bad。　　Your　great　grandfather　was　hanged。〃
  〃That　is　a　l〃
  〃Silence！　　Hanged　sir。　　But　it　was　not　his　fault。　　He　could　not　help　it。〃
  〃I　am　glad　you　do　him　justice。〃
  〃Ahgrieve；　rather；　that　the　jury　did。　　He　was　hanged。　　His　star　crosses
  yours　in　the　fourth　division；　fifth　sphere。　　Consequently　you　will　be
  hanged　also。〃
  〃In　view　of　this　cheerful〃
  〃I　must　have　silence。　　Yours　was　not；　in　the　beginning；　a　criminal
  nature；　but　circumstances　changed　it。　　At　the　age　of　nine　you　stole
  sugar。　　At　the　age　of　fifteen　you　stole　money。　　At　twenty　you　stole
  horses。　　At　twenty…five　you　committed　arson。　　At　thirty；　hardened　in
  crime；　you　became　an　editor。　　You　are　now　a　public　lecturer。　　Worse
  things　are　in　store　for　you。　　You　will　be　sent　to　Congress。　　Next；　to　the
  penitentiary。　　Finally；　happiness　will　come　againall　will　be　wellyou
  will　be　hanged。〃
  I　was　now　in　tears。　　It　seemed　hard　enough　to　go　to　Congress；　but　to　be
  hangedthis　was　too　sad；　too　dreadful。　　The　woman　seemed　surprised　at　my
  grief。　　I　told　her　the　thoughts　that　were　in　my　mind。　　Then　she　comforted
  me。
  〃Why；　man；〃　she　said；　〃hold　up　your　headyou　have　nothing　to　grieve
  about。　　Listen。
  ＇In　this　paragraph　the　fortune…teller　details　the　exact　history　of　the
  Pike…Brown　assassination　case　in　New　Hampshire；　from　the　succoring　and
  saving　of　the　stranger　Pike　by　the　Browns；　to　the　subsequent　hanging　and
  coffining　of　that　treacherous　miscreant。　　She　adds　nothing；　invents
  nothing；　exaggerates　nothing　（see　any　New　England　paper　for　November；
  1869）。　　This　Pike…Brown　case　is　selected　merely　as　a　type；　to　illustrate
  a　custom　that　prevails；　not　in　New　Hampshire　alone；　but　in　every　state　in
  the　UnionI　mean　the　sentimental　custom　of　visiting；　petting；
  glorifying；　and　snuffling　over　murderers　like　this　Pike；　from　the　day
  they　enter　the　jail　under　sentence　of　death　until　they　swing　from　the
  gallows。　　The　following　extract　from　the　Temple　Bar　（1866）　reveals　the
  fact　that　this　custom　is　not　confined　to　the　United　States。〃on　December
  31；　1841；　a　man　named　John　Johnes；　a　shoemaker；　murdered　his　sweetheart；
  Mary　Hallam；　the　daughter　of　a　respectable　laborer；　at　Mansfield；　in　the
  county　of　Nottingham。　　He　was　executed　on　March　23；　1842。　　He　was　a　man
  of　unsteady　habits；　and　gave　way　to　violent　fits　of　passion。　　The　girl
  declined　his　addresses；　and　he　said　if　he　did　not　have　her　no　one　else
  should。　　After　he　had　inflicted　the　first　wound；　which　was　not
  immediately　fatal；　she　begged　for　her　life；　but　seeing　him　resolved；
  asked　for　time　to　pray。　　He　said　that　he　would　pray　for　both；　and
  completed　the　crime。　　The　wounds　were　inflicted　by　a　shoemaker's　knife；
  and　her　throat　was　cut　barbarously。　　After　this　he　dropped　on　his　knees
  some　time；　and　prayed　God　to　have　mercy　on　two　unfortunate　lovers。
  He　made　no　attempt　to　escape；　and　confessed　the　crime。　　After　his
  imprisonment　he　behaved　in　a　most　decorous　manner；　he　won　upon　the　good
  opinion　of　the　jail　chaplain；　and　he　was　visited　by　the　Bishop　of
  Lincoln。　　It　does　not　appear　that　he　expressed　any　contrition　for　the
  crime；　but　seemed　to　pass　away　with　triumphant　certainty　that　he　was
  going　to　rejoin　his　victim　in　heaven。　　He　was　visited　by　some　pious　and
  benevolent　ladies　of　Nottingham；　some　of　whom　declared　he　was　a　child　of
  God；　if　ever　there　was　one。　　One　of　the　ladies　sent　him　a　while　camellia
  to　wear　at　his　execution。〃＇
  You　will　live　in　New　Hampshire。　　In　your　sharp　need　and　distress　the
  Brown　family　will　succor　yousuch　of　them　as　Pike　the　assassin　left
  alive。　　They　will　be　benefactors　to　you。　　When　you　shall　have　grown　fat
  upon　their　bounty；　and　are　grateful　and　happy；　you　will　desire　to　make
  some　modest　return　for　these　things；　and　so　you　will　go　to　the　house　some
  night　and　brain　the　whole　family　with　an　ax。　　You　will　rob　the　dead
  bodies　of　your　benefactors；　and　disburse　your　gains　in　riotous　living
  among　the　rowdies　and　courtesans　of　Boston。　　Then　you　will；　be　arrested；
  tried；　condemned　to　be　hanged；　thrown　into　prison。　　Now　is　your　happy
  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　agai