The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-08-27


disclosure made within lis walls. These
conclusions tho physician only to "kecp in.
violate the confidence" all nso founded in
error, the old Greek oath requires Of the
sck-of paliants as patients, and not of
criminals MS criminals. Did not Mrs. Cum
n'nglam clearly step outside of the pale Of
professional protection when slle desired
DIR. uhrs assistance in paming upon the
world and tho Courts Il false heir7 Did
she not by that act become common
enemy whom it was his duty bring to pun
ishmcnt by such proper means as hc could
employs But, We arc told, tic oath tho
oath !!
Io all such cxclaimants, VIC may rs well
answer at once, that there is no such oath
as that called the Ilypocra,ic known to
the medical profession anywhere in the
United States. No such oath is subscribed
or taken by any medical man nor is any
oath whatever taken. The only obligation
to which he binds himself is to bc found in
tie Code of Ethics adopted by the National
Medical Association, by resolution, and not
sworn to and signed, by that body and ac-
cci ted and adopted, here, in like manner,
y the Academy of Medicine. 1t is Il uues-
ton of discipline and docs not imply the
keeping of non professional secrets, discon-
nected from the necessary management q
a case under treatment; much less of I
purely super-induced fraud and deception,
like that i'll the case of Mrs. Cunningham.
AT the Same time SO tender and cxactine
are the profession, as well as the public, of
the jealous custody Of the confidence put
in charge of the medical adviser, that we
venture to say, Of hundred members of
the faculty to whom the issue might be
put, ninety would be glad to avoid the nc
cessity of seeming 10 violate or depart from
it, even in appearance. On the other
hand, the law does not sanction guilty con-
lidcnccs, and even makes it penal offence
TO proffer to another participation in the
commission Of crime.
We therefore come, in natural course, to
consider the third point in this cxtraordi-
nary matter; namely, how far the agency of
District Attorney Hall is justiGaLlc. lie
also holds a professional position which de-
mands of him specially the persecution Of
criminal parties to conviction, their guilt be-
ing clearly in view. II mus, he borne in
mind, that Mr.. Hall lad, before these recent
disclosure, scommittcd himself fully 10 &
belief in the guilt Of the woman that lie
had en strongly stated his belief, based it
m.. he supposed, on the facts within his
knowledgc-althougl they did not come to
adequate proof on the trial-with such en-
ergy in his opening speech for the people,
as to lay himself open to pretty free COM
mcnt as bearing down with unjust severity
| upon the prisoner at the Lar-tle unfortu-
nate woman whom he had classical,v and
wantonly compared with Messalna Lucrc-
tia Borgia, and others of like infamous re-
nown. The public prosecutor believing for
whatever reasons that Mrs. Cunningham
was guilty, lie might hold it to be his duty
to bring her to justice at whatever COST
All that had been done on his part, and on
the part Of all others, up to the entrapmcnl,
had gone for nothing. The book of crime
was useless fragment, needing the last chap
ter to make the preceding intelligiLle.-
There was the problem complete but for
the adding up. Who was to finish the
closing chapter-sum up the figures, com
plete the history, solve the problem, and
furnish the anxious community the grand
sum to,als 1t is asserted that Mrs. Cum
n'ngham, however, advised and warned off
by DIR. Uhl, would have gone on and con-
summatcd the fraud in her own way, as its
completion was necessary to her plan, and
1t was TO her climax rs much needed for
her ends as it has now proved on its disclo.
sure to be for the ends Of public Justice
She would therefore, of necessity, as fore
gone conclusion, and by inevitable compul.
sion OF her anteccdcnts have finished the
thing herself, and so managed it with her
own picked instruments and accompliccs as
to have evaded detection again.
The District Attorney does not, therefore,
'"stigatc nor encourage the crime; he mere.
ly takes out Of the way such obstacles as
may impede its consummation, and ensure
not only solution to a previous criminal
mystery, but bring tie offender, guilty of all
that had gone before, (as lie Lelicves,) to
cond'gn punishment. Mrs. Cunningham,
OF her own motion, has started from n high
pitch on the career of crime She is rolling
down its proclivity with unerring speed and
certainty, and catching at a bush BY the
way to save herself, shall District Attornev
llaIl allow her its shelter, or by cutting It
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