160 Slide – American State Trials 1918 Volume X Leo Frank Document

128 X. AMERICAN STATE TRIALS.

Louis; and while in Vincennes to a ball. It occurs to me there
ig nothing remarkable in this, He knew that no suspicion
of Gordon’s fate would likely be entertained for some time
to come, and moreover if his conscience upbraided him for
the act, he might obtain a temporary relief by resorting to
places of amusement. Dr. Webster, after the murder of Dr.
Parkman, and while the city of Boston was in the highest
state of excitement growing ont of the supposed murder, at-
tended 2 convivial party of ladies and gentlemen.

Shakespeare who understood human nature better than
any other man, has truly described the mental torture that
the murderer suffers—

“But let
The frame of things disjoint, both the world’s supper
Ere we will eat our meal in fear, and sleep.
In the affliction of these terrible dreams,
That shake us nightly; better be with the dead,
‘Whom we, to gain our place, have sent to peace,
Than on the torture of the mind to lie
Tn restless ecstacy (agony).”

‘We are also asked why he remained four days in Vin-
eennes. The answer is that no necessity existed for leaving
. Sooner, The weather continued extremely cold, and he knew
that the body remained concealed under the snow. He more-
over thought that by assuming different names at different
places he had rendered it impossible to trace him. In addi-
tion to this, he waa out of funds, and had to sell his horses,
and as they were very much jaded, it wae important to give
them rest to enable him to dispose of them to any advantage.
He was detained one day longer than he designed, remaining
by an accident on the read, which prevented the train from
leaving at the usual time.
- The fact that he made himself econspievous, conversed
freely, and in the cars after leaving Vincennes spoke to sev-
eral ladies and gentlemen without an introduction, is also
seized hold of as evidence of insanity, If the human intel-
lect is to be measured by such a standard as this, there would
not be, as was remarked by my colleague, a sufficient number
of sane men in the world to take care of the insane. You would.