The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce — Volume 2: In the Midst of Life: Tales of Soldiers and Civilians

“Before committing the act which, rightly or wrongly, I have resolved on and appearing before my Maker for judgment, I, James R. Colston, deem it my duty as a journalist to make a statement to the public.  My name is, I believe, tolerably well known to the people as a writer of tragic tales, but the somberest imagination never conceived anything so tragic as my own life and history.  Not in incident:  my life has been destitute of adventure and action.  But my mental career has been lurid with experiences such as kill and damn.  I shall not recount them here—­some of them are written and ready for publication elsewhere.  The object of these lines is to explain to whomsoever may be interested that my death is voluntary—­my own act.  I shall die at twelve o’clock on the night of the 15th of July—­a significant anniversary to me, for it was on that day, and at that hour, that my friend in time and eternity, Charles Breede, performed his vow to me by the same act which his fidelity to our pledge now entails upon me.  He took his life in his little house in the Copeton woods.  There was the customary verdict of ‘temporary insanity.’  Had I testified at that inquest—­had I told all I knew, they would have called me mad!”

Here followed an evidently long passage which the man reading read to himself only.  The rest he read aloud.

“I have still a week of life in which to arrange my worldly affairs and prepare for the great change.  It is enough, for I have but few affairs and it is now four years since death became an imperative obligation.

  “I shall bear this writing on my body; the finder will please hand it
  to the coroner.

  “JAMES R. COLSTON.

“P.S.—­Willard Marsh, on this the fatal fifteenth day of July I hand you this manuscript, to be opened and read under the conditions agreed upon, and at the place which I designated.  I forego my intention to keep it on my body to explain the manner of my death, which is not important.  It will serve to explain the manner of yours.  I am to call for you during the night to receive assurance that you have read the manuscript.  You know me well enough to expect me.  But, my friend, it will be after twelve o’clock. May God have mercy on our souls!

  “J.R.C.”

Before the man who was reading this manuscript had finished, the candle had been picked up and lighted.  When the reader had done, he quietly thrust the paper against the flame and despite the protestations of the others held it until it was burnt to ashes.  The man who did this, and who afterward placidly endured a severe reprimand from the coroner, was a son-in-law of the late Charles Breede.  At the inquest nothing could elicit an intelligent account of what the paper had contained.

FROM “THE TIMES”

“Yesterday the Commissioners of Lunacy committed to the asylum Mr. James R. Colston, a writer of some local reputation, connected with the Messenger.  It will be remembered that on the evening of the 15th inst.  Mr. Colston was given into custody by one of his fellow-lodgers in the Baine House, who had observed him acting very suspiciously, baring his throat and whetting a razor—­occasionally trying its edge by actually cutting through the skin of his arm, etc.  On being handed over to the police, the unfortunate man made a desperate resistance, and has ever since been so violent that it has been necessary to keep him in a strait-jacket.  Most of our esteemed contemporary’s other writers are still at large.”