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The Murderer by Richard Middleton He walked down to the
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embankment with the paving-stones like velvet under his feet. and
3
00:00:29.949 --> 00:00:35.310
he swerved like one running. Yet, still, though he meant
4
00:00:35.369 --> 00:00:38.789
to end his life in a few minutes, he avoided
5
00:00:38.829 --> 00:00:43.009
the traffic with great care, so that paternal policemen judged
6
00:00:43.070 --> 00:00:47.750
him newly from the country. The August sun seemed pitiless
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00:00:48.030 --> 00:00:51.609
in its strength, and in his fear and wretchedness he
8
00:00:51.670 --> 00:00:58.189
cursed it. Better rain, mist, fog, anything but the reproachful
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blue of the sky, the dancing glitter of the dust
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he wanted sympathy and instead nature triumphed over him and
11
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emphasized his failure the river was a sparkling tumult of
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gems where he had pictured a secret immutable surface which
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should flow darkly over him and his wrongs in place
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of a great unspeaking God he found a crowd of
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dancing laughing children Where should he seek peace and forgiveness?
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He leaned on the parapet and groaned. A train thundered
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by over Hungerford Bridge, as if in answer. Of course,
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that was the way. Safer, quicker. He took a ticket
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at Charing Cross Station and passed to the end of
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the platform, with a strange numbness in his mind and body,
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as if he were already dead. Yet he walked to
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the extreme end because there was no one there to interfere.
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Presently the train appeared, making its way slowly across the bridge,
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and he leapt off the platform and laid his head
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on the rail. It blistered his cheek, because the sun
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had made it so hot. Then the earth heaved itself
27
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up and thrust and tore him between the wheels of
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the carriages. When the train had passed, he rose to
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his feet unsteadily, and stared stupidly at the mangled body
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lying at his feet. There was a shrill singing in
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his ears, which was shortly interrupted by the sound of
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human voices, and he felt his arms caught roughly and imprisoned.
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Soon he made out the word murderer, angrily spoken, and
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found that he was held by the play-layers, who were
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gesticulating violently and pointing at the body. but he would
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not speak because, though the head had become a crushed
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horror upon the rails, he knew that the body was his.
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Dimly he was aware that porters and policemen were crowding
39
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from the station, and that they were lifting the body
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tenderly from the rails. Then he fainted. He came to
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in the police station, and found that his face and
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hair were dabbed with water. Presently He was formally charged
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and warned not to say anything incriminating. He said only,
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It was me, but this he repeated several times. He
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was trying to convince himself. Then he was removed to
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the cells and found himself alone. He lay down and
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slept deeply, and the sun had set and risen before
48
00:03:49.990 --> 00:03:55.740
he awoke. At his trial and after conviction, He did
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not speak. He seemed too dazed. But as they led
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him away, he broke his silence. Can a man die twice?
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00:04:05.379 --> 00:04:12.229
he inquired reflectively. Can a man die twice? There is
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no more to chronicle. They were his last recorded words.
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The End of The Murderer by Richard Middleton
1
00:00:01.129 --> 00:00:04.969
The Murderer by Richard Middleton He walked down to the
2
00:00:04.990 --> 00:00:29.910
embankment with the paving-stones like velvet under his feet. and
3
00:00:29.949 --> 00:00:35.310
he swerved like one running. Yet, still, though he meant
4
00:00:35.369 --> 00:00:38.789
to end his life in a few minutes, he avoided
5
00:00:38.829 --> 00:00:43.009
the traffic with great care, so that paternal policemen judged
6
00:00:43.070 --> 00:00:47.750
him newly from the country. The August sun seemed pitiless
7
00:00:48.030 --> 00:00:51.609
in its strength, and in his fear and wretchedness he
8
00:00:51.670 --> 00:00:58.189
cursed it. Better rain, mist, fog, anything but the reproachful
9
00:00:58.229 --> 00:01:01.600
blue of the sky, the dancing glitter of the dust
10
00:01:02.899 --> 00:01:07.519
he wanted sympathy and instead nature triumphed over him and
11
00:01:07.620 --> 00:01:12.489
emphasized his failure the river was a sparkling tumult of
12
00:01:12.569 --> 00:01:16.989
gems where he had pictured a secret immutable surface which
13
00:01:17.030 --> 00:01:21.650
should flow darkly over him and his wrongs in place
14
00:01:21.709 --> 00:01:25.109
of a great unspeaking God he found a crowd of
15
00:01:25.189 --> 00:01:30.409
dancing laughing children Where should he seek peace and forgiveness?
16
00:01:31.609 --> 00:01:36.209
He leaned on the parapet and groaned. A train thundered
17
00:01:36.269 --> 00:01:41.010
by over Hungerford Bridge, as if in answer. Of course,
18
00:01:41.730 --> 00:01:46.379
that was the way. Safer, quicker. He took a ticket
19
00:01:46.439 --> 00:01:48.900
at Charing Cross Station and passed to the end of
20
00:01:48.939 --> 00:01:52.439
the platform, with a strange numbness in his mind and body,
21
00:01:53.219 --> 00:01:56.920
as if he were already dead. Yet he walked to
22
00:01:56.959 --> 00:02:00.480
the extreme end because there was no one there to interfere.
23
00:02:02.170 --> 00:02:06.409
Presently the train appeared, making its way slowly across the bridge,
24
00:02:07.150 --> 00:02:09.990
and he leapt off the platform and laid his head
25
00:02:10.069 --> 00:02:14.090
on the rail. It blistered his cheek, because the sun
26
00:02:14.180 --> 00:02:18.120
had made it so hot. Then the earth heaved itself
27
00:02:18.280 --> 00:02:21.360
up and thrust and tore him between the wheels of
28
00:02:21.379 --> 00:02:25.759
the carriages. When the train had passed, he rose to
29
00:02:25.819 --> 00:02:29.710
his feet unsteadily, and stared stupidly at the mangled body
30
00:02:29.789 --> 00:02:33.889
lying at his feet. There was a shrill singing in
31
00:02:33.930 --> 00:02:37.349
his ears, which was shortly interrupted by the sound of
32
00:02:37.409 --> 00:02:41.939
human voices, and he felt his arms caught roughly and imprisoned.
33
00:02:43.539 --> 00:02:48.120
Soon he made out the word murderer, angrily spoken, and
34
00:02:48.180 --> 00:02:51.500
found that he was held by the play-layers, who were
35
00:02:51.580 --> 00:02:56.300
gesticulating violently and pointing at the body. but he would
36
00:02:56.340 --> 00:02:59.539
not speak because, though the head had become a crushed
37
00:02:59.580 --> 00:03:02.740
horror upon the rails, he knew that the body was his.
38
00:03:04.259 --> 00:03:08.719
Dimly he was aware that porters and policemen were crowding
39
00:03:08.800 --> 00:03:11.939
from the station, and that they were lifting the body
40
00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:18.610
tenderly from the rails. Then he fainted. He came to
41
00:03:18.689 --> 00:03:21.550
in the police station, and found that his face and
42
00:03:21.610 --> 00:03:26.979
hair were dabbed with water. Presently He was formally charged
43
00:03:27.240 --> 00:03:32.060
and warned not to say anything incriminating. He said only,
44
00:03:32.539 --> 00:03:36.979
It was me, but this he repeated several times. He
45
00:03:37.039 --> 00:03:41.240
was trying to convince himself. Then he was removed to
46
00:03:41.259 --> 00:03:46.250
the cells and found himself alone. He lay down and
47
00:03:46.349 --> 00:03:49.949
slept deeply, and the sun had set and risen before
48
00:03:49.990 --> 00:03:55.740
he awoke. At his trial and after conviction, He did
49
00:03:55.780 --> 00:04:00.139
not speak. He seemed too dazed. But as they led
50
00:04:00.180 --> 00:04:04.780
him away, he broke his silence. Can a man die twice?
51
00:04:05.379 --> 00:04:12.229
he inquired reflectively. Can a man die twice? There is
52
00:04:12.289 --> 00:04:16.149
no more to chronicle. They were his last recorded words.
53
00:04:20.269 --> 00:04:24.149
The End of The Murderer by Richard Middleton
