The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-11-02
CRIME IS CONTAGIOUS
Professor Alexander Discusses the
Durrant Case Critically.
CRAZY, BUT OUGHT TO HANG
Other Cases Reviewed-Seeds of
Murder Carried by the News
papers-Details Should
Be Suppressed.
CRAZY, BUT OUGHT TO HANG

Professor Alexander, during his stay
in Anaconda, has established himself
firmly in the minds of many people of
this city as an authority on brain de-
velopment and as an accurate judge of
character. His estimate therefore of
Theodore purrant, the convicted muir
derer of Blanche Lamont, Is interest
ing.
II have not the slightest hesitancy,"
said he last evening, in talking of the
case. lin saying that IL Durrant did as
the jury has decided The did, that he Is
insane. Now do not leap to the conclu-
sion that 1 think he ought not to be
hanged; indeed 1 believe in capital
punishment. The insanity dodge is a
farce and is played too often in this
country. There are crazy men who
should be hanged. Men who commit
crimes even though insane. are aware
even at that time of the wrong that
they are doing. They seek TO hide their
victims to conceal any evidence of guilt
and with a cunning that is astonishing
in Its aStuteness. They are mentally
unbalanced, but are not morally ire
sponsfble and should he punished. Dur
rant is undoubtedly a maniac but his
mania only pertains ITO the one thing.
which amounts probably to a frenzy,
and yet under other circumstances
been seen calm, collected and stoical.
Medical men are turning their atten-
tion to this line of investigation and
while as yet we have no American
authorities on the subject, there are
some very eminent German writer's
who have discussed ii and cite from
American counts as well as their own,
perfectly authenticated cases of GRIM
inals unquestionably crazy yet / hold
are rational enough to be hanged"
There is very little doubt that the
London police have in custody the no
torious Jack the Ripper He is an
insane man, hopelessly so, and is con-
fined in a hospital near that city. The
proof was very strong and since his
Incarceration has been made stronger
by the fact that no more of thise hor-
rible tragedies have occurred. That
the man was crazy was not doubted,
even while the list OF his victims was
being made and the wise men OF Scot
land Yard very prudently avoided the
publicity Of a trial giving all details
OF mis- crimes by placing him in an in
stitution where he will be confined to
the day of his death. 1t was for the
same reason that the courts did not 20
deeply into the charges against Oscar
Wilde. a conviction and a term of
years in confinement satisfied justice
and had a salmtary effect upon other
offenders
students of criminal sta tstics in the
old country have reached the conclu-
sion that crime is contagious. That
crime is a disease has long been con-
tended by psychologists and philoso-
pliers. but that IL is contagious is a
more recent discovery. Is 1t not so,
however, that when you read of a
crime in the newspapers one day,
scarce a week passes away before you
read of another one similar TO the first
The seeds of disease are carried by
the newspapers. The details, no mat
ter how horrible. no matter how great
the mutilation, are given most elabo-
rately by the press of to-day. They
are. IL Is true. demanded to the extent
that those giving the minutest descrip-
tion are pa tronized and read the most
The effect on morbid minds is often
such that the awful deeds are repea ted.
If possible such tales of horror should
be suppressed. The world is no bet
ter, none the wiser for reading of
them. This Is, believe. the idea of the
London officials who have In view the
prevention of crime as well as dts pun
ishment. and I wish II could be more
closely adhered to everywhere"