The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-04-21
Murder and Mania.


Francisco's double murder occurred
the horrible murder of little girl in
the city Of Boston. The child was out
ragged and killed, and the murderer at
tempted to conceal his crime by bury
ing the body, head downwards, under
a barn. Besides these, the last few
weeks have witnessed a number of
criminal assaults of the most repul-
sive brutality though unaccompanied
by murder. OF late years there seems
to have been an appalling increase in
these horrible crimes against girls and
women, and society feels called upon,
to adopt, IL possible, some radical
measures of protection.
IL there is any truth in the theory
that at times waves of certain particu-
lar crimes sweep over the world, they
must include what may notimproperly
be called wave of sexual insanity. 1t
is contended by some observant phil
osophers that there are well-defined
epidemics of suicide, of ENLIGHTENMENT,
of murder, of train robbery and the
like-epidemics due chiefly to the
power of suggestion on weak and dis
eased minds. We do not pretend to
say how much truth or error there
may be in these plausible arguments,
but, conceding that there is any such
thing as wave of sexual insanity at
the present time, it must have been
brought on by the publication Of the
Oscar Wilde scandal
The great question is what shall So
ciety do with these fiends In Dur
rants case, as in all others of like
enormity, great effort is certain to be
made to prove that the defendant is
of unsound mind and therefore ire
sponsible. Even in the case of Oscar
Wilde, no less an authority than DR..
Max Nordeau, the author of "De-
generation" advances the opinion that
the fellow is insane. In an interview
telegraphed from Paris to the Brook
Ign Eagle, DIR. Nordeau says:
In his essays, In his plays and in his poems
Wilde exhibits many of the "stgmata" OF de-
generacy, which, mentally as we'll as physically,
is morbid deviation from an original type.
His former prediction for strange costumes
was a pathological alteration OF a racial in
stinct. IL was purely anttsocial. ego-maniacal
recklessness. 1t stamped him as "pervert."
He is an ego-maniac. His essay on Wainwright
shows him TO be a "diabolist"-one naturally
preferring evil to good. lie is an emotionallst,
and as is shown in his poems and stories,
mystic. These are the ''stigmata" OF a degener-
ate II to these shall be added this other and
more revolving pathological alteration which
has caused such stir In London, It seems to
me that an examination by competent alienists
will show that the thin aud almost wholly con.
ventional line which separates vice from mad
ness has been passed in the case OF this bril-
liant ana unfortunate man.
1t is all very we'll for the medical
experts to make diagnoses of this char
acter; 1t is not for laymen TO ques-
ton their accuracy. But still society
is not enlightened as 10 the best
method of dealing with these lunatics,
If they be such; rather the problem
becomes more confused. That there
is much mental disease in the world is
probably true. The virus of insanity
is constantly being scattered and diff
fused by injudicious marriages, and
there is no telling in what form it may
show itself in different individuals.
The most effective way of dealing
with such monsters as the murderer
Of the two girls in San Francisco is
the inniction of the death penalty, be
they sane or mad. The economy of
nature demands their determination.
Modern society. we fear, is inclined to
deal too leniently with its criminal
classes The divine quality of mercy
is expanded beyond its legitimate pur-
poses. The humanitarian turn given
to the treatment of criminals may be
a fine thing for tha criminals 90
treated, but its effect upon others is
not so good. The man with criminal
instincts counts on the sentimental
ism of society should he be caught in
his crimes He hopes to be able to
prove to society's satisfaction that he
was not in his right mind, or at least
to raise a doubt as to his sanity, and
to receive sooner or later in some form
or other the benefit of that doubt.
Society would be better off, we believe.
II 1t applied determination much more
freely than IL does.