Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-10-06
MAKING 4 FALSE CONFESSION.
px. NJ. A. Hamaead raiks About inc
Ssif Accused Crimiaal

- -
self Accused Crinsiasi.
,-.,,.ssv.s ., show that no uncommon cir
,,,nss,.,,s, for persons ~ cor,fess 70 having
rsrIRtrase3 crimes OF which Trey "sse sA.s..
certainly or prSalNAhly tnncssea', anu .'aA'
rhsre are fersSs in oserstton IN tne au''sui
mind which may prcsnss q the nAASihs ei
falls. c<aafessscsi. eSen thessgn ~ se "Vs'us
life. liberty or property ese ptis IN usSseA,
Thas tAsre Is = difsicslsy IN tiae MINIS oa
..,,,,., ,.,,-s.,ss who exhibit no ether evidence
uf s,rl,.ai alteration IL discriminate between
their thoughts or t6esr dreams and ansass@te
facts They brood over sNiie real " ihsAsF
saAs-y circumstances until they bring trssah-
selves To t~aseve in is reality.
S4sa pszsan, for Instance, re'sAts IN we
daily prsss Il some shocking fnurier s-iSS
has been committed. the pertSsratT A
which has escaped unr<Ssntssi lie reS'is
il ia ozsz newspaper, and in another and sn'
CHER hears il talked un among his eofi-
,Nsasuzls and higgins by wondering WHETHER "
no. ,iss. murderer viii ever be discovefeNi.
lie knows that murders have been coslialas'sd
hv persons who ST the tinfs wesc IN STATE OF
sagaasual,ulissn or who we've suffering trssn
an e,llepsic paroxystn- Perhaps be hAs niisi-
salf in his yonth walked in his sleep or has
bad a coavuisssa, As his mother has teal him
SsslsEiesiy the idea strikes hila that he may
be the guilty man AT iirss the notloa is ho'~
rilst t0 ham, but its very h0r7or renders 1t
a,srsrslve4 He gees 10 the Academy of Med
icArse and reads ny on the subject OF epilepsy.
there IS scstsSely disease. especially OF the
rexvusss system. of which any person AZ some
time or Other Of his he has not had one or
Eno-a symptoms The qaseS medicine aiyer-
tiseys are fully aware Of this fact and make
full use of il 10 frlg.ssn the ignorant into the
purchase Of their trash. Dur incipient self
srscsssser has. therefore, DO trouble in finding
what be Is hooking after, and be goes home
fully convinced that he has bad an eplleptic
paroxysln. during which he may have been =
murderer The transition from a possibility
10 = reality presents no difficulties 10 his
mind. and be ends by fully believing himself
TO be the murderer fer whom the police are
seeking. he lists the place where the crime
wAs committed, questions the residents Of the
/ neighbarhoel in regard to all the particulars,
| and even in'errogates the police relative to
their plans for securing tie murderer and
/ the secret evidence they have id their pos
/ session.
At last suspicion turns toward him and
eventually he IS arrested The accounts that
I be has read in the newspaper and the goSsii
( b. has beard that, regardless OF his Original
I idea that he had Ierpesraied the crime dur
/ Ins al epi1ep;ic Is, and therefore IN state o.
/ CO.'S ieEtioasTsSs, that forces him TO niak,
etoneinent. he confeSsas that lie paFpetratet
the murder and gives : full and circunlstan
i .iaI account Of the crime Inquiry soon, how
! ever, shows that he could not by any posi-
bility have t.Aen the p.erTsatra-or and he Is
therefore, after few days, during velci
the newspapers have given the most sensa
ti0alal accounts If his brutality and remorse
discharged from cuSsody.-Dr. William A
/ Hammond