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 execution--that is, attempted to

235

Sketches New and Old