Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-07-10
Movement to Secure Law
Against the Aiding or Abet-
ting a Suicide
1T is NEXT THING TO MURDER
The Case of kriss at Sioux City Has
Called Attention to Species of
Crime for Which No Punishment Is
Provided by the Iowa Statutes
Great Need For New Law.

Sioux City, July 10.--The inhlmar
conduct of Frank Kriss Tuesday night
toward his wife, crime without The
4 pale of crimes, as now designated by
I the Iowa statutes. will result in an eff.
/ fort being made in the legislature this
winter to make aiding and abetting &
suicide an offense punishable by long
lpenitentiary sentence.
II C. n. Jepson, the republican no,ninee
/ for representative from this county
yesterday expressed his belief that the
Legislature should pass such Law. and
declared his willingness to bring the
matter before the legislature.
AS the statutes of Iowa now read
! there is absolutely no charge that can
be brought against man who incites
any other person to commit suicide, or
| fails to save the life OF one attempting
suicide. II the victim RECEIVERS. II Mrs
| kriss had died, krisS raight nave been
| held for manslaughter. for causing her
death by falling to relieve her when he
could. AS it is now, only a charge OF
disturbing the peace has been placed
against him, and 1t is doubtful IL even
this can be made to stick.
| There are no words strong enoiigh to
describe the brutality of man who
could do what Kriss Is said to have
DONE" declared Mr.. Jepson. "A hus-
band who could watch the agony of
his fwife without fiinching. as HI, did,
must be certainly without all hannah
| feeling. Iowa certainly needs some
law that can punish such an ofHense.
1t is not uncommon either. If the truth
were known there are good many
cases Of encouraging suicides. l know
lof a recent instance in Sioux CITY
which has not got into the newspapers.
am satisfied that this husband l re-
fer to brought about the suicide Of his
wife by constantly nagging her. That
is very convenient way to commit
murder, since there is no way OF pun
isnihg the guilty one"
County Attorney Whitney yesterday
declared after thoror 9Th examination
Of the Iowa code that there is absolute
ly no law which can reach kriss If his
wife RECEIVERS.
SIN some states common law offenses
are punishable" he explained. hut IN
Iowa no crime is an offense unless de-
nominated by statute. Murder Wouio
not be an offense in this state unless
so designated. Common law forlneri!
made suicide a crime. The guilty par
Nv was considered his own murderer.
His property was confscated To the
king and he was given an ignoninous
burial. 1t is not considered CRIME
in this state, however
II don't suppose that 1t ever entered
the most fertile brain in the Iowa legis-
lature that there ever would be a. man
so depraved as kriss. and consequently
the demand for such measure WIS not
understood. We certainly should have
a statute that would provide severe
punishment for such brutes.'
The nearest approach TO statute
bearing on the Kriss case is the fol-
lowing from the Iowa code; Whoever
shall within this state advise, counsel
encourage. advocate or incite the I'M
lawful killing within or without the
state Of any human being where no
such killing takes place shall b@ pun
ished by Imprisonment in the state pen
itentiary for not more than twenty
years.
Intended for Anarchists.
This clause was inserted in the Iowa
code to enable the state to punish anar-
chists. 1t does not reach the kriss case
because suicide is not denominatad un-
lawful killing.
Law dfsests reveal some interesting
legal views of suicide While IN the
United States suicide Is not termed a
crime. 1t is considered unlawful in It's
collateral bearings. This has enabled
some states to pass laws making the
aiding OF suicide a punishable cfense.
1t Is not so uncommon to find an at
tempt to commit suicide called II mis-
demeanor In cases where an attempted
suicide resulted in the accidental kill
ling of another the perpetrator was
held guilty of murder. In case two
people plan a suicide and only one dies
the other may be held for murder.
These general views are sufticien' to In
dicate the authority of the state leg
islature to make the aiding OF a suicide
penitentiary offense.
1t has been suggested that Kriss
might be held as an accessory to 9. muir
der. But before there can be an ac-
cesory there must be a principal and
in the Kriss case there was no principal
committing murder. since in Iowa sui
eide is not murder. Some of thu states
provide for cases in which the acces-
sorry msy be considered a principal.
which would allow prosecution OF this
case, but there is no such provision In
Iowaa
Sulien and Mad.
Frank Kriss was arraignei5 this
morning. in police court on a charge of
disturbing the peace. The man was
sullen and indignant because tn, police
wouldn't let him go back to the pack
ing house to work. He had little to
say about his wife. apparently caring
nothing about her condition.
Kriss when asked whether he was
guilty Of disturbing the peace,
snarled:
Nav"
"Slt down" ordered Judge Page in
as ill-tempered a tone as that en-
ployed by the prisoner.
Your case is continued until Mon
day in bonds Of $1,000" continued the
court and kriss was hustled without
ceremony to the county Jail.
II;