Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-01-12
Why Miss Anna Hall Believes
in killing OF the Human
Wrecks
COLLEGE MAN ENDORSES PLAN
Professor Norton of Cambridge Writes
That There Is No Sound Objection
To Miss Halls Theory-How She
Would Put Her Theories Into oper-
ation-vicw of Boston Man.

Miss Anna Hail OF Cincinnati, who
attracted much attention some months
ago, by advocating II painless death for
persons helpless III the grasp of extreme
age and those suffering from mcurable
disease that must SOON terminate life Oh
frightfu injuries that mean death after
period OF e.lc.uciating pain. has evolv'
ed a scheme for putting her ideas into
operation, says u Cincinnati dispatch
Miss Hall states that her theories
have been much misunderstood. for she
does not believe in the promiscuous use
Of potions and poisons to enc misery.
but she does believe any one who de
sires to have the agoni..ng pain OF fatal
illness or accident terminated by the
use of anaesthetics should have the
wishes respected.
Miss Hall advocates having board
of physicians of not less than fifteen
years experience act as the intermedi-
aries between life and death. One of
her beliefs, she says, Is that a person
should have the right to specify in
writing, attested by two witnesses,
that he wishes to be aided into eternity
when the end shall be approaching and
the agony Of death comes upon him.
c1, q l,n t, no rO11
Of this person and if satisfied the end Is
near hasten it's progress by gently ap-
plying some anaesthetic to render the
patient insensible to pain and cause
death.
DIR. Charles Eliot Norton Of Cam
bridge, Mass, has written letter to
Miss Hall indorsing her idea, in which
he says:
Setting aside all doubtful cases, no
right thinking man would hesitate to
end suffering ard life together to the
victim Of an accident from the tortur-
ing effects of which recovery was i'm
possible, however many hours Of mis-
cry might be added to conscious life by
stimulants or surgical operations. Nor
should a reasonable man hesitate to
hasten death in the case Of mortal
disease-such, for example, as cancer
when it has reached the stage of in
cessant severe pain and when the pa
tent desires to die The prolongation
Of life in such a case by whatever
means Is mere criminal cruelty.
'Or take another instance, that of an
old person whose mind has become a
chaos of wild imaginings productive Of
constant distress not only to the SUI
ferer, but to all who live with and at
tend him. The plain duty in such a
case is not to prolong but to shorten
life"
Miss Hall was prompted to take up
her theory by the death Of her mother,
Mrs. Murcey Hall, widow of DR.. John
Hall, arctic explorer. Mrs. Hall suf-
fered for weeks from cancer of the
stomach before death ended her agony,
and Miss Hall says she can never eradi-
cate from her memory the thought Of
her parents suffering.
II pleaded with the doctor to end the
death struggle in which she lay for
twelve hours" said Miss Hall, "and
begged him to give her something to
end it all, but he said we would both go
to the penitentiary if he did. offered
to sign statement relieving him Of all
responsibility, but he said she did not
feel it.
"Why, the most frightful Illustration
Of Dante's inferno could not be more
horrible than the terrible agony depict
ed on the face OF my dying mother.
When begged that 1t be ended I was
told was a thousand years ahead of
the age. was forced to watch it with
out moving-a hand, but shall labor that
others may be spared such ordeals.
is Jegahzed murder, but
persons in the last stages Of cancer,
lockjaw or diabetes
should have the chance Of being assist
ed into another world. and physicians
should perform the act of assistance"
Attorney General Herbert Parker of
Boston recently said that sound philos-
Ophy underlay the suggestion that all
insane or fatally injured
persons should be killed to hasten sur
cease of pain or misery, but 1t was too
much to hope that it could ever be put
into practice, says Boston dispatch.
80
Hall Of Cincinnati, with which DIR.
Charles Eliot Norton of Cambridge
agrees, Mr.. Parker said:
1.-THE whole spirit Of the law is an
to such a suggestion. 1t would
be directly opposed to the popular
spirit, begotten possibly of the old say
ng. While there is life there is hope
Personally, however. [ am convinced
here is profound wisdom in the sug-
yestion. If we had the courage to live
Up to the conviction it would undoubt-
IDLY be for the great good of humanity.
It would certainly diminish much hui
nan suffering. But it does seem al
most impossible to reconcile the theory
to present day legislation.
ut u in theory sound and philosoph-
cal, but in practice 1t would indeed be
serious matter, matter for the most
profound consideration. 1t would seem
almost like usurping the power Of the
Almighty to try to determine when
leath Is inevitable. AS man is, If pos
'ibie. prevented from taking his own
lie after be has finally decided for