Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-02-04
ATTORNEY GENERAL SAYS PEo.
PIE ARE REsPoNs,sLE FOR
LAME LAWS.
DR.. KELLY CASE CITED
As EXAMPLE OF sLowNEss
No Provision in Laws Covering Cases
Of Persons Who Commit Grimes
While Temporarily Insane - Com.
msnds Courts For Refusal to Release
Persons on Tsehnieaiitiss.
Special to Times-Republican.

Des Moines, Feb. Awhile the ettor-
ney general has asked for q rehearing
IN the case Of DR.. Harry ID. Kelly, Of
Council Bluffs, in order that certain
points may be made more clear. for the
guidance Of jurIes in future cases in
volving desire on the part of the
jury to detain an insane person who
has committed public offense; yet
Attorney General Cosson believes in
placing the responsibility Cor the lame
ness of Iowa laws right on the people.
for they have never sought nor Sc
cured modern laws on the subject. III
an address before a msn's club here
Mr.. Cosson called attention to the fact
that things have been done better in
England and in some CT the cider
states. In England and also in New
York, Massachusetts,, New Jersey and
some other states when an insane per-
son has done something which would
call for life imprisonment If he was
mentally responsible. he is ordered de-
tanned in an institution for the crimi-
nal insane until released By proper
board when convinced thai his being
at large would not be dangerous.
Iowa has no provision whatever foc
this class of persons. The result is
that it Is left for the courts to do thu
best they can.
Mr.. Cosson says that the courts
ought to be commended for their fs-
fusal to release persons on technical:-
IF hoir ori$ 10;
they do. The entire tendency with the
courts is to avoid technicalities and
to get at the justice of the case
Governor Clarke will not offer. or
behalf of the state of Iowa, d reward
for the discovery of evidence as to
who it was that killed Charles Brazsll,
a street car man, in Dubuque. The
coroner's jury found that ne was killed
by some one unknown. 1t is not con-
templated that the state of Iowa offer
rewards for unknown persons. The
governor has been asked to offer such
reward, but he was absent in southern
Iowa, and it is certain that when he
returns he will decide this matter as
in others that have come to him.
The policy of offering rewards for
the arrest, apprehension or conviction
of certain persons who are named in
the offer has not always been pursued.
In fact some Of the governors were
rather free in throwing out the drag
net OF reward to catch anybody who
might be under suspicion. There has
been, however. some very great abuse
Of this system of offering rewards
which are practically bonuses for the
production OF evidence on which to
convict rather than compensation for
expenses in making an arrest of one
accused Of a crime. Governor Clarke
has not made indiscrimina,e offers.
A case came up from one of the
southern Iowa counties last year. A
murder was consulted and no arres,
made. Nobodysvas accused. The gov
ernor was asked to offer a reward He
pointed to the fact that a reward must
be for the arrest Of "the person so
charged" The county attorney said
they thought they knew who did 1t
The governor advised them to file in
formation and if they could not make
the arrest then he would offer re-
ward.
A recent case before the parole board
had in it the element that it was
Claimed DE the convict tnat MS COnVlC-
ton had been brought about by reason
of desire on the part Of persons to get
the heavy rewards offered for his con-
viction. The parole board did not
reach this conclusion, but the case IL
Illustrated the situation.
The committee appointed by the last
state teachers association convention
on vocational training held session
at the state house this week. The
{ mmittee plans to make a pretty thor
ough Investigation Of the subject, to
find out what is being done in other
states, what is possible in Iowa and to
recommend to the next convention
along definite lines. A great step for
ward has already been made in Iowa.
There is better provision for the rural
boys and girls than for those in the
cities and towns. The state is getting
ready to put agriculture and domestic
science into all the schools. These and
other things are now in the 1870 normal
training high schools Of the state. They
are provided for in most Of The consol-
dated schools. There is a bonus for
schools that have these things. The
work Of the committee will, therefore,
most likely be directed mainly at what