The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-08-05
By William 5. COUCH.
is suicide a private, personal AFFAIR."

The American Academy Of Medl.
cine says II is in an official report OF
a committee unanimously adopted In
a recent San Francisco convention OF
the, country's best-known physicians
and surgeons.
Suicide is a private and personal
affair" the report reads. There is
no more Qualification for the publica.
ton Of suicide accounts than for pub,
fishing other private matters. n,
however, the members OF the press
are still skeptical OF the fact that
they are now accessories to the
crime. We suggest that they assist
In the study Of the conditions tina.
promote its'The committee emphat.
ically requests the American press Ia
refrain from further publication Of
suicide reports. because: ai t'
"m The rapid increase in the sui.
eide death rate in the United States
Is due TO the suggestion innoculated
by; newspaper stories Of other sui.
cides. t2) Your committee finds
alienists practically unanimous in the
opinion that suggestive published de,
tails Of suicides are powerful factor
In the causatlon OF suicides among
susceptible men: 90 Newspapers re;
ply that u is their province to pub.
llsh the news. Attempts to prevent
such publications are invaslons of the
liberty OF the press. They say the
people demand the news and It must
be given them. 90 Attempts at re.
form Legislation are practically use.
less, unless preceded by popular edu.
cation t5} We must appeal, then,
to the doubtful conscience Of Amerl.
can newspapers, II they have one. In
the present decadent condition Of the
press OF the United States"
II am frank to say" said Judge
Warren w. Foster. New York's bench
expert criminologist, that there
would be no profit to any man taking
Sides IN any controversy between
medical and newspaper men. His
would be the fate OF grain crushed be,
tween two mfiistones.
/ "out Of my study OF crime / have
concluded that the press would better
help social reform by playing up dis.
coverfes of new means 10 Il than by
emphasizing crime itself. Still. I have
no press experience on which to base
advice as to how newspapers should
be rum"
! Ask for Suppression Of News.
1.-THE law makes. attempted suicide
afelony. and an accessory to suicide q
felon.. too. a maximum sentence OF
two years and a maximum fine oil
$1,000 are the same In both cases.
Several prisoners have been jailed,
you VIII find from the records, for on.
couraging other persons. particularly
their wives. to Kill themselves. 10
get q burial permit In death case b
physician is. of course. required by
law TO report on the cause OF death,
which includes suicide After their
charges, 1t is worth notice that those
medical men add frank appeal 10
me , newspapers for help to suppress
? In the homicide bureau of District
Attorney Charles S. Whitmau's Off &c
1t was said: Suicide cases are not so
important a problem In this office as
you might think. We get few sui.
eide reports each Year. hut the num-
hers are insignificant and almost Nh.
noticed by us as compared 10 more. lin,
nortant. crimes. a discussion OF whei h.
er suicides are suggested by newspa;
per reports of other cases would re
aulre careful study OF our books and
The newspaper reports for many years
We are frank to say that We couldn't
help your controversy on either side
II We dug through our books. Severe
ana successful prosecutions OF at.
tempted suicides, or their accessories,
when played up In the press, have
usually reduced suicide reports. a poll
OF our stan would probably show that
most OF us believe prosecutions to
TaV NNtsn, tF.s.f 4 ~ -.