City Crimes; Or, Life in New York and Boston

by George Thompson

  CHAPTER XVIII

  _The Dead Man's story; being a tale of many Crimes._

  'I never knew who my parents were; they may have been saints--they mayhave been devils; but in all probability they belonged to the latterclass, for when I was three weeks old, they dropped me upon the highwayone fine morning near the great city of Boston, to which famous citybelongs 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, andmy heart a lion's. Up to the age of twelve, I was as other childrenare--I cried when I was whipped, and submitted when oppressed. Attwelve, I began to reason and think; I said to myself,--Before me liesthe world, created for the use of all its inhabitants. I am aninhabitant and entitled to my share--but other inhabitants, being roguesand sharpers, refuse to let me have my share. The world plunders me--inturn, I will plunder the world!

  'At fourteen, I bade adieu to the Alms House, without the knowledge orconsent of the overseer. I exchanged my grey pauper suit for abroadcloth of a young nabob, which I accidentally found in one of thechambers of a fashionable hotel, in Court street. Behold me, then, agentleman! But I had no money; and so took occasion to borrow a triflingsum from an old gentleman, one night, upon one of the bridges which leadfrom 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 thecorner of a handkerchief, after which delicate salutation he made notthe slightest objection to my borrowing what he had about him. The nextday it was said that a man's body had been found on the bridge, with hisskull severely smashed--but what cared I?

  'Gay was the life I led; for I was young and handsome. You laugh--but Iwas handsome then--my features had not the deathlike expression whichthey now wear. By and by you shall learn how I acquired the hideousnessof 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 Icompleted my education at the expense of the State. At twenty I was freeagain. Behold me, then, a thoroughly educated scoundrel! I resolved toenlarge my modes of operation, and play the villain on a more extensivescale.

  'Hiring an office in a dark alley in Boston, I assumed the lofty titleof Doctor Sketers. My shelves were well stocked with empty phials andbottles--my windows were furnished with curtains, upon which my assumedname was painted in flaming capitals. The columns of the newspapersteemed with my advertisements, in which I was declared to be the onlyregular advertising physician--one who had successfully treatedtwenty-five millions of cases of delicate unmentionable complaints.Certificates of cure were also published by thousands, signed by peoplewho never existed. Having procured an old medical diploma, I inserted myborrowed name, and exhibited it as an evidence of my trustworthiness andskill. The consequence of all this was, I was overrun with patients,none of whom I cured. My private entrance for ladies often gaveadmission to respectable unmarried females, who came to consult me onthe best method of suppressing the natural proofs of their frailty. Fromthese I would extract all the money possible and then send them toconsult the skillful agent of Madam R----. A thriving, profitablebusiness, that of quackery! From it I reaped a golden harvest, and whenthat 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; prayerseasoned my food before meals, and washed it down afterwards; prayer wasmy nightcap when I went to bed and my eye opener in the morning. Atlength I began to pray so fervently with the younger and fairer sistersof 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 inprivate--glorious times! But at last people began to suspect that I wasinspired by the spirit of alcohol, instead of the spirit of reform. Acommittee was appointed to wait on me and smell my breath--which theyhad no sooner done than they smelt a rat--and while some were searchingmy heart, others searched my closet, and not only discovered a bottle offourth-proof, but uncovered a pile of counterfeit bank notes, thereconcealed. Reacting like a man of genius, my conduct was both forcibleand striking; I knocked three of the brethren down, jumped out of theback window, scaled a fence, rushed through an alley, gained the streetand was that afternoon on a steamboat bound for New York.

  'On the passage, I observed a gentleman counting a pile of money; he wasa country merchant, going to purchase goods. The weather was intenselywarm, and many of the passengers slept on deck; among these was thecountry merchant. He lay at a considerable distance from the others andthe night was dark. I stole upon him, and passed my long Spanish knifethrough his heart.--He died easy--a single gasp and all was over. I tookhis money, and threw his body over to the fishes. 'Twas my secondmurder--it never troubled me, for I never had a conscience. I enteredNew York, for the first time, with a capital of three thousand dollars,got by the murder of the country merchant; and this capital I resolvedto increase by future murders and future crimes.

  'I will now relate a little incident of my life, which will serve toshow the bitterness of my hatred towards all mankind. For several yearsI had lived in various families, in a menial capacity, my object, ofcourse, being robbery, and other crimes. It chanced that I once went tolive in the family of a wealthy gentleman, whose wife was the mostbeautiful woman I ever saw; and her loveliness inspired me with suchpassion, that one day, during her husband's absence, I ventured to claspher in my arms--struggling from my embrace, she repelled me withindignant scorn, and commanded me to leave the house instantly. Iobeyed, swearing vengeance against her, and her family; and how wellthat 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 ladywhom I had insulted, seated in the boxes. Keeping my eye constantly uponhim, I saw him when he left the theatre, and immediately followed him,though at such a distance as to prevent his seeing me. Fortunately hisway home lay through a dark and lonely street; in the most obscure partof that street, I quickened my steps until I overtook him--and just ashe was about to turn around to see who followed him, I gave him atremendous blow on his right temple with a heavy slung shot, and he fellto the earth without a groan. I knew that I had killed him and was gladof it--it was my third murder. After dragging his body into a darkalley, so that he might not be found by the watchman, I rifled hispockets 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 hishouse in Howard street, and admitted myself by means of the night-keywhich I had found in his pocket. A lamp was burning in the hall; Iextinguished it and groped my way up stairs to the chamber of Mrs. Rosswith the situation of which I was well acquainted. On opening thechamber door, I found to my intense delight that no light or candle wasburning within; all was in darkness. Approaching the bed, I becameconvinced that the lady was in a sound sleep; this circumstance addedgreatly to my satisfaction. Well, I deliberately stripped myself and gotinto bed; still she awoke not. Think you I was troubled with any remorseof conscience, while lying at the side of the wronged woman whosehusband had just been slain by my hand? Not a bit of it; I chuckledinwardly at the success of my scheme, and impatiently waited anopportunity to take every advantage of my position. At last she awoke;supposing me, of course, to be her husband, she gently chided me forremaining out so late; I did not dare suffer her to hear the sound of myvoice, but replied to her in whispers. She suspected nothing--and Icompleted my triumph! Yes, the proud, beautiful woman who had treated mewith such scorn, was then my slave. I had sacrificed her honor on thealtar of my duplicity and lust!

  'Morning came, and its first beams revealed to my victim the extent ofh
er degradation--she saw through the deception, and with a wild cry,fell back senseless. Hastily dressing myself, I stepped into anadjoining room where the two children of Mrs. Ross were sleeping; theywere twins, a boy and a girl, three years of age, and pretty childrenthey were. I drew my pocket knife, to cut their throats; just then theyawoke, and gazed upon me with bright, inquiring eyes--then recognizingme, their rosy cheeks were dimpled with smiles, and they lisped my name.Perhaps you think their innocence and helplessness touched myheart--hah! no such thing; I merely changed my mind, and with the pointof my knife cut out their beautiful eyes! having first gagged them both,to prevent their screaming. Delicious fun, wasn't it? Then I bolted downstairs, but was so unfortunate as to encounter several of the servants,who had been aroused by their mistress's shriek. Frightened at myappearance, (for I was covered with the children's blood,) they did notarrest my flight, and I made good my escape from the house. That scrapewas my last for some time; for people were maddened by the chapter ofoutrages committed by me on that family--the murder of the husband, thedishonor of the wife, and the blinding of those two innocent children.I was hunted like a wild beast from city to city; large rewards wereoffered for my apprehension, and minute descriptions of my entire personflooded every part of the country. But my cunning baffled them all; fortwo months I lived in the woods, in an obscure part of New Jersey,subsisting upon roots, and wild herbs, and wild berries, and crawlingworms, which I dug from the earth. One day in my wanderings, I cameacross a gang of counterfeiters, who made their rendezvous in a cave;these were congenial spirits for me--I told them my story, and becameone of them. The gang included several men of superior education andattainments, among whom was a celebrated chemist.

  'This man undertook to procure for me a certain chemical preparationwhich he said would alter and disfigure my features so that I nevercould be recognized, even by those who were most intimately acquaintedwith me. He was as good as his word; he furnished me with a colorlessliquid, contained in a small phial, directing me to apply it to my faceat night, but cautioning me particularly to avoid getting any of it intomy eyes. His directions were followed by me, to the very letter;--duringthe night, my face seemed on fire, but I heeded not the torture. Morningcame--the pain was over; I arose, and rushed to a mirror. Great God! Iscarce knew myself, so terribly changed was my countenance. My features,once comely and regular, had assumed the ghastly, horrible anddeath-like appearance they now wear. Oh, how I hugged myself with joywhen I found myself thus impenetrably disguised! Never did the face ofbeauty have half the charms for me, that my blanched and terrific visagehad! 'I will go forth into the great world again--no one will everrecognize me!' thought I; and bidding adieu to my brothercounterfeiters, I returned to New York. Ha, ha, ha! how people shrankfrom me! how children screamed at my approach; how mothers clasped theirbabes to their breasts as I passed by, as though I were the destroyingangel! The universal terror which I inspired was to me a source of madjoy. Having ample means in my possession, I began a career of lavishexpenditure and extravagant debauchery, until the eye of the police wasfastened upon me with suspicion; and then I deemed it prudent to actwith more caution.--About that time I became aware of the existence ofthe Dark Vaults, and the 'Jolly Knights of the Round Table.' Soon aftermy meeting with that jovial crew, the law put its iron clutch on me fora murder--a mere trifle; I passed my knife between a gentleman's ribsone night in the street, just to tickle his heart a bit, and put him ina good humor to lend me some money, but the fool died under theoperation, having first very impolitely called out _Murder!_ whichresulted in my being captured on the spot by two of those night prowlersknown as watchmen. Well, my ugly face was against me, and I could giveno good account of myself--therefore they (the judge and jury) voted mea hempen cravat, to be presented and adjusted one fine morning betweenthe hours of ten and twelve. But his Excellency the Governor, (aparticular friend of mine,) objected to such a summary proceeding, asone calculated to deprive society of its brightest ornament; hetherefore favored me with a special permit to pass the rest of my usefullife within the walls of a place vulgarly termed the State Prison--avery beautiful edifice when viewed from the outside. I did not longremain there, however, to partake of the State's hospitality--to bebrief, I ran away, but was carried back again, after being a year atliberty, through the instrumentality of Sydney, whom may the devilconfound! But again I escaped--you know in what manner; and you are wellacquainted with most of my adventures since--my cutting out the boy_Kinchen's_ tongue, my murder of Mrs. Stevens, and other matters notnecessary for me to repeat.'

  'But,' said Ragged Pete, with some hesitation, 'you haven't told me ofyour wife, you know.'

  'Wife--ha, ha, ha!' and the Dead Man laughed long and loud; there wassomething in his laugh which chilled the blood, and made the heart beatwith a nameless terror.

  'True, Pete, I have not yet told you about my wife, as you call her. Butyou shall hear. What would you say if I told you that Mrs. Ross, thelady whose husband I murdered, whose children I blinded, and whom I sooutrageously deceived herself--what would you say if you were told thatthe 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 mycounterfeiting friends in New Jersey, and returned to New York with mynew face, I learned by inquiry that Mrs. Ross was living with her blindtwins in a state of poverty, her husband's property, at his death,having been seized upon by his creditors, leaving her entirelydestitute. I found her in an obscure part of the city, subsisting uponthe charity of neighbors, the occupant of a garret. The woman'smisfortunes, through me, had ruined her intellect;--she had grown fierceand 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 likeyou for it. The world is fair, but it has robbed me of husband, honorand taken away my children's eye-sight. Henceforward, all that ishideous I will love!' I saw that her brain was topsy-turvy, and itrejoiced me. Her children were still pretty, though they were blind; andit almost made me laugh to see them grope their way to their mother'sside, and turning their sightless eyes toward her, ask, in childishaccents,--'Mamma, what made the naughty man put out our eyes?' Well, thewoman, with a singular perversity of human nature, liked me, andcommenced to place herself under my protection. She could be of serviceto me; but her children were likely to prove a burden--and so I got ridof 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 theblind 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 theirbodies 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 gazingeagerly about him. 'Pete, did you hear anything?'

  'I heerd a noise, that's certain--but perhaps 'twas only the wind awhistling among these old tomb-stones,' answered Pete.

  'Most probably it was,' rejoined the other--'for who the devil could behere to-night, besides ourselves? Well, to resume my story: after I hadmade away with the children, their mother never asked for them; sheseemed to have forgotten that she ever had children at all. Shemanifested a strange unnatural liking for me; not love, but the fierceattachment of a tigress for her keeper. She obeyed me in everything; andfinding her such an easy instrument in my hands, I took pains toinstruct her in all the mysteries of city crimes. By parading thestreets like a woman of the town, she enticed men to my Anthony streetcrib (which you know communicates with the Vaults,) and by the aid ofthe drugging powder our victims were soon made unresisting objects ofrobbery and murder. You know how she allured Sydney into the house,disguised as a sailor, and how the rascal caused her to swallow the doseintended for him--also how he cut the ropes of the platform the samenight, which nearly cost me my life.
Ever since the woman took thepowder, she has been a raging maniac, and I am deprived of her valuableservices. 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 kepthim shut up in the cellar, in Anthony street. Our second child, whom Ihave christened Jack the Prig, takes after his mother, and a smartlittle fellow he is. Why man, he can pick a pocket in as workmanlike amanner as either of us. He will make a glorious thief, and will shedhonor on his father's name. The day when he commits murder will be thehappiest day of my life.'

  Ragged Pete, having imbibed the greater part of the contents of thebrandy flask, now suggested to his companion that they should take theirdeparture. The Dead Man assented and the worthy pair took themselvesoff, little thinking that every word which had been said, was heard byhim whom they supposed to be imprisoned in the tomb below.

  The rector emerged from his place of concealment, and went to his homewith a heavy heart. Though he had himself become, in a measure, depravedand reckless of his moral and religious obligations, still he washorrified and astounded at the awful evidences of crime which had beenrevealed to him that night.--The miscreant's tale of murder and outrage,told with such cool indifference, and with an air of sincerity that leftno doubt of its perfect truth, appalled him; and the proof he hadobtained of the guilt of Josephine and her mother struck his soul withhorror. Ere he sought his couch, he prayed long and earnestly for theforgiveness of his past transgressions, and for strength to resistfuture temptations.