, 1863-10-31
OFFICE ON THIRD STREET.
NUMBER <l0.
Insanity and Law.

Insanity has been convenient cloak IN
the hands Of subtle lawyers to cover null
titude Of sins. If criminal commits
murder of extraordinary malignity, the ad-
vOcate argues that no one could be guilty of
such an aggravated crime except in state
of insanity, and by this plea secures his ac-
quittal. If merchant has occupied prom
inent position in social life and is guilty of
forgery or fraud on large scale, the very
magnitude Of the crime is alleged as a con
elusive proof Of mental abberration, and
shields him from deserved. punishments ~
No other proof of insanity seems to be need
ed in some courts than an act of more than
usual boldness and guilt Many guilty
man, without the slightest appearance of in
sanity, except in his life of unblushing wick
edness, has gone unwhipped of justice on
this shallow plea. b 80
But shrewd lawyers are not content with
the advantages already gained by this con-
venient plea. They find it promises to Sc
cure them other victories over Justice and
truth. 1t may prove of equal potency in
breaking the solemn obligations of will;
and diverting property from the ends de-
signed by its late owner. A case in point
has Just occurred in the neighboring State of
Rhode Island
a Christian woman died a few years ago
bequeathlng all her property, supposed to
amount to between one and two hundred
thousand dollars, to benevolent purposes
She had always been an eccentric woman,
but no one had limited during her lifetime
at even incipient insanity. But the heirs
did not like to lose so large an estate. They
knew the subtle machinery of the law and
Its ready shifts to eYade justice, and they
set to work to break the will on the ground
of an UnsOund mind in the testator This
was the only plea alleged, and the only evil
dence by which it was supported was the
eccentricity for which the lady had been no
ted in her lifetime But this plea, sup
ported by this evidence, was sufficient to ac-
complish the purpose Two juries could not
agree, but the third was more plant, and
declared the will void, because the testator
was Of an unsound mind. sal.a
What safety, under such a decision, re-
mains to human life Any murderer of &C.
centricity, may elude conviction because of
mental unsOundness What security re-
mains to property? Almost any will might
be contested by disappointed parties on a
similar plea. Nay, many eccentric men
might be deprived Of their property while
living, on the charge of mental tnsound-
ness, and doomed to a straight jacket. Can
our courts retain confidence by such mock
cry Of justice p Watchman and Reflector
ARTEMUs WARD AND THE ARTIsT.-I
was fxin' myself up to attend the great war
meetin, when my daughter entered with
young man, who was evidently from the
city, and who wore long hair, and had wild
expression into his eye. In one hand he
carried portfolio, and in his other paw
clasped bunch of small brushes. My
daughter introduced him as Mr.. Sweiber,
the distinguished landscape painter from
Philadelphy.
ole is a artist, papa. Here is one of his
masterpieces young woman gain adj
mirably upon her lst born," and my daugh-
ter showed me real pretty pictur, dun in
lie. "Is it not beautiful, papa? He throws
so much soul into his work"
"Does he does he eW said T. Dwell, I
reckon I'd better hire him to whitewash our
fence it needs it. What will you charge
to throw some soul into my fence 2"
My daughter went out Of the room in a
very short metre, takin' the artist with her,
and from the very emphatical manner in
which the door slammed, l concluded she
was summit disgusted at my remarks. She
closed the door, [ must say, in italics 1
went into the closet and larfed all alone by
myself for over half an hour.