St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-10-30
THE MURDERER SHOULD
HANG.

Patrick Prendergast. the assassin of
Mayor Harrison, was undoubtedly in
sane. His delusions on variety of SUBJ
jects prove this beyond reasonable
doubt. This being admitted, what is
the measure of his responsibility for
his crime? And what shall be his pun
ishment?
There is, fortunately for society, at
least one precedent for the hanging of
an insane murderer. Charles J.Guiteau,
who shot President Garfield, expiated
his crime upon the gallows, although it
was proved beyond the shadow of
doubt that he was of unsound mind at
the time of the assassination, and con-
tinued in that condition up to the hour
of his death. Nevertheless, the court
decided that he was, at the time of the
commission of the crime, capable of
discriminating between right and
wrong, and therefore condemned him.
The question o. public policy was also
considered by the court, and it was held
to be defensible Ito protect society
against the assaults of MANAGES just as
it is defensible and proper 10 protect
the community from the depredations of
wild beasts.
The degree of moral responsibility OF
insane criminals has not, however, been
judicially determined by any court of
competent jurisdiction in its broadcast
sense. Guiteau's was an exceptional
case. His victim was the chief magis-
trate of the nation; his crime was more
than murder; it was regicide. Tech
nically speaking, there is no such crime
known TO our law. but it is recognized
by the common law of all nations The
killing of a ruler is a crime of far great
er enormity than the murder of an ordi-
nary citizen, and punishment should be
swift ana memorable.
Whatever the mental condition of
PrendergaSt may be, there can be no
question but that, at the timo of the
shooting of Mayor Harrison, he was
conscious that he was violating the law
of the land. Otherwise. he would not
have gone straightway to the police
headquarters and surrendered himself
to the authorities. A man vino commits
murder when genuinely insane Is not
conscious of offense. His moral percep-
tons are dulled to obtuseness. He may
commit murder, or arson, or any other
crime, but after its commission he pur-
sues the even tenor of his way, attempt
ing neither concealment nor escape;
nor yet does he place himself in the
custody of the officers of the law, for he
is conscious of having violated no law.
But whether Prendergast be sane or
not, the duty of the state to the COM
munity will not have been performed
until he shall be deprived of life. If
sane. he deserves to suffer death for the
highest crime known to the laws. If
insane. he must be destroyed in Justice
to others whose lives may be sacrifice
whenever the within shall seize him. 1t
will not answer to incarcerate him in an
asylum for the insane. Here his capac-
ity for harm would only be held in re-
straint; it might defy that restraint at
any moment. Besides, the day might
come when the officials in control Of the
asylum would pronounce him fully re-
stored, and he would be released. No
one, however, could guarantee that the
murderous mania would not return,
and if it did other innocent lives would
be sacrificed
Sane or insane, Prendergast should
be put to death. If sane. he deserves
the gallows; if insane, ne is deserving
of no different treatment than that be-
slowed upon ferocious tigress that
safes her thirst for blood at the expense
Of tho human race