Vol 3 Page 248

SPOTLESS MURDERERS

[The Theosophist, Vol. II, No. 11, August, 1881, p. 238]

Some time ago we noted the cheering fact (for murderers) that George Nairns, a drunken beast who killed a poor Hindu at Calcutta, and subsequently was “converted” in prison was “safe in the arms of Jesus”—if the padri who attended at his burial is to be believed. Other blessed rescues of these erring sheep claim a moment’s attention from all who are restrained from murder only by the fear of punishment

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after death. The latest instance comes from America. A married woman plots with a brutal paramour to kill her husband so that they may freely indulge in their filthy desires. Under circumstances of ferocity the deed is done, and the wife helps the lover to hang the corpse by the neck to a beam to give the impression that the poor man had committed suicide. They are, however, detected, tried, convicted and executed. Both leave written confessions. The man says:—

Friends, I feel that I am going home. Lord, for Jesus’ sake, take my soul to Thee in heaven, where my dear wife is. Lord, have mercy on me. If I had read the Bible as much, before I came here, as I have since, I would not be here. I advise all persons, especially young persons, to read the Bible.

The advice is good. There is no such comforting book as the Bible for murderers. Moses killed an Egyptian, David killed the husband of Bathsheba whom he wanted for a mistress, and Jehovah expressly ordered murder by wholesale of peoples guilty only of defending their country, and had their virgin daughters turned over to the Jewish army to do what they pleased with. The woman assassin was also blessed. She said:

I die in the assurance of peace with God and the knowledge of sins forgiven.

So everything turned out just as it should, except—except that the law was not quite as forgiving as the Lord, and the repentant converts were hung. The saints in heaven are welcome to their new friends.