sketches new and old-第36节

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insanity　twice　afterward；　and　on　both　occasions　killed　people　he　had
grudges　against。　　And　on　both　these　occasions　the　circumstances　of　the
killing　were　so　aggravated；　and　the　murders　so　seemingly　heartless　and
treacherous；　that　if　Baldwin　had　not　been　insane　he　would　have　been
hanged　without　the　shadow　of　a　doubt。　　As　it　was；　it　required　all　his
political　and　family　influence　to　get　him　clear　in　one　of　the　cases；　and
cost　him　not　less　than　ten　thousand　dollars　to　get　clear　in　the　other。
One　of　these　men　he　had　notoriously　been　threatening　to　kill　for　twelve
years。　　The　poor　creature　happened；　by　the　merest　piece　of　ill　fortune；
to　come　along　a　dark　alley　at　the　very　moment　that　Baldwin's　insanity
came　upon　him；　and　so　he　was　shot　in　the　back　with　a　gun　loaded　with
slugs。

Take　the　case　of　Lynch　Hackett；　of　Pennsylvania。　　Twice；　in　public；　he
attacked　a　German　butcher　by　the　name　of　Bemis　Feldner；　with　a　cane；　and
both　times　Feldner　whipped　him　with　his　fists。　　Hackett　was　a　vain；
wealthy；　violent　gentleman；　who　held　his　blood　and　family　in　high　esteem；
and　believed　that　a　reverent　respect　was　due　to　his　great　riches。　　He
brooded　over　the　shame　of　his　chastisement　for　two　weeks；　and　then；　in　a
momentary　fit　of　insanity；　armed　himself　to　the　teeth；　rode　into　town；
waited　a　couple　of　hours　until　he　saw　Feldner　coming　down　the　street　with
his　wife　on　his　arm；　and　then；　as　the　couple　passed　the　doorway　in　which
he　had　partially　concealed　himself；　he　drove　a　knife　into　Feldner's　neck；
killing　him　instantly。　　The　widow　caught　the　limp　form　and　eased　it　to
the　earth。　　Both　were　drenched　with　blood。　　Hackett　jocosely　remarked　to
her　that　as　a　professional　butcher's　recent　wife　she　could　appreciate　the
artistic　neatness　of　the　job　that　left　her　in　condition　to　marry　again；
in　case　she　wanted　to。　　This　remark；　and　another　which　he　made　to　a
friend；　that　his　position　in　society　made　the　killing　of　an　obscure
citizen　simply　an　〃eccentricity〃　instead　of　a　crime；　were　shown　to　be
evidences　of　insanity；　and　so　Hackett　escaped　punishment。　　The　jury　were
hardly　inclined　to　accept　these　as　proofs　at　first；　inasmuch　as　the
prisoner　had　never　been　insane　before　the　murder；　and　under　the
tranquilizing　effect　of　the　butchering　had　immediately　regained　his　right
mind；　but　when　the　defense　came　to　show　that　a　third　cousin　of　Hackett's
wife's　stepfather　was　insane；　and　not　only　insane；　but　had　a　nose　the
very　counterpart　of　Hackett's；　it　was　plain　that　insanity　was　hereditary
in　the　family；　and　Hackett　had　come　by　it　by　legitimate　inheritance。

Of　course　the　jury　then　acquitted　him。　　But　it　was　a　merciful　providence
that　Mrs。　H。's　people　had　been　afflicted　as　shown；　else　Hackett　would
certainly　have　been　hanged。

However；　it　is　not　possible　to　recount　all　the　marvelous　cases　of
insanity　that　have　come　under　the　public　notice　in　the　last　thirty　or
forty　years。　　There　was　the　Durgin　case　in　New　Jersey　three　years　ago。
The　servant　girl；　Bridget　Durgin；　at　dead　of　night；　invaded　her
mistress's　bedroom　and　carved　the　lady　literally　to　pieces　with　a　knife。
Then　she　dragged　the　body　to　the　middle　of　the　floor；　and　beat　and　banged
it　with　chairs　and　such　things。　　Next　she　opened　the　feather　beds；　and
strewed　the　contents　around；　saturated　everything　with　kerosene；　and　set
fire　to　the　general　wreck。　　She　now　took　up　the　young　child　of　the
murdered　woman　in　her　blood　smeared　hands　and　walked　off；　through　the
snow；　with　no　shoes　on；　to　a　neighbor's　house　a　quarter　of　a　mile　off；
and　told　a　string　of　wild；　incoherent　stories　about　some　men　coming　and
setting　fire　to　the　house；　and　then　she　cried　piteously；　and　without
seeming　to　think　there　was　anything　suggestive　about　the　blood　upon　her
hands；　her　clothing；　and　the　baby；　volunteered　the　remark　that　she　was
afraid　those　men　had　murdered　her　mistress！　　Afterward；　by　her　own
confession　and　other　testimony；　it　was　proved　that　the　mistress　had
always　been　kind　to　the　girl；　consequently　there　was　no　revenge　in　the
murder；　and　it　was　also　shown　that　the　girl　took　nothing　away　from　the
burning　house；　not　even　her　own　shoes；　and　consequently　robbery　was　not
the　motive。

Now；　the　reader　says；　〃Here　comes　that　same　old　plea　of　insanity　again。〃
But　the　reader　has　deceived　himself　this　time。　　No　such　plea　was　offered
in　her　defense。　　The　judge　sentenced　her；　nobody　persecuted　the　governor
with　petitions　for　her　pardon；　and　she　was　promptly　hanged。

There　was　that　youth　in　Pennsylvania；　whose　curious　confession　was
published　some　years　ago。　　It　was　simply　a　conglomeration　of　incoherent
drivel　from　beginning　to　end；　and　so　was　his　lengthy　speech　on　the
scaffold　afterward。　　For　a　whole　year　he　was　haunted　with　a　desire　to
disfigure　a　certain　young　woman；　so　that　no　one　would　marry　her。　　He　did
not　love　her　himself；　and　did　not　want　to　marry　her；　but　he　did　not　want
anybody　else　to　do　it。　　He　would　not　go　anywhere　with　her；　and　yet　was
opposed　to　anybody　else's　escorting　her。　　Upon　one　occasion　he　declined
to　go　to　a　wedding　with　her；　and　when　she　got　other　company；　lay　in　wait
for　the　couple　by　the　road；　intending　to　make　them　go　back　or　kill　the
escort。　　After　spending　sleepless　nights　over　his　ruling　desire　for　a
full　year；　he　at　last　attempted　its　executionthat　is；　attempted　to
disfigure　the　young　woman。　　It　was　a　success。　　It　was　permanent。　　In
trying　to　shoot　her　cheek　（as　she　sat　at　the　supper…table　with　her
parents　and　brothers　and　sisters）　in　such　a　manner　as　to　mar　its
comeliness；　one　of　his　bullets　wandered　a　little　out　of　the　course；　and
she　dropped　dead。　　To　the　very　last　moment　of　his　life　he　bewailed　the
ill　luck　that　made　her　move　her　face　just　at　the　critical　moment。　　And　so
he　died；　apparently　about　half　persuaded　that　somehow　it　was　chiefly　her
own　fault　that　she　got　killed。　　This　idiot　was　hanged。　　The　plea；　of
insanity　was　not　offered。

Insanity　certainly　is　on　the　increase　in　the　world；　and　crime　is　dying
out。　　There　are　no　longer　any　murdersnone　worth　mentioning；　at　any
rate。　　Formerly；　if　you　killed　a　man；　it　was　possible　that　you　were
insanebut　now；　if　you；　having　friends　and　money；　kill　a　mate；　it　is
evidence　that　you　are　a　lunatic。　　In　these　days；　too；　if　a　person　of　good
family　and　high　social　standing　steals　anything；　they　call　it
kleptomania；　and　send　him　to　the　lunatic　asylum。　　If　a　person　of　high
standing　squanders　his　fortune　in　dissipation；　and　closes　his　career　with
strychnine　or　a　bullet；　〃Temporary　Aberration〃　is　what　was　the　trouble
with　him。

Is　not　this　insanity　plea　becoming　rather　common？　　Is　it　not　so　common
that　the　reader　confidently　expects　to　see　it　offered　in　every　criminal
case　that　comes　before　the　courts？　　And　is　it　not　so　cheap；　and　so
common；　and　often　so　trivial；　that　the　reader　smiles　in　derision　when　the
newspaper　mentions　it？

And　is　it　not　curious　to　note　how　very　often　it　wins　acquittal　for　the
prisoner？　　Of　late　years　it　does　not　seem　possible　for　a　man　to　so
conduct　himself；　before　killing　another　man；　as　not　to　be　manifestly
insane。　　If　he　talks　about　the　stars；　he　is　insane。　　If　he　appears
nervous　and　uneasy　an　hour　before　the　killing；　he　is　insane。　　If　he　weeps
over　a　great　grief；　his　friends　shake　their　heads；　and　fear　that　he　is
〃not　right。〃　　If；　an　hour　after　the　murder；　he　seems　ill　at　ease；
preoccupied；　and　excited；　he　is；　unquestionably　insane。

Really；　what　we　want　now；　is　not　laws　against　crime；　but　a　law　against
insanity。　　There　is　where　the　true　evil　lies。






A　CURIOUS　DREAM

CONTAINING　A　MORAL

Night　before　last　I　had　a　singular　dream。　　I　seemed　to　be　sitting　on　a
doorstep　（in　no　particular　city　perhaps）　ruminating；　and　the　time　of
night　appeared　to　be　about　twelve　or　one　o'clock。　　The　weather　was　balmy
and　delicious。　　There　was　no　human　sound　in　the　air；　not　even　a　footstep。
There　was　no　sound　of　any　kind　to　emphasize　the　dead　stillness；　except
the　occasional　hollow　barking　of　a　dog　in　the　distance　and　the　fainter
answer　of　a　further　dog。　　Presently　up　the　street　I　heard　a　bony
clack…clacking；　and　guessed　it　was　the　castanets　of　a　serenading　party。
In　a　minute　more　a　tall　skeleton；　hooded；　and　half　clad　in　a　tattered　and
moldy　shroud；　whose　shreds　were　flapping　about　the　ribby　latticework　of
its　person；　swung　by　me　with　a　stately　stride　and　disappeared　in　the　gray
gloom　of　the　starlight。　　It　had　a　broken　and　worm…eaten　coffin　on　its
shoulder　and　a　bundle　of　something　in　its　hand。　　I　knew　what　the
clack…clacking　was　then；　it　was　this　party's　joints　working　together；
and　his　elbows　knocking　against　his　sides　as　he　walked。　　I　may　say　I　was
surprised。　　Before　I　could　collect　my　thoughts　and　enter　upon　any
speculations　as　to　what　this　apparition　might　portend；　I　heard　another
one　coming　for　I　recognized　his　clack…clack。　　He　had　two…thirds　of　a
coffin　on　his　shoulder；　and　some　foot　and　head　boards　under　his　arm。
I　mightily　wanted；　to　peer　under　his　hood　and　speak　to　him；　but　when　he
turned　and　smiled　upon　me　with　his　cavernous　sockets　and　his　projecting
grin　as　he　went　by；　I　thought　I　would　not　detain　him。　　He　was　hardly　gone
when　I　heard　the　clacking　again；　and　another　one　issued　from　the　shadowy
half…light。　　This　on