The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-02-15
HYPNOTISM AND CRIME.
A Few Wise Words a Highly Interest
ing Subject.

Few Wise Words a Highly Interest
noston cavot+o ing Subject.
The criminal classes should bless science for
it has often proved their friend. The plea of
insanity has saved more knaves than the modern
gallows has destroyed, and now vice has new
protection, which is called hypnotism. I sup
pose 1t can be no longer denied that there is
such thing as hypnotism. A large amount of
evidence is brought forward in its favor, but
am bold enough to assert that many physicians
and most laymen overestimate the condition
In the vast majority of cases hypnotism is an
excuse rather than reality, method of shov-
ing responsibility from ones own shoulders to
the shoulders of heredity, a giving way to innate
passions and asking for sympathy at the same
time. The case of the French woman Bompard
points moral and adorns tale in matter, and
is, in consequence, deserving of very serious
consideration. Here is woman who employs
all the art and cunning she possesses in plotting
murder She reveals large stock of vulgarity
but no symptoms of weak will or hysterical
nature. Ten years ago she would have been
deemed merely coarse, vicious, heartless
woman; she would have had her head clipped off
by the guillotine, and no philanthropist would
have protested against the deserved punishment
Now, however, she is saved through the plea of
hypnotism perhaps not directly, but certainly
indirectly. Science came forward to demon
strate that she was dominated by the will
OF her male companion in crime, that she
was thistledown in tempest, driven hither
and thither against her own volition; senseless
puppet that moved as the suggesting string was
pulled. Science insisted upon proving the fact
but science was denied that privilege. Never
theless the woman was saved from death. To
me this is only arguing in vicious circle The
conclusion is concealed in the premiss and moth
ing is proved but the fallbiity of human nature.
am heartless enough to believe that If few of
these criminal hypnotes were punished whole
some reaction would take place; for 1t is well to
remember that none can be hypnotized against
their will, and that person who submits to be
hypnotized save for curative purposes is safer
in jail than in freedom. To excuse crime is to
multiply crime; to accept an unproveable sup
initiate reason. Actions resulting from vile i'm
pulses are always suspicious and should rather
err on the side of justice than on the side of
leniency. When this woman Bompard gets out
of jail 1t is very probable that she will commit
another crime and again find a defense in
hypnotism Common sense rebels against CIV
ing monsters liberty; If they cannot be hanged
or decapitated there is no reason why they
should not be imprisoned for life, and in this
way kept from injuring those who are not gifted
with abnormal brains. Our sentimental pity
for the criminal is wholly misplaced, and of all
excuses for them hypnotism is the least worthy
attention. OF course, there are many psyche
logical conditions of which we are as vet igno-
rant, and it may be that every criminal is urged
on by impulses for which he is not responsible,
but that is no reason why his impulses should
be permitted to endanger my life.