Imperial Valley press., 1912-12-03
PARALYTlc PATIENT
APPEALS FOR "MERcY" MEASURE

NEW YORK, Dec. 3.-Mrs. Sarah
Harris, the remarkable paralytic patient
: in The Audubon sanitarium, who made
two public appeals during The last
three months for The enactment Of 4
law permitting her physicians to eni
/ her sufferings by taking her life has
written third letter. In it she Tells
Of visit from Mrs Grover Cleveland,
who, being at the hospital 10 see ali
invalid relative and knowing Of Mrs.
Harris case, spent an hour with the
l3tter.
Mrs. Cleveland is the most gracious
and unaffected woman with whom |
have ever spoken" said Mrs. Harris
/ ''She will bring to me help and the
cOunselS Of wise people. ! am as much
III need Of relief as when made the
first appeal. The law does not scruple
to demand life for life. Why may not
the law become an Instrument of mercy
as well as of Vengeancc?"
Mrs. Harris made grim appeal ID
the people Of New York last Septem-
ber to have a law enacted which will
enable a practicing physician to end
her life and her prolonged misery.
Three years ago Mrs. Harris was
stricken with paralysis and since that
time has been able to move only the
muscles OF her he'd. She is about 80
years Of age and is the mother Of two
children. Her husband is a salesman
Mrs. Harris suffers constantly and has
yet to find any medicine that will give
her relief. Physicians have told her
that she IS the victim OF spinal trouble
which has resulted in paralysis, al
though they have been unable to as
certain the exact nature of the malady.
She believes the legislature should
make it possible for doctors to end her
! life and the lives of all such wretched
| sufferers,
Mrs. Harris was first stricken early
| III 1909 while out walking and the next
| day she was completely paraIyzed The
physicians at the Audubon hospital
state that no change has been discern
| able in the woman's condition for the
past year and that she may life 40 Or
rs years more.
VI am suffering the tOrtues Of tile
! Canned. '.wrote this woman when she
made her first appeal to the public sew
| eral years ago. There is no hope for
my recovery. Why should l continue
until the end comes in the lingering
death which | know is mine?
T various mechanical inventions are
being pushed in which many shining
lights lose their lives. and yet. one
question, the greatest Of all, how to
end the suffering Of hopeless. helpless
sufferers has never been delved into.
Here in the early thirlics a young
woman stretched on . he'd. immObiIe.
bPreff Of the rrcaI motor engine of
hcr constitution for the past three
years. which places her in an abso-
iutely paralyZed condition. in which
She Is unable to exert a single muscle
ot her body, besides suffering much
F1ln, yet in full possession Of the
Strength Of her mentality. Graves and
yearns for that which would end her
misery.
New, why should not The state tale
the matter in its hands and end the
vretchedness of such poor sufferers?
Lei lis just stop long enough to think
that when brute, the lowliest of the
animal kingdom, becomes inactive and
doomed TO suffer, its sufferings is put
TO an end.
Naturally, ones own loved ones
cannot bring this about. Your physi-
elan cannot do it. for he would be con
dt mned, 80 the only means is the
STATE -