The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-05-31
COURTS
ARE CRITICIZED
LIGHT PENALTIES
WHICH HAVE OF LATE BEEN
IMPOSED ON LAW BREAKERS
DRAW SHARP PRESS COM
MENTS
RY Associated PREsa


Berlin. May s1-Berlin appears to
have imported for itself what tho
french have called crimes o. passion
aUo TO have extended their range far
beyond the French example. A series
or recent murders and Gttemp pied
murders Of men by women have been
so lightly punished that tho entire
Berlin press IS CTiticiZiug criminal au-
thoEittes and 51Ties severely.
a conspicuous case OF some months
ago aroused the press to protest. A
yong woman, informed by her lover
mat ne did not care for her any more.
invited ham 10 b. farewell walk In the
TlergaTten and shot him IN the back
Of the head, killing him instantly. She
was brought 10 trial not on a charge
OF murder, but of mansiauEhter, ana
the public prosecutor admitted the eN-
istence Of the mitigating CirCumstaln-
ces which under a paragraph OF the
penal code at present when tho de-
fsnda.nt at the time Of the commission
OF the action was IN such condition
that he did not realize what ne was
doing, or suffering under a pathologin
disturbance OF the senses through
which his power Of decision was made
impOssib Bile"
This condition. the state admitted.
was present Que to the yong womauAa
anger at being deserted The sentence.
was for a year and a half to the pend
Tertiary.
The most striking OF the whole ss-
rtss Of crimes Of passion was tia.
most recent The woman IN the case
lived IN an arisboCratlc quarter OF
Greater Berlin IN apartments paid for
by an admire The man began tn
shew a coOlners toward her and An
ally informed her that he intended to
sever relations With her. She demand
ed the payment Of q. considerable sum.
which was refused. Thereupon she
invited him to q. restaurant for a fare
well supper. In q corner OF the room.
behind a screen. she drew a revolver
from her muR and shot him four times.
lie was in a hospital for weeks, and
sun carries one bullet in his body
In this case too. the woman war
charged with attempted man slaughter.
which involves a. much lighter penalty
than attempted murder. II was proved
on her trial that she had told her ser
want girl that she intended 10 shoot
the man. and that no woman Is pun
lshed any more In Berlin for killing
a recreant lover. She had also writ
ten In a similar vein to relatives and
friends, and after the shooting she
boasted to her servant thar she had
sent four bullets into her victim.
The jury ACC lifted her, and the
spectators in the court room applaud
I'd so long and 20 loudly that the judge
ordered the room cleared and threat
ened fines for contempt Of court.
The Kreuzze1 tUng, fairly represent
ing the views OF the entire press, com
ments:
1T IS utterly past understanding
how such a person could win such
sympathy that her acruittaI should be
met with frantic applause II is
perfectly plain that such verdicts.
which we have seen repeatedly I'm the
recent past, signify a, danger to the Sc
clrity Of the empire"
In administering the oath to o jury
which began work this week a. Berlin
fudge referred to recent crimes by wo-
men and warned the jurors against
permitting symrathy In such cases to
warp their judgement