distress　the
Brown　family　will　succor　yousuch　of　them　as　Pike　the　assassin　left
alive。　　They　will　be　benefactors　to　you。　　When　you　shall　have　grown　fat
upon　their　bounty；　and　are　grateful　and　happy；　you　will　desire　to　make
some　modest　return　for　these　things；　and　so　you　will　go　to　the　house　some
night　and　brain　the　whole　family　with　an　ax。　　You　will　rob　the　dead
bodies　of　your　benefactors；　and　disburse　your　gains　in　riotous　living
among　the　rowdies　and　courtesans　of　Boston。　　Then　you　will；　be　arrested；
tried；　condemned　to　be　hanged；　thrown　into　prison。　　Now　is　your　happy
day。　　You　will　be　convertedyou　will　be　converted　just　as　soon　as
every　effort　to　compass　pardon；　commutation；　or　reprieve　has　failedand
then！Why；　then；　every　morning　and　every　afternoon；　the　best　and　purest
young　ladies　of　the　village　will　assemble　in　your　cell　and　sing　hymns。
This　will　show　that　assassination　is　respectable。　　Then　you　will　write　a
touching　letter；　in　which　you　will　forgive　all　those　recent　Browns。　　This
will　excite　the　public　admiration。　　No　public　can　withstand　magnanimity。
Next；　they　will　take　you　to　the　scaffold；　with　great　eclat；　at　the　head
of　an　imposing　procession　composed　of　clergymen；　officials；　citizens
generally；　and　young　ladies　walking　pensively　two　and　two；　and　bearing
bouquets　and　immortelles。　　You　will　mount　the　scaffold；　and　while　the
great　concourse　stand　uncovered　in　your　presence；　you　will　read　your
sappy　little　speech　which　the　minister　has　written　for　you。　　And　then；　in
the　midst　of　a　grand　and　impressive　silence；　they　will　swing　you　into
perParadise；　my　son。　　There　will　not　be　a　dry　eye　on　the　ground。　　You
will　be　a　hero！　　Not　a　rough　there　but　will　envy　you。　　Not　a　rough　there
but　will　resolve　to　emulate　you。　　And　next；　a　great　procession　will
follow　you　to　the　tombwill　weep　over　your　remainsthe　young　ladies
will　sing　again　the　hymns　made　dear　by　sweet　associations　connected　with
the　jail；　and；　as　a　last　tribute　of　affection；　respect；　and　appreciation
of　your　many　sterling　qualities；　they　will　walk　two　and　two　around　your
bier；　and　strew　wreaths　of　flowers　on　it。　　And　lo！　you　are　canonized。
Think　of　it；　son…ingrate；　assassin；　robber　of　the　dead；　drunken　brawler
among　thieves　and　harlots　in　the　slums　of　Boston　one　month；　and　the　pet
of　the　pure　and　innocent　daughters　of　the　land　the　next！　　A　bloody　and
hateful　devila　bewept；　bewailed；　and　sainted　martyrall　in　a　month！
Fool！so　noble　a　fortune；　and　yet　you　sit　here　grieving！〃

〃No；　madam；〃　I　said；　〃you　do　me　wrong；　you　do；　indeed。　　I　am　perfectly
satisfied。　　I　did　not　know　before　that　my　great…grandfather　was　hanged；
but　it　is　of　no　consequence。　　He　has　probably　ceased　to　bother　about　it
by　this　timeand　I　have　not　commenced　yet。　　I　confess；　madam；　that　I　do
something　in　the　way　of　editing　and　lecturing；　but　the　other　crimes　you
mention　have　escaped　my　memory。　　Yet　I　must　have　committed　themyou
would　not　deceive　a　stranger。　　But　let　the　past　be　as　it　was；　and　let　the
future　be　as　it　maythese　are　nothing。　　I　have　only　cared　for　one　thing。
I　have　always　felt　that　I　should　be　hanged　some　day；　and　somehow　the
thought　has　annoyed　me　considerably；　but　if　you　can　only　assure　me　that　I
shall　be　hanged　in　New　Hampshire〃

〃Not　a　shadow　of　a　doubt！〃

〃Bless　you；　my　benefactress！excuse　this　embraceyou　have　removed　a
great　load　from　my　breast。　　To　be　hanged　in　New　Hampshire　is　happiness
it　leaves　an　honored　name　behind　a　man；　and　introduces　him　at　once　into
the　best　New　Hampshire　society　in　the　other　world。〃

I　then　took　leave　of　the　fortune…teller。　　But；　seriously；　is　it　well　to
glorify　a　murderous　villain　on　the　scaffold；　as　Pike　was　glorified　in　New
Hampshire？　　Is　it　well　to　turn　the　penalty　for　a　bloody　crime　into　a
reward？　　Is　it　just　to　do　it？　　Is；　it　safe？






A　NEW　CRIME

LEGISLATION　NEEDED

This　country；　during　the　last　thirty　or　forty　years；　has　produced　some　of
the　most　remarkable　cases　of　insanity　of　which　there　is　any　mention　in
history。　　For　instance；　there　was　the　Baldwin　case；　in　Ohio；　twenty…two
years　ago。　　Baldwin；　from　his　boyhood　up；　had　been　of　a　vindictive；
malignant；　quarrelsome　nature。　　He　put　a　boy's　eye　out　once；　and　never
was　heard　upon　any　occasion　to　utter　a　regret　for　it。　　He　did　many　such
things。　　But　at　last　he　did　something　that　was　serious。　　He　called　at　a
house　just　after　dark　one　evening；　knocked；　and　when　the　occupant　came　to
the　door；　shot　him　dead；　and　then　tried　to　escape；　but　was　captured。
Two　days　before；　he　had　wantonly　insulted　a　helpless　cripple；　and　the　man
he　afterward　took　swift　vengeance　upon　with　an　assassin　bullet　had
knocked　him　down。　　Such　was　the　Baldwin　case。　　The　trial　was　long　and
exciting；　the　community　was　fearfully　wrought　up。　　Men　said　this
spiteful；　bad…hearted　villain　had　caused　grief　enough　in　his　time；　and
now　he　should　satisfy　the　law。　　But　they　were　mistaken；　Baldwin　was
insane　when　he　did　the　deedthey　had　not　thought　of　that。　　By　the
argument　of　counsel　it　was　shown　that　at　half　past　ten　in　the　morning　on
the　day　of　the　murder；　Baldwin　became　insane；　and　remained　so　for　eleven
hours　and　a　half　exactly。　　This　just　covered　the　case　comfortably；　and　he
was　acquitted。　　Thus；　if　an　unthinking　and　excited　community　had　been
listened　to　instead　of　the　arguments　of　counsel；　a　poor　crazy　creature
would　have　been　held　to　a　fearful　responsibility　for　a　mere　freak　of
madness。　　Baldwin　went　clear；　and　although　his　relatives　and　friends　were
naturally　incensed　against　the　community　for　their　injurious　suspicions
and　remarks；　they　said　let　it　go　for　this　time；　and　did　not　prosecute。
The　Baldwins　were　very　wealthy。　　This　same　Baldwin　had　momentary　fits　of
insanity　twice　afterward；　and　on　both　occasions　killed　people　he　had
grudges　agai