, 1879-03-16

widows be.
TREATMENT OF INSANE" CRIMINALS
Insane criminal" or " criminal insani
ty," strictly speaking, is n contradiction i,
terms; but the plea Of insanity has come t.
be urged SO frequently of late years in e1
tennntion of crime that t'insane criminals
must be regarded as class differing at one
from the harmless 1unatics and tho deliberat
rascals This class calls for special kind O.
treatment. If actually insane, it is no
right to make the perpetrator of Grim,
suffer the prescribed penalty therefor; but
if convicted Of d criminal act and excused
Oh plea Of insanity, it is not advisable tt
allow such person either to 60 free, when in.
sanity may again betray him into crime, o,
to mingle in the ordinary asylums with per
sons who are merely unfortunate and have
not even been suspected Of q criminal act.
Tho wardens and physicians of the insane
asylums have long protested against the custom
of confding to their charge *s emotional -
murderers and those who have been guilty
| Of other crime, but who hayo escaped
| punishment on the plea of insanity; they
urge that it is contrary to good morals, and
injurious to the welfare Of the unfortunate
but innocent patients, to associate the Grim
ina1s aud non-crimina1s together IN the same
institution; on the other hand, humane con-
siderations prevent the Furnishing Of such
persons like other criminals, and the welfare
of society does not admit Of their being en-
tirely discharged from custody and restraint
These conflicting circumstances have sug-
gested the establishment Of O separate insti-
tuition for the detention and care Of the
criminally insane"; but this suggestion
leads to the enlargement Of official charity,
Of which there is already too much in uli-
nols, and in most States of the Union. The
true solution of the difficulty, VIC think. is
to set inside special insane wards in the peni-
tentiaries, or in at least one OF the penitsn-
tlaries, where there are more than one in
State. Properly regulated, this plan will
furnish both the curative and punitive treat
ment which seems to be requisite in the case
of "criminal insanity functional mur-
der
Recent events in Chicago will serve to il
1ustrato the necessity Of some such system
rs We suggest Day before yesterday man
named DoSAHUE was tried for the murder of
another named EUsrAcE. Without going
into disagreeable details, it is sufficient to
recall that the murder was unprovoked and
brutal. The murderer was found to be in
sane, and, as Judge, jury, medical experts,
o>G prccner,ffr,r eli T.. II.
verdict, it was presumably correct But, if !
actually insane, DoSAHuE's insanity is of q !
peculiarly horrible character, and his cop-
1inement ut the Eig!u Asylum cannot but be |
extremely offensive to I'LL persons who have !
friends at that asylum, and it may be inju-
rious to tho unfortunate inmates of that
asylum. 4 couple of years neo Il man
named PIKE killed the editor Of aSpiritualist
paper, on the ground that the latter had se-
ducea Mrs. P1KE. PIE was adjudged in
sane. Perhaps he was, but certainly not
more SO than good many other peo-
plo who go about with hobbies and in
alte bad poetry for tho newspapers. His
insanity was Of kind that has been
Tery common Of late years in somewhat
'aried form, for it was Ct the same general
nature MS follows the extreme Indulgence of
my visionary theories. PIxE was also sent
o the Elgin Asylum, we believe; whether or
lot he is still there, We do not know 4 few
weeks ago a young man was arrested on the
hargo Of robbing safety deposit, OF which
!e was trusted custodian. His friends rallied
round him, enlisted the services OF some
medical experts and technical attorneys.
fered some testimony Of personal
eeulinritios, and procured bis discharge
rom criminal liability on the plea of
insanity. He was sent to Elgin, but only
omained there two or three days. The
Of tue Elgin Asylum would not /
etain him becnnse, as q matter Of fact, lie /
'as not insane, and he took his departure d
'r some other part of the country, where he
IN laugh at the humbugged Chicago Courts
lad ASGELb chosen to plead insanity, there !,
:e incidents in mis- career and traditions in his
Imily which, with the mid Of shrewd attor
eys and hberal-minded physicians, would
robably have secured his temporary confne- T.
ent at Elgin instead of years in Joliet. $
here is now in Jail, awaiting tria1 for the "
urder Of child-wifs, an inpertinent | Y
ID reckless young man named STEVENS,
hose attorney has alrendy formally i,
thnt his defense will be plea b
emotional insanity. If the plea shall II
successful in this case, as it has been in d
her similar cases, it is probable that STE u
MS will DO set free for the experienced " "
anaeers Of the Elgin Asylum would pzoba- I
: refuse to rctain him, as they would any
dy else in full possession of his faculties, b.
en- it the Court were to go through the T:
rm of committing him. of
The cases We have cited cover large range ~
insanity rs developed in criminal actions. IN
'st persons will agree that in some of these q
les the men under indictment wsro alto- ST
ther criminal, and not at all insane; in nous al
them, however, is there condition which
rrants commitral to the ordinary Insane y,
ylum and a discharge from Ill penalty for -
unlawful acts Of which they we're guilty. ~
insane ward in the Penitentiary. from | tn