PRESENCE OF MIND.

Evening Post, Volume LXIX, Issue 118, 20 May 1905, Page 13

PRESENCE OF MIND.

SAVED FROM AN AWKWARD SITUATION. Thero is a distinction to be drawn between presence of mind and courage. An instance is given by ;v wiiter in Clmmhers's Jounnil of how a man, whom the wiiter knew to be utterly deficient of courage, Mived himself from a very awkward situation. Jfc was an oiganist, living in a Midland town. Late one evening he was reluming home through some of the back streets, which at that hour wero more or less empty of people. As he went along, however, he noticed, some distance ahead of him, a man and a woman walking aide by side, the man's arm being round the woman's neck. Just under n gas-lamp the couple stopped for a moment, when he heutd a pivrcing Bcicam and saw the woman slowly falling Irom the main arms. Almost befoio s<lie had reached the ground, the man darted away down a f>ido street and disappeared. When; the organist came up to the woman ho found, to his horror, that she was lying in a pool of blood. His first impulse was to inn away and get clear of tho terrible scene ; but his hotter feelings prevailed, and 1 ho knelt down beside the poor woman to see if he could do anything for her. When he raised her head ho found she was quite dead, with her throat cut from ear to ear. Beside her on the pavement lay a blood-stained razor. The organist was overwhelmed -with the horror of tho scene. Before he could collect himself a group of people had gathered, os thoy invariably do when anything happens in tho street, and presently ho heard exprehsions such ns "He did it" ; "I tell you I saw him" ; "Why, here is tho razor ho cut her throat with" ; "Oh, the cruel ,brute ! Seize him," etc. It was certainly a very u\\ kward position, as tho rough character of the people might tempt them to take tho law into their own hands and use him very badly. The arrival of a policeman seemed to steady his nerves for a moment, and then come a wavo of inspiration which may almost be teimed prcsenco of mind. Ho seized tho dead woman's wrist, and pulling, out his watch, ho pretended t v o go through tho foim of feeling hor pulse. Then he put his hand over hor heart, and, turning to the policeman, ho said as calmly a.s he could, "I am sorry to say I can be of no further service here. The poor thing is quite dead ; thero is no action in the heart or pulse." In an instant the murmurs of tho crowd changed, and he heard "Jfo's the doctor" on all aides. This was his opportunity, and, slowly rising, nnd affecting to be in no hurry, he passed through tho crowd, who made way for him and offered no obstruction. Hut he told me that when he got clear of the stroet and came to the first turning ho look to his heels and ran for all he was worth. Tho cowardly spirit got the bettor of him in tho end. Hn heard next day that tho murderer had gone straight to tho police-station and given himself up.