Part 38 (1/2)
”We were together all Thursday afternoon and evening,” said he.
”Shaw introduced me to another young man, who proposed the racing bets. I have forgotten his name. He placed a $1 bet for me and I won $5. He placed the $5 and brought back $15. It was easy.
”Shaw and I agreed to put up $2,500 apiece and let him bet it.
Shaw put up checks, but the young man didn't know me, so I had to go back to Walker, Ia., and draw my $2,500.
”On Sat.u.r.day we gave him the money and checks in a hallway at 830 North State Street.
”We all shook hands and agreed to meet at 3 o'clock at State Street and Chicago Avenue and divide the winnings. I waited more than an hour at the meeting place. I think I've been swindled.”
The police think so, too.
_SAYS BABIES BOOST TAXES_
The Mills legislative committee which is studying taxation has discovered strange things in its two weeks' sojourn in New York City, but it brought forth a real surprise yesterday in the person of Prof. Joseph French Johnson of New York University, who disclosed himself as a disciple of the late Thomas Robert Malthus, proponent of the theory that there can never be a happy society because population tends to increase at a much faster rate than the old earth, working overtime, can provide food, raiment, and other things.
Discussing yesterday the income tax, Prof. Johnson, who appeared as chairman of the Merchant's a.s.sociation committee on taxation, said he wanted to nail the frequently expressed opinion that the exemption accorded to the married man should be greater than that which the bachelor enjoys.
”Since you are talking about exemptions,” he said, ”I might add this: I would not exempt the married man. I would not give any preference to the married man over the bachelor. I do not believe it is a good thing to encourage matrimony by lowering taxation. On the contrary, I would discourage matrimony by making the married man pay a higher tax. I think we should not do anything to encourage matrimony and child-bearing.”
”Surely you are not serious, are you, Professor?” inquired Senator Boylan.
”I certainly am serious. I should have to give you quite a disquisition to explain my conclusions, and I doubt if it would be practicable for you to consider the subject now. And you would have to surrender to public opinion anyhow. If you do put in force a new system of taxation you'll have to treat the married man easily. I am still a confirmed disciple of Malthus, and I believe that the awful war in Europe is being fought out because the human race has deliberately refused to see the lessons of his doctrines, which were taught a hundred years ago.”
Prof. Johnson, who in addition to being professor of economics at New York University is also dean of the school of finance, explained after he had left the stand that he is not opposed to matrimony as an inst.i.tution, nor as a refuge from loneliness for those who can afford it. He is himself a married man and has three children.
”I believe in the Malthusian theory,” he said. ”Just consider that man is the only animal whose natural increase is not regulated. We regulate the increase in the number of cats and dogs and other domestic animals, but we let human beings go on having children without any thought of the ability of society to take care of them. I think we should regulate marriage and especially child-bearing.
”In my opinion no married man ought to be allowed to have a child until he can convince some authority of his ability to provide properly for that child. We want all the increase we can get in the good elements of population, but we ought to keep down the 'riff-raff'--although you know as a matter of fact there is no human 'riff-raff'--yet we allow them to increase without any regulation. As for those who are able to take care of themselves, let them marry and have children. The more the merrier.”
_B._ Selection (1) below is a bulletin received some hours after the news detailed in (2), which appeared in a morning paper. Combine the bulletin with the morning story.
1. After confessing that he was the cause of his sweetheart, Emily Benton's, death, Alfred Barker committed suicide at 6:00 A.M. to-day by throwing himself in front of a Burlington express train near the town of Ashworth. In his pocket was found the following note:
”Dear Folks: G.o.d forgive me for causing my sweetheart's death. I did not kill her. We walked out there and sat down. I tried to kiss her and she repulsed me. I asked her if she did not want to be my sweetheart any more. She wouldn't answer. I took a hold of her waist, pushed toward her, and tried to love her. She started to scream, and I went completely out of my head.
”She became quiet all of a sudden. I thought I had hurt her and she was breathing heavily but was senseless. I covered her up and don't remember what happened until I awoke to find myself lying along the road, near Naperville.
”My mind came back. I realized what I had done and I went over to the quarry and jumped in, but could not sink.
”Then I went to Aurora, bought some chloroform, and that night (Sunday) I came back and found my darling's body, and I realized that she was really dead. I laid down beside her and took chloroform, but about 2:30 A.M. I woke up and the bottle had tipped over.
”Then I went to Belmont and got a freight and rode to Aurora, where I got more chloroform. I came back to Dawson Grove and went into the woods and saturated my handkerchief with chloroform, thinking I would surely die. But it failed to work also.
”I could not live and know that my sweetheart Emily was dead, so I have resolved in a desperate way to end my life.
”The girl died of heart failure or fright, as I surely could not kill the one I thought the most of in the whole world.
”I loved her more than words can tell and I would die for her and I will die for her.
”I have been partly insane for the last two days.