Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1881-02-08
rnAnsIroRY AAaiA.

Wheeler, the stranger Of his sistsr-in-
Law n San Francisco. expresses both
INDIGNATION and as~tonishmsnt at the
verdict Of tho jury-eonvieting him OF
murder In the nrst degree. He feels a.
though his moral rights in the premises
were tramplsd upon and . grand sstab-
lishsd principle Of Nature sss as naugAt.
Others have escaped the halter BY merely
showing that they happened 10 Be insane
at the memsnt when they committed the
murder. and Why not hsf He sst forth
In plain terms that any intelligent jury
in the world might have understood
that hs vas not In the habit Of being
insane. but ON that oecaaion. after coolly
calmly and deliberately concluding and
preparing To murder his victim by ehet-
ing her to death. he graspsd her throat
and became insane q long - his grip
and her life lasted. returning to reason
Immediately aitsrvard. He incidentally
mentions one lucid moment during the
operation. when his heart failed him
and he loossnsd his grip; but "shs
looked up At him 90 pitsously" that hs
tishtsned up again and stayed crazy till
she Vas dead. In other words. he
claimed to have known What hs Vas
going to do and what be had done, but
was crazy while he was doing 1t. Re-
coguizins that idea and principle a. cor
rect. most people have crazy fits quite
frequently.
But the jury was evidently composed
Of practical and sensible men. They
merely locked upon the matter in its
right lieht-,hat he simply murdered
his mattress to keep her from leaving
him to b married to another man, and
knowing that his crime must be dis.
covered. msthodioally vent to work to
lay Q foundation for defense on the
ground Of temporary insanity. And
nov his jailers keep careful watch over
him to see that he does not. in q
dsspairingly insane moment. try to butt
out his brains and cheat the gallows.
The San Francisco Posi- OF yesterday
has the following pertinent editorial
remarks on the subject:
The conviction Of Wheeler. the straneler,
Of murder in the first degree. 10 the first
sign Of . moral awakening in the commu'
nifty. From the tone Of the defense. and
the objections raised 10 the i~mpaneling Of
Jury, one would DO apt 10 conclude that
there was . loosening Of all moral ties and
objections. and that lust and crime wero
70 be accepted - cardinal virtues. Fsrtu'
natsly the trial Jury did not accept such .
position or give the monstrous doctrine
vitality BY their verdict. There can be NO
doubt Of the perfect business Of the YER
dict, and the declaration BY the assassin,
since his conviction. that tho execution
would be Q legal murder. 10 only In keep
ing with his depraved and blunted mora
perception. He has also learned tho lesson
Of "transitory mania" set up for his de-
Tense. for he has declared that he was sane
tho moment before and the instant aftsl
committing the murder. but that durinl
all the time his victim was being slowl!
strangled by his hand he was insane
This plea 10 unworthy Of serious consider
atisn. although 10 has saved more than on'
murderer from the gallows. Common
sense. however. 10 assuming sway. ant
under its reign emotional insanity will no
excuse murder.