New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-05-31
CRIMES OF PASSION A
STARTLING BERLIN
Murderers Go Lightly Punt
ished and the Press
Is Critical.
WOMAN WHO WOUNDEDl
LOVER is ACQUITTED
Judge Warns Jurors Against Lets
ting Sympathy Warp Their
Judgment.

Berlin. May 2I.-Berln appears TO nave
imported for itself what the French have
called "crimes Of passion and to have
extended their range far beyond the
French example. A series OF recent muir G.
ders and attempted murders or men oy
women have been so lightly punished
that the entire Berlin press is criticising
criminal authorities and juries severely.
A conspicuous case of some months ago
aroused the press to protest. A young
woman, informed by her lover that he did
not care for her any more, invited him
to a farewell walk In the Tiergarten and
shot him in the back OF the head, killing
him instantly. She was brought TO trial.
not on a charge of murder but OF man.
slaughter, and the public prosecutor ad-
mitted the existence OF the mitigating cir
cumstances, which under paragraph OF
the penal code are present when the
defendant, at the time OF the commission
OF the action, was in such condition that
he did not realize what he was doing, or
suffering under a pathologic disturbance
of the senses through which his power OF
decision was made impossible
This condition. the state admitted. was
present, due to the young woman's anger
at being deserted. The sentence was for
a year and half in the penitentiary.
The most striking Of the whole series OF
Grimes of passion" was the most recent.
The woman in the case lived In an aristo-
cratic quarter OF greater Berlin In apart
ments paid for by an admirer. The man
began to show a GOODNESS toward her ana
finally informed her that he intended to
leave her She demanded the payment OF
a considerable sum, which was refused.
Thereupon she invited him to restaurant
for a farewell supper In corner Of the
room. behind a screen, she drew re-
volver from her nun and shot him four
times He was in a hospital for weeks
and still carries one bullet in his body.
In this case, too, the woman was
charged with attempted manslaughter.
which involves a much lighter penalty
than attempted murder. 1t was proved
on her trial that she had told her servant
girl that she intended to shoot the man
and that no woman is punished any more
in Berlin for killing recreant lover. She
had also written in a similar vein to rela-
tives and friends, and after the shooting
che boosted to her servant that she had
sent four bullets into her victim.
The jury acquitted her, and the specta-
tors In the courtroom applauded so long
and so loudly that the judge ordered the
room cleared and threatened fines for
/ contempt OF court. -a
The "Kruezzeitung." fairly representing
| the views Of the entire press, comments
as follows:
1T is utterly past understanding how
such a person could win such sympathy
that her acquittal should be greeted with
frantic applause. Ii Is perfectly
plain that such verdcts. which We have
seen repeatedly in the recent past, signify
a danger to the security of the empire. Don
In administering the oath to jury
which began work this week Berlin
Judge referred to the recent crimes by
women and warned the jurors against per-
hitting sympathy in such cases to warp
their judgment.