The daily sentinel., 1904-04-16
Wife Murderers.


horror and colu- -bloodedness.
One, a barber. shot his wife TO
death, his child nesting in his arms
at the same moment, because he was
too worthless TO support his family.
The wife was endeavoring to earn
an honest livelihood He was drunk
en-, dissolute wretch, block in the
pathway of the woman's future, vet
he posed as the wron0ed one and infa-
mously sought to blacken her charac-
ter. What satisfaction any man could
derive from such despicable occupa-
tion, be his vile story true or untrue.
No person with saving grace OF man
hood cen for moment comprehend.
The other case-in which wife and
child were both murdered-is almost
unparalleled in the annals of crime.
The man was young, of good connec-
tions. progressing i'll the world, we'll
liked. and his home life everything
that could bo desired Within few
months his entire nature seemed to
suffer change and the diabolical to
take undivided possession. Wine,
women and song led him with fright
full suddenness from a respectable and
useful life to murderer's cell. All
that was worth while to him-his
wife and child lie dead. with bullet
holes from his pistol through their
brains.
His paramour whose baleful influ-
ence led him in his swift descent to
Avernus now loathes him and with
cause. for such villain should make
the very imps of perdition shudder
with horror.
For some unexplained course
the wife murderer is often the object
of maudlin pity-even from WON, n
themselves. 1t is poor lawyer, wLo
cannot get him off lightly by the plea
of emotional insanity, and as result
the newspapers are treighted every
day with the recital of these domestic
horrors.
If the husband who murders his
wife is perforce insane then every per
son who takes life. every thief who
filches. every individual who betravs
trust is insane, and the law never is
justified in convicting anybody. 1t
is time wives were being protected
from the mania for destruction which
appears to be growing in the land;
it is time that the wide latitude that
hes been given wife-killers and wife
beaters and that most cor temptible
object of all, who would drag lis
wifes good name in the nire-it is
time that the line be drawn tight on
all such.
Both of these wite-slayers will pro-
badly seek to justify their crimes by
fiinging mud at the dead wife-one of
them has already done so. Such is
the usual program, and writer ON
the Denver Post is impelled to COM
ment along the same line
Nothing is quite so sweet to the
drunkard as to believe that his drunk
love.
Nothing so satisfies the man revel-
ing in the maddening filth of the gut
ter as the idea that he is rebuking
fair woman's perfidY.
Nothing is so full of content for
the dope fiend as the necessity of ne
penthe from the paugs of cruelty
torn heat.
Nothing seems so plausible to the
man who is a failure. through his Ia
illness, or cowardice. or dullness. as
the solace that he sacrificed his career
for woman.
1t has come to pass that whenever
a man disgraces himself in any wav
we always look for the woman in the
case.
The wife murderer is the man
who hasn't the manhood to be good
husband or, if his wife is trial, in
the fortitude to endure for the sake tf
love or. if she has ceased TO love him
the chivalry to let her go: or. if she
is false. the nerve to punish her with
his contempt
The wife murderer is the coward
who. unable to practice the courage
and say the strength of healthy,
brave man. rushes as the cornered rat
saueaking and venomous. to death,
deluding himself with the Intoxicating
| thought that mere desperation is hero
ism.
"A proportion of these wretches are
unable TO unerringly turn the weapon
on themselvs as they had planned, and
after striking the woman dead; trem-
BILE and bungle when it comes to their
own lives.
Nothing is so detestable as perver-
sion of the noble passions. 1t is the