Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 08.pdf/502

 A Curious Case.

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A CURIOUS CASE. THE motives inciting crime are, as shown by judicial annals, many and varied; but among them none more incom prehensible can be found, than that which urges a man weary of life to commit a capi tal offense solely for the purpose of perish ing by the hand of the law, thereby avoid ing incurring the guilt of suicide. Such in stances have been known. Among them the following case, which occurred in Philadel phia in 1760. Captain Bruluman had been brought up a silversmith, a business he left to enter the army, where he became an officer in the Royal American regiment, but was degraded for being detected in counterfeiting or utter ing base money. He then returned to Phila delphia, and growing insupportable to him self, and yet unwilling to put an end to his own life, he determined upon the commis sion of some murder, for which he would be hanged by the law. Having formed this de sign, he loaded his gun with a brace of balls, and asked his landlord to go out a-shooting with him, intending to slay him before his return; but the lucky landlord, being par ticularly engaged at home, escaped the dan ger. He then went out alone, and on his way met a man whom he was about to kill, but recollecting that there were no witnesses to prove him guilty, he suffered the person

to pass. Afterwards going to a tavern, in the tap he drank some liquor, and hearing people playing at billiards in a room above that in which he sat, he went upstairs, and entered into conversation with the players, in apparent good humor. In a little time he called the landlord, and desired him to hang up his gun. Mr. Scull, a party engaged in the game, having struck his antagonist's ball into one of the pockets, Bruluman said to him, " Sir, you are a good marksman; now I'll show you a fine stroke." He immediately took his gun, levelled it, deliberately took aim at Mr. Scull (who im agined him in jest), and shot both the balls through his body. He then went up to the dying man, who was still sensible, and said to him, " Sir, I have no malice or ill-will against you; I never saw you before; but I was determined to kill somebody, that I might be hanged, and you happen to be the man; and I am sorry for your misfortune." Mr. Scull had just time left in this world to send for his friends and make his will. He forgave his murderer, and, if it could be done, desired he might be pardoned. Bruluman died on the gallows, exulting in the success of a scheme by which he deemed him self not guilty of his own death, though he effectually shortened his own life.