Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-07-28
THE LEFBvRE MURDER.

A shocking murder was committed in
Oakland on Monday. A young married
man named Schroeder walked into the Of
fee of a dentist named Lefevre, and shot
him mortally without explanation of any
kind. Subsequently, it was given out that
the wife of the murderer had accused the
victim of having outraged her while she
was under the influence of chloroform.
Whether this Is the story to be relied upon
by the defense has not yet appeared, but
if it is, the only possible conclusion is that
the defense is fearfully inadequate In the
first place the circumstances under which
DR. Lefevre was in the habit of operating
appears to have utterly precluded the pos
sibility of such a crime on his part. 1t is
the testimony OF his assistants that lie never
operated upon a female patient without wit
nesses, and those who are at all familiar
with the effects Of chloroform and other
anesthetics upon women will be aware
that all dentists have good cause for just
such caution. For it is fact well known
to medical men that women are frequently
subject to Authorizations when under the
influence of these drugs, and that in this
peculiar condition they are apt to form the
impression that they have been improperly
dealt with. The books abound with SINH
lar charges against dentists and physicians,
and most of them have been made
under circumstances leaving no possibility
of doubt as to the Elusive nature of the
belief. 1t would seem that the drug in
such cases produces mental effects CORE
spending closely TO those of various hys-
terical affections, under the influence of
which latter diseases women have often
made the most preposterous accusations
against innocent persons, and have con-
dncted themselves in p way to make it
evident that they were temporarily insane.
1t seems, however, that in the present case
the husband accepted his wifc's statement
without the least inquiry, aud that he in
stantly rushed off to kill the supposed
assailapt of his honor and domestic peace.
1t IS perhaps necessary to point out further
that, however strongly the homicidal ten
dency may arise even in cases where the
evidence is much more conclusive than
here, no man can be justified in taking
upon himself the functions of the Courts.
Tue expression "taking the law into ones
" own hands is indeed misleading The
man who kills another under such circum-
stances takes no law into his hands. On
the contrary lie outrages all law, and he
becomes himself the most heinous criminal.
There has been far too much sentimental
and loose talk about matters of
this kind. 1t might be thought, indeed,
that the law was at last only an auxiliary
machinery, good enough for trifling cases,
cut to be not such whenever grave circum-
stances arose This is not civilized
bat barbarous view to take, and it Is time
the fact was recognized. No injury iusti-
6es homicides, but an attempt to murder.
In the case under notice il seems only too
probable that dreadful murder has been
committed upon no better justification than
the hallucination of an hysterical woman.
Should this prove to be the case, what
position will the murderer occupy He ap-
pears to have made no investigation, to
have given his victim no opportunity for
defense or explanation, and having shot him
down as though he had been dog, he seems
to think that he has done prsiseworthy
deed. This is very shocking case, and if
it turns out as some men think it will. the
community will have conflict of off hand
murders which may cause healthy reac-
tion against the border-rufIian method of
redressing real or fancied injuries.