The Washington herald., 1915-12-10
Al Exhaordinary Casx.
Dy JOHN y. BARRY

An Ex6a0fomAfy CAsE.
/ ~ JOHN y. BARRY.
/ One Of my earliest recoilections Is Of young
man who used to torture children. His mother
kept little store on street that as boy. l
lused to pass every day in. Boston. There he
worked and there he lured child OF my acquant-
ance who was accidentally saved The law soon
caught up with him and he put in prison.
He has been there ever since He is one of the
most Interesting prisoners now alive and one Of
the most famous. His name is Jesse Pomeroy.
and / hear that an effort has lately been made to
bHng about his release. f
| As I grew up l often used to read of Jesse
Pomeroy in the newspapers. Every now and then
he would make an attempt to escape. His meth
DDS showed marvellous patience and ingenuity.
Sometimes he would work with nail a file and
spend months in boring hole through brick
wall. On several occasions he came very near get
ting out, Incidentally he devoting himself to
study. He became an accomplished linguist
Jesse Pomeroy is in the sixties now. I suppose
| he has become more less Injured to living in
/ CELL And yet he is known to long for freedom.
He long ago showed himself to be intelligent
man, normal in all ways save in his weakness for
nflicting torture on children. 1t is obvious that
Ihc is or was morally insane. To high degree he
developed an instinct often found among children
showing itself in the desire to give pain to weaker
creatures As most children develop it either dis
appears or it becomes controlled by reason or by
prudence In Jesse Pomeroy, instead Of becom-
| ing controlled, it remained beyond control into
maturity.
| Many people have been interested in this case
| Occasionally a humanitarian expresses pity and
wonders If something can't be done for the pris-
oner few years ago the governor of Massa-
chusetts had his sympathies aroused. He decided
| to give Pomeroy more freedom. Later he changed
his mind Under his successor, Gov Walsh. Pome-
row is now allowed to attend services in the
chapel.
During all these years the world has been NOV
ing. Science has grown wiser and more humane
In Jesse Pomeroy psychology finds fascinating
subject What made him unfortunate? Who
should bear the blame: Is Jesse Pomcroy the re-
suit of forces that way back through the gen.
erations? Or did the strange twist in his nature
come from accident before birth or from
some untraceable mischancc?
Whatever may, be the cause. we must all agree
that the blame cannot be placed him. And yet
it is he who bears the punishment. So long as he
is dangerous he must be kept away from society
At present he is classified wrong. In this regard
he NAV be like all so-callcd criminals. The time
NAV come when shall discard the word. Jesse
Pomcroy is or has been OF the dangerously
insane He may be all the more dangerous be-
cause Of his apparent sanity As a matter OF tact,
no one is wholly insane. 1t is only part OF the
mind that is stricken.
some, day there will be institutions for the
| treatment Of people like Jesse Pomcroy. for the
morally abnormal. They wiz shelter those who
are far less afflicted than he Is. and yet arc unht-
ted for association with their kind They will be
treated not with severity. not with penalties but
with mercy and helpfulness Their afflicton will
draw out special consideration and sympathy.
Pcrhaps indeed, we may find here the greatest
comfort that can be drawn from considering
case like that Of Jesse Pomeroy. In startling
way It teaches us the folly Of heaping further
afflction on those nature has already SO woeiuly
afflicted. OF recent years we have made enoromus
strides in the treatment of the insane. Methods
have been devised for making even those who are
dangerous fairly comfortable. for giving them work
in the fresh air and for creating wholesome in
terests that tend to occupy and to soothe theiI
minds 1t would seem that similar plan with
regard to the morally insane might be feasible
1t surely would DC prOntaOle, Doth ior INC d"'''u
and for society 1t would tend to give scientific
men a close acquaintance with abnormal disease
and it might lead to the discovery OF clews lead,
ing to the causes.
After all, it is the causes that vitally I'M
portant Once discovered, they may lead to COM
plete protection for the future generations. AT
any rate, they will teach the future generations
how to avoid ways of living that tend to make such
horrors possible
The Canal Slides.
| 1t appears from the recent report OF Cen.
Goethas that the advisory geologists of his canal
commission erred in their Judgment with respect
| to the ultimate stabilization Of the canal prism
after certain slides had slid: In fact. the very
points which were expected by the geologists to
first gain stability are the points where the earth
movements have continued longest and still con.
tlnue. The interested and patriotic citizens y
whose suggestions to the treatment Of the earth
slides evoked the sarcastic comment Of the late
Col. Gaillard do not appear to have been as fool
ish as they were represented Gen. Goethals pro.