The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-26
SENTIMENTAL MURDER.

The attempt on Mr.. Mackay's life will re-
vive the discussion on the philosophy OF
murder. No dficultv is presented In con-
sidering the case of man who kills his
enemy. That is eonSonant with human IN
stinct. But where man kills another
who has done him no wrong. and whose
death will confer no benefit. the case pre-
sents complex features. The King OF
Uganda shoots a slave to try a new gun.
The X ing of DahOmey decapitates courtier
TO celebrate a holiday. Ia these cases there
is no strong impulse; the murderer merely
gratifieS an idle lust OF blood. which is un-
restrained by concern for human life. Such
murders are purpOseess. We 60 q step
further. Ravaillac plungeS a knife into
Henry the Fourth; Guiteau shoots Garfield
in the back. In these cases, a motive is
disceTn ible, though it is obscured by clOuded
perceptions. Ravaillac had a wild notion
that the death of Henry the Fourth would
injure the HuguenOt cause. Guiteau was
disappointed politician, aud identified the
President as the EN- bodiment of the causes
of his Disappointment. Here the assassin
combined Illogical reasoning power with de-
fective moral principle. Fairness suggested
that the murderer should not be held re-
sponSible for an alteration of intellect; but
regard for society required that he should
be punished for his criminal instincts.
The man who shot Mr.. Mackay was one
of class Of persons who made money in
mining speculation, lost it and was reduced
to poY erty. He could not forgive the bo-
mama king for having succeeded where he
had failed, and he took vengeance on him
by shooting him in the back. Was he in
sane? Undoubtedly, TO the extent that
every ore who commits purpoSeless crime
is insane But was he insane enough not
10 be held responsible for his acts? In
doubtedly lot, for crooked as his reasoning
was, its working showed that he could rea-
son: and when a man can reason he must
answer for his actions The capacity to
discern right from wrong which legal re-
sp0nsibility requires does not exact SOUND
reasoning It may be perverted and delud-
ing; but if there is any reasoning at all, the
author OF a crime must pay the penalty.
When the courts departed from this prin-
ciple TO admit pleas of emotional insanity,
they opened the door to the commission of
crime by persons Of unruly impulses. en-
couraged such assaults as these on Mrs.
Donahue and Mr.. Mackay, and actually
tempted fend to throw bomb into the
audience at PATHS concert.
Ii is said of these people that they are In
sane. 1t is pretty difficult IN define insanity.
Almost every one is insane on some point
or another. that is TO say. his mental pro-
cesseS lead him to conclusions which DO not
command general assent. A man who is
ahead of those who surround him is often
pronounced insane. With the most perfect
honesty the priests of the InquisitiOn pro-
nOunced Calico insane for declaring that
the world moved. and the medical faculty
called Harvey insane for proclaiming the
circulation Of the blood. 1t is WELL there
fore. not to accept the plea of insanity with
out conclusive evidence.
i is observed that hOmicida epidemics
are often checked by vigorous remedies,
Al one time mania prevailed in England
for shooting at the Queen. but when the
law was altered, and periodical whipping
was made pant Of the penalty for
such attempts, they ceased. 1t seemed
that the assailants were mad enough
TO attempt purposeless crime, for
which the punishment was certain.
but they We're not mad enough TO run the
risk of the cat-o'-nine tails. There are
good many poor men who were once pros
POAoo9f ou1 " w tC9t Vfti A'4iiss ihSiuNiAS
the capacity to earn a living. in the mael-
strom Of mining speculation. As these
persons walk the streets they encounter
every day wealthy survivors Of the mining
wreck in broadcoth and fine linen. That
the spectacle may often rouse envy goes
without saying We have seen in too many
instances such envy Undertaking in overt
acts. It is plain that unless there is due
repression the homlcidal tendencies may
increase. Poor Rppey has settled his ac-
count with society; but the opera bomb
thrOwer only got few months.