The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-06-18
TRAIN-WRECKER WORDEN'S
CASE.

1 SoiililQlEQ Liz SSl1lCliCG VI OdllCl II.
! Worden, the train wrecker, to impris-
onment for life. This was done in pur-
suance of the recommendations of the
medical board appointed to examine
| into Worden's mental condition. This
Lizard decided that Worden was insane
when he committed his crime. It's
| findings are among the very richest
things in all the language, and cannot
fail to duly and properly impress the
people with the learning and scientific
requirements of its members.
| According to a coast exchange, the
doctors, in their report, state that Wor-
den comes from homeopathic stock,
and that he has an inherited predispo-
sition to insanity. Although not COM
mitted to an asylum, an uncle Of his
mothers side was SO eccentric that he
was considered insane by his asso-
! ciates. An aunt on his mothers side
was insane for several years, and
probably committed suicide The mind
of second aunt, who was epileptic for
| several. years, seemed to be permanent
~ disordered after the commissions
ceased. The father of these three per
sons, who at one time was a promi-
| nent physician in Massachusetts, was
a charge on the city of Braintree when
he died. During the latter years of his
life his mind became unbalanced.
While making their Investigations,
! the commissioners found that Mary A.
Worden, the mother of the condemned
man, is a woman of a very nervous or
ganization. Owing to family dissen-
sions and differences, Mrs. Worden was
extremely unhappy and depressed
when her son was born. The doctors
also state that the brother and sister
of Salter d. Worden are extremely ner-
vous persons, who are wanting in self
&C ntrol and who are affected with per-
iods of alternating excitement and de-
preston.
But the discoveries of the commission
are more remarkable than those of Co
lumbus or Copernicus. The commission
discovered:
That Salter D. Worden has suffered
from Authorizations of sight and hear
irg-
That Salter D. Worden- has had many
faulty beliefs, out of which he could.
uttI ne I6dSOIlSu by adequate rleLlOOSt
for the time being-that is, decisions.
That Salter D. Worden had for many
years the prominent and systema tized
decisions that he is a person of great
Importance. that he possessed great
wealth, and that he was able to for
mulate and carry out great u2dertak-
in-S.
That these permanent and Systema-
tized delusionS formed the basis for a
large nllr11hQr if a IF n foolish
cratic and so-called criminal acts.
That, owing to the presence of these
delusions, he easily became the prey of
designing and INSCRIPTIONS persons,
who were thus enabled to influence him
to commit improper acts by appealing
TO his delusive beliefs, as before men
toned.
That the promised commentator of
his associates and the notoriety that
might follow seemed so fully to occupy
his mind as to exclude any apprecia-
ton Of any other possible result; and
If the acts were criminal, he did not
seem to appreciate the fact that ucder~
the law he would be subject to punish
Tnent.
That, in the opinion of the witnesses,
Salter D. Worden has been insane for
years, and has not been responsible for
his acts, either criminal or otherwise.
That it is the further opinion of wit
nesses. that Salter D. Worden was in
sane and irresponsible at the time
when he participated in the act for
which he is now under sentence of
death.
Was ever such sorry stuff given out
before by men who made preten-
sion to scientific requirements and sci
entific methods in their Investigations?
Worden has had many faulty beliefs
Who hasn't had them?
Worden could not be reasoned out of
his faulty beliefsA How many people
can be?
Worden believes that he is a person
of great Importance. That is the one
belief common to all men, belief far
more widespread than that of the i'm
mortality of the soul. What profound
discovery this medical commission made
when it discovered that Worden thinks
himself person of great Importance.
That same delusion undoubtedly per-
vades every member of this same COM
mission.
Worden deliberately wrecked a train
bearing soldiers, with the purpose of
killing them, and he succeeded in muir
dering several. He was no more crazy
than any other cold-blooded murderer;
and nobody believes he was. If he is
insane, he doesn't deserve to be i'm
prisoned for life, any more than any
other insane person. He should be
sent to an asylum. and there treated
until he RECEIVERS, and then discharged,
as other inmates who have been cured
are. If Worden was insane when he
committed his crime to send him to
prison for life for it is an outrage on
justice and humanity. If he was sane
when he committed kis crime, to COM
mute his sentence to life Imprisonment
under the pretense that he was insane
is travesty on justice, and an outrage
on the state.
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