_The Dead Man's story; being a tale of many Crimes._
'I never knew who my parents were; they may have been saints--they may
have been devils; but in all probability they belonged to the latter
class, for when I was three weeks old, they dropped me upon the highway
one fine morning near the great city of Boston, to which famous city
belongs the honor of my birth! Well, I was picked up by some Samaritans,
who wrapped me up in red flannel, and clapped me in the Alms House.
Behold me, then, a pauper!
'I throve and grew; my constitution was iron--my sinews were steel, and
my heart a lion's. Up to the age of twelve, I was as other children
are--I cried when I was whipped, and submitted when oppressed. At
twelve, I began to reason and think; I said to myself,--Before me lies
the world, created for the use of all its inhabitants. I am an
inhabitant and entitled to my share--but other inhabitants, being rogues
and sharpers, refuse to let me have my share. The world plunders me--in
turn, I will plunder the world!
'At fourteen, I bade adieu to the Alms House, without the knowledge or
consent of the overseer. I exchanged my grey pauper suit for a
broadcloth of a young nabob, which I accidentally found in one of the
chambers of a fashionable hotel, in Court street. Behold me, then, a
gentleman! But I had no money; and so took occasion to borrow a trifling
sum from an old gentleman, one night, upon one of the bridges which lead
from Boston to Charleston. Do you ask how he came to give me credit?
Why, I just tapped him on the head with a paving stone tied up in the
corner of a handkerchief, after which delicate salutation he made not
the slightest objection to my borrowing what he had about him. The next
day it was said that a man's body had been found on the bridge, with his
skull severely smashed--but what cared I?
'Gay was the life I led; for I was young and handsome. You laugh--but I
was handsome then--my features had not the deathlike expression which
they now wear. By and by you shall learn how I acquired the hideousness
of face which procured for me the title of the _Dead Man_.
'One day I made too free with a gentleman's gold watch on the Common;
and they shut me up for five years in the Stone University, where I
completed my education at the expense of the State. At twenty I was free
again. Behold me, then, a thoroughly educated scoundrel! I resolved to
enlarge my modes of operation, and play the villain on a more extensive
scale.
'Hiring an office in a dark alley in Boston, I assumed the lofty title
of Doctor Sketers. My shelves were well stocked with empty phials and
bottles--my windows were furnished with curtains, upon which my assumed
name was painted in flaming capitals. The columns of the newspapers
teemed with my advertisements, in which I was declared to be the only
regular advertising physician--one who had successfully treated
twenty-five millions of cases of delicate unmentionable complaints.
Certificates of cure were also published by thousands, signed by people
who never existed. Having procured an old medical diploma, I inserted my
borrowed name, and exhibited it as an evidence of my trustworthiness and
skill. The consequence of all this was, I was overrun with patients,
none of whom I cured. My private entrance for ladies often gave
admission to respectable unmarried females, who came to consult me on
the best method of suppressing the natural proofs of their frailty. From
these I would extract all the money possible and then send them to
consult the skillful agent of Madam R----. A thriving, profitable
business, that of quackery! From it I reaped a golden harvest, and when
that became tiresome, I put on a white neckcloth, and became a priest.
'Behold me a deacon, and a brother beloved! Who so pious, so exemplary,
so holy as I! I lived in an atmosphere of purity and prayer; prayer
seasoned my food before meals, and washed it down afterwards; prayer was
my nightcap when I went to bed and my eye opener in the morning. At
length I began to pray so fervently with the younger and fairer sisters
of the flock, that the old ones, with whom I had no desire to pray,
began to murmur--so, growing tired of piety, I kicked it to the devil,
and joined the ranks of temperance.
'For over a year I lectured in public, and got drunk in
private--glorious times! But at last people began to suspect that I was
inspired by the spirit of alcohol, instead of the spirit of reform. A
committee was appointed to wait on me and smell my breath--which they
had no sooner done than they smelt a rat--and while some were searching
my heart, others searched my closet, and not only discovered a bottle of
fourth-proof, but uncovered a pile of counterfeit bank notes, there
concealed. Reacting like a man of genius, my conduct was both forcible
and striking; I knocked three of the brethren down, jumped out of the
back window, scaled a fence, rushed through an alley, gained the street
and was that afternoon on a steamboat bound for New York.
'On the passage, I observed a gentleman counting a pile of money; he was
a country merchant, going to purchase goods. The weather was intensely
warm, and many of the passengers slept on deck; among these was the
country merchant. He lay at a considerable distance from the others and
the night was dark. I stole upon him, and passed my long Spanish knife
through his heart.--He died easy--a single gasp and all was over. I took
his money, and threw his body over to the fishes. 'Twas my second
murder--it never troubled me, for I never had a conscience. I entered
New York, for the first time, with a capital of three thousand dollars,
got by the murder of the country merchant; and this capital I resolved
to increase by future murders and future crimes.
'I will now relate a little incident of my life, which will serve to
show the bitterness of my hatred towards all mankind. For several years
I had lived in various families, in a menial capacity, my object, of
course, being robbery, and other crimes. It chanced that I once went to
live in the family of a wealthy gentleman, whose wife was the most
beautiful woman I ever saw; and her loveliness inspired me with such
passion, that one day, during her husband's absence, I ventured to clasp
her in my arms--struggling from my embrace, she repelled me with
indignant scorn, and commanded me to leave the house instantly. I
obeyed, swearing vengeance against her, and her family; and how well
that oath was kept! About a week after my dismissal from the family,
being one night at the theatre, I saw Mr. Ross, the husband of the lady
whom I had insulted, seated in the boxes. Keeping my eye constantly upon
him, I saw him when he left the theatre, and immediately followed him,
though at such a distance as to prevent his seeing me. Fortunately his
way home lay through a dark and lonely street; in the most obscure part
of that street, I quickened my steps until I overtook him--and just as
he was about to turn around to see who followed him, I gave him a
tremendous blow on his right temple with a heavy slung shot, and he fell
to the earth without a groan. I knew that I had killed him and was glad
of it--it was my third murder. After dragging his body into a dark
alley, so that he might not be found by the watchman, I rifled his
pockets of their contents, among which was the night-key of his house,
which I regarded as a prize of inestimable value.
'Leaving the corpse of Mr. Ross in the alley, I went straight to his
house in Howard street, and admitted myself by means of the night-key
which I had found in his pocket. A lamp was burning in the hall; I
extinguished it and groped my way up stairs to the chamber of Mrs. Ross
with the situation of which I was well acquainted. On opening the
chamber door, I found to my intense delight that no light or candle was
burning within; all was in darkness. Approaching the bed, I became
convinced that the lady was in a sound sleep; this circumstance added
greatly to my satisfaction. Well, I deliberately stripped myself and got
into bed; still she awoke not. Think you I was troubled with any remorse
of conscience, while lying at the side of the wronged woman whose
husband had just been slain by my hand? Not a bit of it; I chuckled
inwardly at the success of my scheme, and impatiently waited an
opportunity to take every advantage of my position. At last she awoke;
supposing me, of course, to be her husband, she gently chided me for
remaining out so late; I did not dare suffer her to hear the sound of my
voice, but replied to her in whispers. She suspected nothing--and I
completed my triumph! Yes, the proud, beautiful woman who had treated me
with such scorn, was then my slave. I had sacrificed her honor on the
altar of my duplicity and lust!
'Morning came, and its first beams revealed to my victim the extent of
her degradation--she saw through the deception, and with a wild cry,
fell back senseless. Hastily dressing myself, I stepped into an
adjoining room where the two children of Mrs. Ross were sleeping; they
were twins, a boy and a girl, three years of age, and pretty children
they were. I drew my pocket knife, to cut their throats; just then they
awoke, and gazed upon me with bright, inquiring eyes--then recognizing
me, their rosy cheeks were dimpled with smiles, and they lisped my name.
Perhaps you think their innocence and helplessness touched my
heart--hah! no such thing; I merely changed my mind, and with the point
of my knife cut out their beautiful eyes! having first gagged them both,
to prevent their screaming. Delicious fun, wasn't it? Then I bolted down
stairs, but was so unfortunate as to encounter several of the servants,
who had been aroused by their mistress's shriek. Frightened at my
appearance, (for I was covered with the children's blood,) they did not
arrest my flight, and I made good my escape from the house. That scrape
was my last for some time; for people were maddened by the chapter of
outrages committed by me on that family--the murder of the husband, the
dishonor of the wife, and the blinding of those two innocent children.
I was hunted like a wild beast from city to city; large rewards were
offered for my apprehension, and minute descriptions of my entire person
flooded every part of the country. But my cunning baffled them all; for
two months I lived in the woods, in an obscure part of New Jersey,
subsisting upon roots, and wild herbs, and wild berries, and crawling
worms, which I dug from the earth. One day in my wanderings, I came
across a gang of counterfeiters, who made their rendezvous in a cave;
these were congenial spirits for me--I told them my story, and became
one of them. The gang included several men of superior education and
attainments, among whom was a celebrated chemist.
'This man undertook to procure for me a certain chemical preparation
which he said would alter and disfigure my features so that I never
could be recognized, even by those who were most intimately acquainted
with me. He was as good as his word; he furnished me with a colorless
liquid, contained in a small phial, directing me to apply it to my face
at night, but cautioning me particularly to avoid getting any of it into
my eyes. His directions were followed by me, to the very letter;--during
the night, my face seemed on fire, but I heeded not the torture. Morning
came--the pain was over; I arose, and rushed to a mirror. Great God! I
scarce knew myself, so terribly changed was my countenance. My features,
once comely and regular, had assumed the ghastly, horrible and
death-like appearance they now wear. Oh, how I hugged myself with joy
when I found myself thus impenetrably disguised! Never did the face of
beauty have half the charms for me, that my blanched and terrific visage
had! 'I will go forth into the great world again--no one will ever
recognize me!' thought I; and bidding adieu to my brother
counterfeiters, I returned to New York. Ha, ha, ha! how people shrank
from me! how children screamed at my approach; how mothers clasped their
babes to their breasts as I passed by, as though I were the destroying
angel! The universal terror which I inspired was to me a source of mad
joy. Having ample means in my possession, I began a career of lavish
expenditure and extravagant debauchery, until the eye of the police was
fastened upon me with suspicion; and then I deemed it prudent to act
with more caution.--About that time I became aware of the existence of
the Dark Vaults, and the 'Jolly Knights of the Round Table.' Soon after
my meeting with that jovial crew, the law put its iron clutch on me for
a murder--a mere trifle; I passed my knife between a gentleman's ribs
one night in the street, just to tickle his heart a bit, and put him in
a good humor to lend me some money, but the fool died under the
operation, having first very impolitely called out _Murder!_ which
resulted in my being captured on the spot by two of those night prowlers
known as watchmen. Well, my ugly face was against me, and I could give
no good account of myself--therefore they (the judge and jury) voted me
a hempen cravat, to be presented and adjusted one fine morning between
the hours of ten and twelve. But his Excellency the Governor, (a
particular friend of mine,) objected to such a summary proceeding, as
one calculated to deprive society of its brightest ornament; he
therefore favored me with a special permit to pass the rest of my useful
life within the walls of a place vulgarly termed the State Prison--a
very beautiful edifice when viewed from the outside. I did not long
remain there, however, to partake of the State's hospitality--to be
brief, I ran away, but was carried back again, after being a year at
liberty, through the instrumentality of Sydney, whom may the devil
confound! But again I escaped--you know in what manner; and you are well
acquainted with most of my adventures since--my cutting out the boy
_Kinchen's_ tongue, my murder of Mrs. Stevens, and other matters not
necessary for me to repeat.'
'But,' said Ragged Pete, with some hesitation, 'you haven't told me of
your wife, you know.'
'Wife--ha, ha, ha!' and the Dead Man laughed long and loud; there was
something in his laugh which chilled the blood, and made the heart beat
with a nameless terror.
'True, Pete, I have not yet told you about my wife, as you call her. But
you shall hear. What would you say if I told you that Mrs. Ross, the
lady whose husband I murdered, whose children I blinded, and whom I so
outrageously deceived herself--what would you say if you were told that
the woman who passes for my wife, is that same lady?'
'I should say it was a thing impossible,' replied Pete.
'It is true,' rejoined the Dead Man.--'Listen:--when I left my
counterfeiting friends in New Jersey, and returned to New York with my
new face, I learned by inquiry that Mrs. Ross was living with her blind
twins in a state of poverty, her husband's property, at his death,
having been seized upon by his creditors, leaving her entirely
destitute. I found her in an obscure part of the city, subsisting upon
the charity of neighbors, the occupant of a garret. The woman's
misfortunes, through me, had ruined her intellect;--she had grown fierce
and reckless,--as wild as a tigress. I sat down and conversed with her;
she knew me not. 'You are hideous to look upon,' said she, 'and I like
you for it. The world is fair, but it has robbed me of husband, honor
and taken away my children's eye-sight. Henceforward, all that is
hideous I will love!' I saw that her brain was topsy-turvy, and it
rejoiced me. Her children were still pretty, though they were blind; and
it almost made me laugh to see them grope their way to their mother's
side, and turning their sightless eyes toward her, ask, in childish
accents,--'Mamma, what made the naughty man put out our eyes?' Well, the
woman, with a singular perversity of human nature, liked me, and
commenced to place herself under my protection. She could be of service
to me; but her children were likely to prove a burden--and so I got rid
of them.'
'What did you do with them--no harm, I hope?' asked Pete.
'Certainly not--the Dark Vaults were not a fit place of abode for the
blind babes, and so I sent them to take up their abode in another place,
and that was heaven; to explain, I cut their throats, and threw their
bodies into the sewers.'
'Monster--inhuman villain!' was the involuntary exclamation of Dr.
Sinclair, in his hiding-place behind the tomb-stone.
'Ha--who spoke?' cried the Dead Man, jumping to his feet, and gazing
eagerly about him. 'Pete, did you hear anything?'
'I heerd a noise, that's certain--but perhaps 'twas only the wind a
whistling among these old tomb-stones,' answered Pete.
'Most probably it was,' rejoined the other--'for who the devil could be
here to-night, besides ourselves? Well, to resume my story: after I had
made away with the children, their mother never asked for them; she
seemed to have forgotten that she ever had children at all. She
manifested a strange unnatural liking for me; not love, but the fierce
attachment of a tigress for her keeper. She obeyed me in everything; and
finding her such an easy instrument in my hands, I took pains to
instruct her in all the mysteries of city crimes. By parading the
streets like a woman of the town, she enticed men to my Anthony street
crib (which you know communicates with the Vaults,) and by the aid of
the drugging powder our victims were soon made unresisting objects of
robbery and murder. You know how she allured Sydney into the house,
disguised as a sailor, and how the rascal caused her to swallow the dose
intended for him--also how he cut the ropes of the platform the same
night, which nearly cost me my life. Ever since the woman took the
powder, she has been a raging maniac, and I am deprived of her valuable
services. May the devil scorch that Sydney!'
'You have had two children by her,' remarked Pete.
'Yes, the first one, that infernal dwarf, whom I call my Image; we kept
him shut up in the cellar, in Anthony street. Our second child, whom I
have christened Jack the Prig, takes after his mother, and a smart
little fellow he is. Why man, he can pick a pocket in as workmanlike a
manner as either of us. He will make a glorious thief, and will shed
honor on his father's name. The day when he commits murder will be the
happiest day of my life.'
Ragged Pete, having imbibed the greater part of the contents of the
brandy flask, now suggested to his companion that they should take their
departure. The Dead Man assented and the worthy pair took themselves
off, little thinking that every word which had been said, was heard by
him whom they supposed to be imprisoned in the tomb below.
The rector emerged from his place of concealment, and went to his home
with a heavy heart. Though he had himself become, in a measure, depraved
and reckless of his moral and religious obligations, still he was
horrified and astounded at the awful evidences of crime which had been
revealed to him that night.--The miscreant's tale of murder and outrage,
told with such cool indifference, and with an air of sincerity that left
no doubt of its perfect truth, appalled him; and the proof he had
obtained of the guilt of Josephine and her mother struck his soul with
horror. Ere he sought his couch, he prayed long and earnestly for the
forgiveness of his past transgressions, and for strength to resist
future temptations.