The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1904-05-05

far rs to class criminals, through in
sanity, with the worlds great geniuses.
BE it far from W. TO attempt to dis
cuse u subject about which there must
necessarily be SO much complication
and for the proper discussion Of which
so many years Of scientific preparation
are necessary But one or two recent
events in the criminal world have
brought this particular theory 80 forcl
bly, to mind as to be deserving of I'M
professional comment, Mt least,
Take for instance the case OF the
Chicago car barn bandits. The one OF
the trio to whom attention was most
closely directed was of course that
astonishingly brutal young degenerate
Niedermeier. This human animal
seemed to have no instinct whatever
that was not criminal, that was not at
variance with the established order OF
society. Indeed he seemed to have few
instincts that were human at all Like
some beast OF the jungle his whole
career seemed to be one great campaign
Of killing and when, at last memorable
Society reached ont and took him under
special cognizance he tried desperately,
harharicy again like some wild beast
to end his own life The extremely
brutal desperation Of this attempt Is
evidenced by its method. He first ate
oil the heads Of sulphur matches and
failing in this, he dug ont the arteries
Of his wrists with the point OF lead
and had commenced to heal. he once
more struggled To die by his own hand,
aud tore of the bandages And in the
meanwhile and up to the last hours his
whole biutelilSe mind alternated be
tween self glorfcation, hatred of man
kind and wild fear OF the memorable
n-ss of that same Society against which
ne had warred II was this last feeling
which was uppermost at the end and
which robbed him Of his courage at the
gallows So. still like wild beast
wondering fiercely Mt the ways of men
he was carried, fainting with terror to
! his execution.
Another instance Of this brute-like
terror Of Society was given more recent
| ly in the case OF one, Henry Morrison
Of this state who, imprisoned on a
charge Of having killed his wife and
| daughter tried to kill himself with IA
piece of wire found in his cell. He
strengthened the wire ont and attemp
ted TO press il through the flesh to his
heart The pain deferred him. He
then idiotically tried to drive the wire
! through his skull into the brain. Again
the pain was too great In the morning
he was found with the wire sticking
into his scalp.
Instances like these would seem to
bear ont the theory that criminals are
insane and that they should like other
| insane persons be subjected to some
! form Of treatment derigned not to
/ punish hnt To cure Some cases of
criminality, like some of insanity, are
/ doubtless ipcurahle, and again, there
are some that are indisputably durable,
A. t. whether the death penalty should
~ should not be abolished altogether
we can form very little opinion. That
+ perhaps II matter for the scientists.
But we can and should bear in mind
that there are better ways Of dealing
with the criminal classes than by re-
garding them simply "a men who have
4inned and VINO consequently, through
some peculiar law must espiate their
sins Such an attitude IL the old one Of
nn eye for an eye and tooth for n
tooth I II IL the same feeling that
mn kes savage tribes demand the arm or
the leg Of member who has injured