Omaha daily bee., 1911-11-28
The second Benttie Murder.

OMAHA Nov. H.-To the Editor OF The
Bee: Henry Clay Beattie, Jr.. committed
a terrible crime, and every sane man and
woman shuddera at the thought OF COM
hitting such an act. But tho crime Of
Henry Clay Beattle, JF., dwlndles into
insignificance beside the more atrocious
crime committed by a nation and sane
toned by the citizens OF that nation.
refer to the elootrocution of Henry
Clay Beattie. jr
Henry Clay Beatte. jr., was q moral
pervert, moral imbecile, we may say,
II the history that has come to light OF
his life and his habits Is correct. Look
In any large institution for feeble-minded
children and you win find the same moral
type in abundance. We protect the other
cases from them and we protect the
public from them by keeping them under
the care Of competent guardians. We do
not electrocute them.
For Henry Clay Beattie jr. there is
the excuse of perverted and degenerate
mind. Must we advance the same excuse
for a nation when II commits the same
crime?
From among all the laws, just and un-
just, of great nation, capital punish
ment stands out as the deepest stain, a
relic Of barbarian. In the past It has
been claimed for capital punishment that
II tended to lessen the crime of private
murder through the fear Of death which
the example thus afforded instiiled Into
the minds OF parties who should contem-
plate the crime. This we know to be an
erroneous hypothesis and It Ia no longer
claimed by even the most enthusiastic
advocates of capital punishment. A muir
derer commits the CRIME In enc Of three
mental attitudes: In the first he is aetu-
ated by the impulse OF the moment. anger.
Jealousy, or whatever II may be. and has
no time for the Weighing of consequences
to himself. or for the consideration Of
penalties which he may incur as a result
OF his action. In the second he meditates
the crime for money greed, revenge. Jeal-
ousy or any one Of the numerous causes
for which such crimes are perpetrated
But in all his generalization the thought
that he will possibly have to pay the
death penalty for his act never enters
into consideration. His belief that he
will escape any penalty. or at least the
death penalty. is absolute from the first
That idea being firmly fixed in his mind
It cancels absolutely any influence that
might be expected to be exerted by laws
for capital punishment. Third, and last,
there Is a class who are willing to give
up their lives II necessary II first they
can have accomplished the death Of the
proposed vctim-the cause OF their real
or fancied wrongs, All three types are
unquestionably but types Of insanity. but
whether they are or are not does not
concern US here, except 90 emphasize the
brutality OF capital punishment. The
fact, however, remains that In no one
OF the three is the question OF possible
or probable capital punishment factor
OF any weight whatsoever against the
contamination OF the crime. In the last
type cited Il Is even possible that the
murderer sees a justification for his
crime In the fact that he Is willing ana
will probably have 20 pay the penalty by
forfeit OF his own life.
One other claim Is advanced for cap
itai punishment. This is to the effect
that the people would be al an added
expense by taxation for support and
maintenance OF institutions were cap
ital punishment abolished. In nlustra-
ton; A murder is committed by some
individual as n result OF his insane
greed for money. for a few dollars or a
few hundred dollars; then the capital
punishment advocate sanctions a sec
ond murder-the murder OF the first Of
fender-foT the same cause that brought
about the first murder. with only the
exception that the money for which
the second murder is committed is OF
smaller amount. being for few mills
Of a cent, or a few cents, or rarely, a
few hundred cents. But the second
murder Is laudable. and the FIRST remains
horrible crime"
Before the days OF correct asepsis
and antlsepsis surgeons spoke OF
"laudable pus." Today the term is OBJ
solete except as used In reference 20
the past BY the efforts OF the scientific
members OF the profession Il has been
demonstrated that there h no such thing