The San Francisco call., 1897-11-28
ASSASSINATION OF LOUISE MARCEL.
From the ENGRAVING of De Mea,slle.l

record of Joseph VRcher takes pre-em l.
nence.
For the better part of ten years this
young man has been proving pest. He
Acknowledges having made away with
twelve persons; positive proc: convicts
him of eight other ssassinatons; cir
cumstantiaI evidence adds twelve more
butcheries to his list, and the inVestiga-
tion of his fendish career, although it
has covered nearly two months OF trailing
and research, is not half finished.
Not since the apprehension of the
priapian pervert Dumollard has France
been so deeply agitated by a subject of the
nature OF crime. The reason for this Goes
not lie so much in public sympathy for
the bereaved, in pity for tae unfortunates,
or in morbid regard for the monster as it
does in the imperative duty the exposures
impose on the national lawmakers. and
the Indictment Of the judiciary that has
incidentally resulted. IL review OF the
character and career OF WAGNER startling
defects of government become so apparent
that no one attempts to condone or de-
fend them.
First of all, it is readily perceived, in
bloody zigzag trail over France that the
constabulary system of the nation is in a
state of dry rot. The gendarmerie, the
country police patrol, under the relaxing
rule of the republic, has become a mere
shadow. What is left of it is represented
by ignorance, laziness and inefficiency.
The cry is now raised for its reform and
rehabilitation.
It follows that when criminal chasers
are stupid and lex prosecuting officers and
the inferior judiciary Will be little better.
Thus it comes that many guiltless persons
have been made to suffer disgrace and i'm
prisonment for the crimes whose perpe-
traitor is at last revealed. Upon the de-
termination of this deplorabie misdirec-
ton of justice further investigation has
been made. in other cases coming within
the jurisdiction of the lower tribunals
with results that have caused general
outcry against the growing tendency OF
the magistracy 10 commit abuses and
blunders. Judicial errors" has become
a standing caption for the most savage
criticism.
Nor does this close the score. Vacher
was once placed in an insane asylum as
homicidal lunatic. Within year he was
discharged to prey on the country. In no
other civilized nation could such thing
occur, yet in France the law requires that
when a deranged person is decided to
have recovered, when patient no longer
exhibits mania or uementia, liberty must
be accorded. This in despite of the
well-Known fact that homicide is in
durable. Now, the repeal of this provision
respecting the administration of the asy-
lums is universally demanded, and law
will be passed, without doubt, which will
require the detention in durance till death
of all persons committed for homicidal in
sanity.
Another interesting development of the
public discussion of the Vacher crimes is
an inclination to encourage the cerebral
specialists in the demonstration of q re-
markable thesis announced by them some
time ago, but disregaIded utterly so far
as any practical effect is concerned. This
is in brief the affirmation of the doctrine
that drunkenness in parent is follow wed
III the third generation by mental de-
rangement, mania and madness, in a de-
gree relative to the severity Of the liquor
habit in the progenitor.
1t is proposed 10 constitute an expert
commission that will not only analyze
the psychological and physiological phe-
nomena of the Vacher case, but make an
extended study of The subject in the asy-
lums and prisca,s, TO the end that plan