St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-03-20
PHILOSOPHY OF MURDER.

The philosophy OF murder is the most
mysterious Of anything in the realm of
metaphysics. 1t is difficult to under
stand how the conscience of civilized
humanity can become so scared as to adj
nit of the crime. For murder is the
killing of a human being with malice
aforethought; that is, without the heat
of temper, but by we'll matured plan.
And it is still more difficult to under
stand how one who has committed the
crime can be so overcome by remOrSe as
to confess; for he must realize that con-
fession is very sure to mean death to
him.
A celebrated French metaphysician
maintains that every one is more or less
insane. While France is one of the
best fields among civilized nations for
the development of such an idea, the
proposition has a deep root uncOn-
sciously in the American heart; for
there is nothing more easily established
before an American jury than the plea
of insanity for one tried on the charge
Of murder. 1t is doubtful if ever the
plea was set up in this country when
the ablest physicians were not divided
in opinion upon the sanity of the ac-
cuSed.
The failure in murder trials to prove
strong motive for the deed almost in
variaDly results in aequittal. especially
when insanity is pleaded. But it is not
possible TO divine the mind of the man
on trial and determine what to him was
a motive. A man of jealous tend
ency sees his wife casually talking
with another man, and kills her with no
other evidence that she was guilty of
wrong-doing. Another with a dyspeptic,
morose nature, sees neighbor driving
in the night with load Of corn from his
locality; imagineS that it was stolen
from his crib. and magnifies the matter
until he puts load of buckshOt into the
supposed thief. And then there is the
one who has very apparent motive for
taking the life of another. 1t is all
strong proof of the theory of the French
man. 1t shows clearly that what s
motive to one is not to another, and that
the motive may be such as cannot be
proven.
Mrs. ALFRED P. SHAw,of Baker CITY,
Or, has just confessed that her husband
was not kicked to death by horse, but
that his skull was dashed in by ham
mer in the hands of her lover. Why did
she make the confession when the the
ory had been accepted by the authorities
that the man was kicked to death by the
animal, aud her action was sure to re-
suit in her execution as murderer?
There seems no other way to account
for it except that she was INSANE when
the deed was committed, and became
lucid afterward.
The Frenchman SAYS that there are
degrees of insanity, and few in which
the insane party has not clear reeol-
lection of what he did while possessed.
This is pOnderous question to han
die. There seems no way out of it eX-
cept to recommend the adoption of
part of the plan of the Spartans. This
ancient community put to death its
aged, cripples, predetermined, and its
insane. 1t would seem cruel to the
American mind to advocate the putting
to death of any one of these classes.
But would it not be just as we'll to
abridge the number of these people who
commit homicide under supposed Insan-
ity? 1t is impossible to say how soon
such person will again become insane
and abridge the existence of some one
| else. These people are certainly better
off dead than alive, because their con-
sciences are liable to wake up any time
and trouble them; and the cOmmuni-
ties are good deal safer in their alb
sence.