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

Here is the translated text as follows:

128 X. AMERICAN STATE TRIALS.

Louis; and while in Vincennes, he attended a ball. It occurs to me there is 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 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 out of the supposed murder, attended a 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
In restless ecstasy (agony)."

We are also asked why he remained four days in Vincennes. 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 moreover thought that by assuming different names at different places, he had rendered it impossible to trace him. In addition to this, he was out of funds and had to sell his horses, and as they were very much jaded, it was 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 road, which prevented the train from leaving at the usual time.

The fact that he made himself conspicuous, conversed freely, and in the cars after leaving Vincennes spoke to several ladies and gentlemen without an introduction, is also seized hold of as evidence of insanity. If the human intellect 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.

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