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 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 ro