The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-08
PURE ~CUssEDNEss.

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Their are nurderers who are sane; there
are those who are insane, and there are
those who are not insane, but seem to
stand for what is termed ''pure cussed-
ness" These murderers are never sus-
pected of mental or moral responsibility
for their actions until they commit some
frightfuliy wanton and cold-blooded muir
der. Then, because the real or pretended
provocation for the murder seems trivial
to the Judgment Of right-minded PEG
pie. we begin to hear the whisper that the
man who has barbarousiy murdered a
woman because he Iored her. or the woman
who has deliberately killed a man be-
cause she loved him, Or because he had
outraged her Affections" or because he
declined TO marry a tramp prostitute,
that these assassins are INSANE" They
are not insane at all, in the sense of men
tai or moral responsibility for their
actions; they are only deprayed, brutal
tempered folk, full to overlooking all their
days with "pure cussedness." If they are
crossed III love; if they can't nav the
woman they want, they behave like pas
ASAhS <hAFaAS AZ "@A|h 49,
their wishes want to ''smash things" gen.
orally; they are like the fellows who in
their drunken rage break the furniture if
they live alone, or beat their wives if they
have any to beat. If they are outwitted
or cheated in trade they ''get a gum and
kill the man that circumvented them; if
they are obliged by their own folly or
fti-fnrtr.ao IN carry 1ny IF tho CrnSSao of
life that all men and women worthy of re-
spect carry with patience and courage,
gathering strength through suffering,
they Immediately seek to ease their bur-
den by killing somebody; they believe in
blood atonement for ell their disappoint-
ments.
The laws of society, which provide for the
redress of social or civic wrongs, are moth
ing to these folk, who arbitrate all differ
ences and adjust all their wrongs with the
pistol. These murderouS, vindictive rebels
against the peace, order and safety of
society. who resort to their own inner
consciousness" for a code under which hey
try, convict, sentence and execute their
real or fancied enemies. are a holy terror
to civilization. They are not insane
enough to be placed under restraint, and
yet the plea of momentary insanity is
always pleaded by them as a defense
against legal punishment. They are
always exceedingly "handy with a
gum" blu they don't appear to be
'handy" or useful in other directions
of human effort. They are sane
enough always to claim the free enjoy
ment of all the pleasures of life. but they
are always Sinking its duties and if made
responsible to the law for lawlessness, are
never sane enough to be hung or inn
prisoned, Or insane enough to be sent t.
an asylum. The result is that decent and
healthy human society is constantly
plagued by the murderous antics of these
arbitrators with the pistol. There are q
great many Of these creatures in America
because stupid Or sentimental juries either
refuse to convict or acquit them. There
are not many of these creatures in Eng
land, because there the penalty for murder
is death, unless self-defense or insanity can
be clearly shown. and in event of proof of
insanity the murderer is not released, but
spends the rest Of his days in restraint and
seciusion.
1t looks very much as if every person,
man or woman, who arbitrates real or
fancied personal wrongs with a pistol
ought to disappear from society; ought to
be judicially put to death, sunk in the
bottofnless pit of the p~enitentiary. or sent
to an asylum for the insane. Take the
case of Moulton, who cruelty murdered
Mrs. Story Tuesday evening. Suppose he
had declined to commit suicide. We
have a man in prison, hitherto re-
gsrded as san enough to do business, to
at large. whose explanation why he
murdered his victim would be that she
would not marry him. This would seem
an insufficient reason, and yet this
is probably the reason which influenced
tho woman who slew Boyd. Boyd proba-
bly, bad the temerity to refuse to marry
this woman under the threat of death if
he did not consent. He was served
with written notice by the woman that
if he did not marry her she would
kill him. He probably refused, as
she has kept her word. There is
iOSaA i HIosahSA "a oAiiC j
can prove that any man is responsible for
their pregnancy. Few, very few men
would consent to marry ~anotorious prosti-
tute at the pistols mouth. and for a refusal
to marry such a woman under the du-
ress Of threats Boyd is in his grave.
Unless we are prepared to say that a mar
f~orfeits his life for q refusal, under pain of
death, to become the husband of q prosti-
tute. then the killing of Boyd was a most
and cruel murder, the execution of a
deliberate. Iong-cherished purpose of
Boyd had been fully notified.
II Moulton had Stunned suicide he
might have forfeited his life; he was as
as Guiteau; he certainly would have
lost liberty or life, and if there is no sex
III crime we should expec, therefore that
the woman who slew Boyd will not very
0 again resume her rowing commission
as 1.-The Bonnie Lesley" OF intimidation
and assassination.