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