Waterbury Democrat., 1902-07-22
THE ToppAN CASE LESSON.

The case of Jane Toppan, the nurse, fWho confesses to have poisoned thirty Zone people and set fire to many houses, thas been closed for the time being by f>lher incarceration in the Taunton Mass
 Insane Asylum, her recent trial result
 ing in a verdict of mot guilty, by req
 son of insanity"
 Her whole story as told by herself Tsand isolated incidents in it as descrfb- ed by a.patient who escaped alive from Hher. tender ministratons, reads more like an ancient tale of ghouls and vam- pires than page from twentieth Cen AHury court records or newspaper re- x ports
 #s, Miss Toppan narrat>S her successive U murders with as little concern as she 4'would discuss dress or a dinner, but q the patient tells creepy tale of the en- m dearments which she layished after administering the first of the intended fsfatal draughts. She lay down beside
 the sufferer, smoothing her hair, kiss f1ng her, and fascinating her with the fSteadfast gaze of her large and lus- pfrous dark eyes. In the hospital she kshowed an intense interest in the nor Egue. and desire to handle the dead &sbodies.
 In manner she was cheerful, light
 hearted woman, who made many &friends, and was extremely generous # with money, denying herself, if neces-
 sary, that she might be able to give s.to those who were in straits. Her pas 4sion for taking human life began when % Ishe became nurse and found fellow Elcreatures wholly in her power. She
 atkained a skill in the use of poisons xwhich enabled her to deceive physici- Hans as to the cause of death.
 & The most eminent alienists in the AState have decided on her mental and hmoral responsibility. It only remains Fto see that no matter what change {smay occur in the fwoman's health or hcharacter in thex course of years, nos kseIfIment may be permitted to effect {her removal from the safe restraints -Iof her present abode. Whether she is Ethe victim of inherited tendencies, or
 of some untoward accident, or of some awful self-perve it is beside the
 mark to discuss. The present duty is
 to take no further chances with her. The shideous case of Jane Tappan z had curious foreshadowing in weird slittle story s.Saint or Sinner,'' in Lillie {. Chace Wyman's Poverty Grass,'' pub y szlDean, however, was actuated by ava 3rice, making away with two aged peo- < pie under her care and her own hus-
 band to get their nancy and save the q experle Iof protracted illness. The #fiight of the daughter to escape her #mother's poisoned tea, Is bad enough; 3sbut the climax or horror, in the latter's tunarrying with intent to kill, an aged fIman with a little money.
 Mrs Dean was the feverse of Miss HToppan in money matters; but she had Ia stern hard piety and was, before her k.defection, pillar of the village meet fdng-house. Did she justify her crimes, lssuggests the author, on she notion that she was above the law and so near to tGod that her enemies were His?
 The insanity theory was not raised ffor the benefit of Mrs Dean; but capi-
 faI punishment had been abolished in iher native State. Her ancestry was
 degenerate, and possibly, if medical
 curiosity had been acute enough, it
 might have been found. as in the case
 of another monstrous criminal. that she had gone through life with half brain.
 Society must protect itself, however,
 and one way, besides the bodily res AHraint of the murderers, is a greater frestraint on newspaper space. The spfctures of Miss Toppan and the min ute detail of her crimes should have
 kept for the legal and medical journals. There are many weak and badly bal <anced minds among newspaper read gers; else one peculiarly heinous and widely discussed murder would not be followed, as is usually the case, by
 number of others, evidently modelled
 on it, but excelling it in atrocity.-Bos-
 ton Pilot