Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-04-06

The Case Of Doctor LamsOn.
The case Of this American citizen, who
has recently been tried. found guilty and
sentenced to death in the English courts
for the murder of his brother-in-law,
Percy St John, in England, bids fair to
become one of the causes ceIebres of this
century. On his trial it was shown that
he was shiftless. adventurous sort Of
man, who was constantly impecunious,
and who had frequently used very ques-
tionable means to obtain money. He
had, on several occasions, drawn checks
on banks in which he had no account,
but which he took good care to have
duly cashed by some credulous friend.
By the death of his brother-in-lsw
his wife would fall heir to about
81 500. and It was known that he was
very anxious to get his hands on this
wealth. 1t was also shown that another
brother, who was one of the heirs tc the
estate. had died very suddenly, although
there was no proof that Lamson had has
tened his death 1t was proven, however,
that in the case of Percy st. John he
attended The deceased, and circumstances
all indicated that he had administered to
him a powerful poison known as aconl-
tine, and there was no doubt In the
minds of the jury that he was the direct
cause o. his victims death. He was, in
consequence, convicted of murder and
sentenced to be hung.
Since the result of his trial, public in
terest on both sides the Atlantic has
been aroused in his behalf HIS friends
have cited the facts that in the Franco
German and Turkish wars, he won dis
tinguished honors as a surgeon, stood
high in the ranks of his profession, that
ac0nitine was one of his favOrite RENE
dies, and he did not hesitate to use it,
generally with good effect Still, it is
alleged that he was insane. and that in
sanity was hereditary in his family, and
therefore, II is claimed, that even if he was
the cause of the death of his brOther-in-
law. he was not responsible. These argu-
ments in his behalf have been advanced
so persistently and with such force, that
the President has been induced to inter
fere in DR.. Lamson's case, and in defer
enee to the request of Mr.. Arthur, the
British Government has granted him a
reprieve of two weeks from the 14th
inst, so that this plea of insanity may
be thoroughly investigated.
It hardly seems probable, however,
that the accused viii escape the execu-
ton of the death sentence. The Eng
fish courts do not modify or reverse
sentences as readily as is customary in
the United States, and in granting the
reprieve asked for in this case, the
British Government was very careful to
state that no hope of the accused being
relieved from the penalty of the crime
of which he had been found guilty could
reasonably be INDUCED in therefrom. Be
sides this, it seems to us that the friends
Of the prisoner have already allowed their
anxiety to save his life to overcome their
discretion, and have proven too much.
The acknowledged able and valua
bic services Of DR.. Lamson in
the two wars in which be
was engaged as a surgeon will DOUBTLESS
appeal strongly to popular sympathy
but it is clear that no really insane man
could have gained such professional dis
tinction as he seems to have enjoyed
And when this is considered in connec-
ton with the proven fact that he was
perfectly familiar with the poisonous
properties Of Gconitine, and that he had e
direct personal interest in his brother-in
laws death, it can scarcely bs expected
that the insanity plea in his case viii
prove available.
What will, perhaps, be more in his
disfavor than anything else is the unsuc
cessful effort to relieve Guiteau from the
consequences of his crime on the same
ground of insanity. 1t is well known
that our arch assassin shot President Gar
field with a full knowledge of the enor
nifty of his crime, aud that he hoped to
| escape its consequence, first because OF
the applause which he expected tC
receive for his act from the stall
wart wingOf the Republican party which
had excited such bitter luminosity
against Garfield because of the liberality
of his administratiOn-and which pre-
iudice the assassin imagined was so uni
versal that no jury could be found which
would convict him; and second, be.
cause he hoped successfully to prove his
insanity and consequent responsibility.
His failure to realize either Of these his
anticipations, and especially the last
mentioned, has caused the whole
civilized world to look with
great suspicion upon the defense
of insanity in criminal cases, and this,
added to the previously well established
indisposition of English jures to be
influenced by such defense. unless the
alleged fact is proven beyond the
shadow of a doubt, reduces DR..
Lamson's chances TO a minimum. One
thing is very certain. If Guiteau
is hung in this country and
DR.. Lamson is hung in England
the insanity dodge will be brought into
such universal disfsvor that it will cease
to be so generally urged in justification
of villainous crimes. This will be bad
for '.the counsel for the defense, but il
can hardly be doubted that it will con
duce very decidedly to future respect
for law, and the welfare of society.
ShOles' City Directory for 1882.