Connecticut western news., 1879-06-18
NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Here is touchingly dramatic story from England, in which young Amer ican has leading part. A pretty ser want girl, named Wade, in Lincolnshire, was betrayed by young clerk about year ago, and forced to return to the home which she had disgraced, with her child. The old tragical story followed step by step. The cowardly scoundrel her, but would not give her up. The poor girl, loving her baby passionately, had scant sympathy for it or herself from the sisters and brothers on whose decent name she had brought taint. Her mother, hard wol ked woman, who had brought up fourtee1fchildren honorably, wanted to send the wretched babe of shame to the almshouse and it's mother out again to service. Nobody had a kind word for her but the cold-hearted villain who refused to give her the only help possible. So the weak, fond crea- ture made up her mind that there was no place here for her CT her baby, and so poisoned them both, first writing pitiful letter of farewell to the man who had cursed her whole life, telling him how good and dear he was; how she loved him then as she had loved him at the first; how he ''must pass her out of his mind and look for something better. !" The babe died out of it's trouble, but the mother was rescued to be tried for mur- der. Sue was found guilty and sentenced to be hanged, and nobody in England. apparently, concerned themselves about her. But a young American physician in Paris, Dr. Albert J. Lefingwell, who 1t appears is making insanity 8 special object of study, reading an account of the case in the newspapers, and believing on scientific grounds that the girl was not responsible agent, wrote an appeal so reasonable and so urgent to the Home Secretary on her behalf, that he received a letter stating that in consequence of his application the case had been care- fully revised, and the sentence of death commuted to that of imprisonment for one year. Dr. Leffingwell's kind deed doubtless brings it's own sufficient re- ward to him. B=t it is only just that he hould have credit for noble, intelli- gent action among his own countrymen.
 A Russian wziting of the unjust dis elimination enforced against American citizens of the Hebrew race resident in Russia, says that American Hebrews receive the same treatment in Russia that other Hebrews do. There are probably 2,650,0 900 Jews in Russia. They are concentrated in few provinces, for, according to the Russian laws, they have the right to acquire land, houses, and other fixed property, only in the so-called Polish provinces, which con- stitute but one-twentieth part of the empire. Unhappily for the Jews, land in. those provinces is very dear, owing to the density of the population. There are 1850 inhabitants to each square German mile, and the Jews are ten per cent. of them while in the other prov inces there are only 150 inhabitants to each mile, and among them one Jew to every l, 400 souls. Is it not strange fact that in Russia, the largest State in the world, the Hebrews should be forced to live huddled together on limited space, and have almost no prospect of procuring real estate? Even the cold and gloomy Siberia is barred against the sons of Abraham, unless they commit some grave crime. The Jews are looked upon in Russia as necessary evil and though, at the time of the acquisition ot Poland, the Government was civilized enough not to follow the example ot Spain, in banishing all Jews, it was barbaric enough not to grant them the rights possessed by orthodox subjects The Czar, in his relation to the Hebrews seems to be fully under the influence o the orthodox clergy, and, perhaps, of { smart party of the business men who don't like the competition of shrewc Jews. These are now forbidden tc either open or serve in drug stores te keep liquor or beer saloons, or hotels They cannot occupy any official place It is made difficult for them to get ad mission to universities. Naturally they have become bankers, pawnbrokers merchants, agents, clerks, and lessees O factories.
 If the authorities should be able tc collect clear evidence identifying the in. dividual who furnished to Parr, the Philadelphia murderer, the strychnine with which he brought his life to an end almost in the presence of the Judge who was sentencing him to be hanged, they will have case for the application of 8 doctrine of law, ancient and important though very seldom invoked. It is the same ofense to aid a person to kill him. self that it is to enable him to kill third person. The anticipated methods by which it was once sought to punish sui eide have fallen into disuse, not at all because suicide has come to be deemed innocent or even venial, but altogether because they offend modern ideas of hu. manity in punishments. The law for merly denounced heavy forfeiture o property against suicide this is nc longer enforced, because it is seen tc punish innocent heirs rather than the real offenders. The law formerly pre- soribed ignominious burial this is re. faxed, because it is seen to involve z barbarous vengeance, rather than true punishment. But suicide is just as trul, the murder of ones self now as in the days when the perpetr ator was liable tt