Bisbee daily review., 1912-01-17
HOW CAN MURDER BE PREVENTED?


 What are the workings of the mind of the man or woman who plans and carries into effect or attempts to car " into effect a murder? What meth ods of reasoning can he or she have employed? By murder Is meant not the staying of another human being upon, sudden impulse or in the heat of passion but the carefully planned, well considered act of the man CT woman who purchases pistol and am munition, knife or poison, waits care fully for the opportunity that is nee. essary, works 10 obtain that oppor- tunity and then deliberately performs the act and sends another into the great unknown. Have you ever paused to consider? Can you conceive? Truly the workings of the human mind are inexplicable These thoughts are suggested by the attempted killing last week and they open subject that is wide and varied, one that must be viewed from it's many sides and angles.
 No matter what the moving power may be their must be many thoughts that come to the mind of the intend ing murderer. Where the death pen alty is in vogue there is the weighing pro and con of the possibilities of es- cape without detection and then there is the balancing Of ones own lif- or liberty against the desire of slay- ing another. How strange that a hu- man being will stake his own life and everlasting happiness for mere whim, passing desire! Does the mur- derer deliberately consider that he Cr she is throwing away life, either choosing a disgraceful death or Je- questered life with a conscience as companion that will ever gnaw and gnaw like a cankering worm? One cannot but wonder and no one who has not committed or attempted to commit the crime of murder is able to form an opinion.
 Is the mind that plans a murder nor nal? This is another question thai presents itself The one who has never been severely tempted will answer no. If the mind is abnormal IS the law too severe when it declares that the test of sanity is ability to determine be- tween right and wrong? There is net one murderer in ore hundred who is not aware that he is about 10 commit the crime which humanity has dc clared the mos heinOus. The moving influence varies in different instances but the ability 10 distinguish between right and wrong is present in ninety nine cases Of the hundred.
 Is capital punishment a deterrent? In California there is now move ment, widespread and growing, to in- yoke the referendum for the abolish ing of the death penalty. It is a ques- ton if after all, in most cases, death is not more kind than life imprison- ment for the thought Of being locked LID with ones crime for life. unable to ever put the memory away, is more appalling to the ordinary mind than Is the thought of death. The question however arises as to whether the crime of murder is more common ill communities where the death penalty is strictly enforced or where it is aifh- CT unknown or seldom employed One first impression is that where the mur- derer is given short shrift he will hesitate and the crime will be less common. Upon further consideration one is not so sure.
 In the old days, always in frontier  life. human life has been held cheap. True. crime in such instances have generally been on the impulse of tho moment or committed in the perpetra tion of other crimes. Then a mans life was largely in his own hands