The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-10-18
THE DEAF MUTE MURDERER.
What Shall be Done With Him
NEW YORK INSTITUTION FOR THE l
DEAF AND DUNE, Oct. IL, 1870.

DEAF AND DUNE, Oct II, 1870. !
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
In your paper OF Tuesday. Oct. IL, you give acc
count Of the proceedings before Judge Hogeboom, at
Kingston, Ulster county, In the case OF an unedu.
Gated deaf mute arragned Tor the murder OF his EN-
ployer, respectable citizen of that county. The
count closes with the statement that the accused
would probably he sent 10 this institution. This
nounccment may cause some anxiety 10 the numer-
GUS friends Of our pupils You will therefore per-
init to say through your widely circulated paper,
that 1t Is misrepresentation; and trust this correc-
ton may be as widely read as the error. No indi-
vidual guilty Of serious crime against the person, or
showing symptoms Of insanity, can, by the regula-
lions Of this institution, be admitted as inmate
But as the deaf mute in question has been kept
total ignorance from infancy, that his employer
might profit by his unpaid labor, and is now only
eighteen years old, and shows sufficient natural ca.
pacity ] may suggest that he should be confined Ill
some rsformaIory school in this vicinitythe House
OF Refuge, for instanceln which case should deem
II q duty and privilege to undertake to provide
for mis- intellectual, moral ana religious instruction;
not without strong hope that this wild man, who
has fatally exempliicd the danger OF leaving q
deaf mute Of strong natural passions to grow up In
ignorance, may yet become useful citizen and q
sincere Christian.
1T ought to be generally known that deaf mutes
who have been deprived OF the advantages OF educa-
ton now so freely offered at the expense OF the state
are liable TO grow up nuisance and terror to the
community IN which they are found. The deaf
mute III question, Lew Bodlne, was taken from the
county pOorhOuse, and instead OF being sent TO the
institution To be educated, as he ought 10 have been
was bound during his minority to the gentlemaH
who has lost bis life In attempting to control by
mere personal authority naturally stubborn and
revengeful disposition, which might have been
moulded to good VIII and cheerful service by appeas
MS better nature had he been previously placed
IN an institution where his mental and moral facul-
ties could be developed by the means used with sue
In multitudeS or similar cases. In the absence
OF such mental and moral training the individual
necessarily grows up savage.
the cases In which wholly uneducated deaf mute
has been accused oil serious crime have always 0c-
cas0ned much perplexity to the court called TO pass
upon rne degree OF his accountability. That an
individual who has shown himself to be dangerous
to the community should be restrained from new
acts OF violence IL evident; but IL - equally evil
dent that deaf mute who knows nothing OF either
human or divine laws Is not responsible Tor mis-
actions 10 the same extent as those who have been
well instructed.
Many cases are on record in which unetlueated
mutes have been arraigned Tor grave crimes nclud-
ing MURDER sometimes under aggravated circum-
stances. In countries where the English common
the prisoner not capable OF being tried. and to
fine MIN her, III the case OF dangerous lnatcs,
usually equivalent TO confinement for life. In France
a somewhat different philosophy prevails. The deaf
mute tried, and the verdict generally is equity,
VITA extenuatng circumstances This verdict
saves his life, but usually d0oms HIM perpetual
Imprisonment Ii the case be an aggravated one.
II Is to be hoped that the liberal provision made
Union Tor the free education OF all dea mute chill
dren between six and twenty-five years whose
parents are unable to procure them an education
Will be so universally embraced that shall never
again zee this sad spectacle OF an uneducated deaf
mute arragned for murder.
ISAAC LEWIS PEET, Principal.