New-York tribune., 1884-02-02
THE LONG ISLAND CRIMES.

III Is SsllO IlldJ inc pOllCC udNO CfiuCHOO W
prove that Rugg, the mulatto who committed
the Sprague assault, also murdered the Maybees
and was the perpetrator of the Townsend out
rage. 1t may be that this is true, but if there is
any one lesson borne in upon the public by the
recent Lon5 Island crimes, it is the necessity of
proceeding very cautiously toward conclusions
in such matters. This is at least the third
person who has been charged with one or all OF
these crimes, and the police were for a time
quite confident that they had got at the bottom
facts in both the other cases. Simon Rappelyea,
it will be remembered, was recognized by Mrs.
Townsend as the man to whom she had opened
the door. She was sure of his identity and
with such evidence many Western community
would have thought itself justified in lynching
the accused. Yet it is now generally concluded
that Simon Rappelyca is innocent, and that
Mrs. Townsend was mistaken, notwithstanding
her confidence in her own belief. Then came
Edmund Tappan, and made a confession which
does not seem to have been entirely voluntary,
though there is strong reason for suspectlng
that hc is an cpileptic maniac, and might have
coined the whole narrative out Of his own dis
cased Imagination. He, however, after having
been iudic ously "workod by detectives,
amateur and professional. accused his brother
John of having committed the Maybee murders,
and alleged that he himself had only shared the
plander. The accusation of John Iappm
evidently staggered his neighbors, for he was
not the kind of man they would have suspected
And the patent weakness of Edmund Tappan's
intellect became more conspicuous the more
closely he was examined. 1t was seOn thought
that he must be the actual murderer and that
his brother had nothing TO do with it. After
little, however, some shrcwd observers began TO
doubt whether Edmund had not been melted to
make q false statement by detectives who were
too eager for the reward, or by persons who
were too impatient TO solve the mystery. Then
came the attack on the Spragucs, and this time
the criminal was caught, almost red-handed,
and now it is intimated that he alone COM
mittcd all these crimes. Before we adopt this
theory It Is we'll to note the significant fact that
Rugg, after making IN alleged statement or
confession, is said to have had three epilcptic
fits in quick succession. Now, while it is true
that epileptic fits may sometimes be caused by
excessive mental anxiety, ii is not less true that
when they occur there is apt to be mental
deterioration and there may be actual insanity
The most recent treatise on psychological
medicine observes: at is well known among
specialists in insanity that the epileptiform
"neuross often exists for long time in an un-
developed or masked form, and that this
L" "neurosis is, moreover connected with both
"hOmicidal and suicidal mania" The epilephc
maniac may be for several days or weeks
preceding the paroxy SINS in dazed or half
unconscious state, and may during that cOndi
ton do acts of which he is but partially conscious.
We do not say that this was the case with Rugg.
We only call attention to the medical pOssibili-
ties of a case in which the occurrence of
epileptic fits is already alleged.
Rugg may prove to be the man who has COM
mitted all the recent Long Island crimes, but in
view of the mistakes already committed, and Ill
view Of the existence OF a doubt as to his mental
condition, it is obvious that his own statements
ought to be received with extreme caution, and
that reliance should be placed mainly upon such
external and Independent evidence as may be
gathered. The Tappan episode has showed
how plausible and connected a story may be in-
vented by any one who has read the published
accounts of notorious crime, and when an
accused person is surrounded by eager detectives,
ready with suggestions and leading questions,
weak mind may without much difficulty be
induced to say what is not true. The people of
Long Island no doubt see by this time that the
discovery of these crimes is not the simple
matter it may have first appeared. When the
vagares of insanity have to be taken into
account, together with the selfish motives of
persons hungry for the rewards there is danger
that innocent men may be falsely accused, and
that imbeciles may be invegled into sacrificing
themselves under the influence of delusion
And because the necessity for caution and
patience has been so strkingly emphasized by :
the early history of these cases, we have no
doubt that the proceedings in regard to Rugg
will be characterized by the requisite prudence,
and that the medical aspect of his case, above |
all, viii not be overlooked
STGAR AND THE TARIFF