The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-21
Psyche analysts Applied
TO Ida WaHers'S Crime
Latest Science of the Mind Shows Why "Lo>c Milr" ,
Iorlys Rogers Poisoned Her Babes AM
Then Herself.
n, FREDERIC ~. ROBINSON,
Editir Of the "MedicaI Review 81

Editir Of the "MeaicaI Review 81
Reviews."
w THEN Ida Snir.n Walters. the
AZ 'love wife" VI Lorlys Elton
Rogers. who Is slowly recov-
ering from the effects of
bich bride " mercury poisoning. faces
a jury on the charge Of killing her two
babies q murder trial OF unusual char
scter will have begun. Abraham Levy.
the New York criminal lawyer who
has been retained 10 defend her, says
that her act was the result Of IN vi
conscious suggestion" and that when
her case 10 presented 1t win reveal the
most remarkable neurological prob
lemr' that he's over come before the
courts
This 10 the first intimA&ion that the
usuai course in cases Of this sort will
he abandoned. Hitherto the plea Of
emotional insanity would have been
the most likely defence. Tho Thaw
trial brought the "brainstorm'' into
prominence. But now comes o defence
based on unconscious suggestion that
will direct attention to the newest and
most radics, Of psychological theories.
Thus far the case Of Mrs. walters
has been discussed wholly from its
.--,lu--t.t I'D erhA,soA As ~ lAfAYQ
Of sympathy have been sent to her. a
thousand COMBINATIONS have been
hurled at her head. She 10 spoken Of
as a woman who tried 10 mako the
supreme sacrifice OF love-totally to
eliminate herself and her two babies,
who meant more than life to her-so
that the man for whom she rave up
everything, for whom she braved the
worlds condemnation. might be free
when she began to fear that he was
firing Of her. when she thought that
she hampered him.
She IL called o se.hsh. heartless
woman who deserted an afectionate
] nuSDdHu DtCd USE VI an uiilh pas
sion for another mar and who brought
innocent children into the world that
she knew would have TO suffer from
the lash Of society's d!sapproval. \
saint in misfortune some see her. q
woman paying the inevitable wages OF
sin she IL described BY others Not
n word has been said about, the prob
,,m from III. standpoint OF tho mod
e,r psychologists
yusi WHY ala Ida Waters poison her
,uo h,b,es and try tn XII harselfr
h circunstances will he offered "a
ordo, nor ac, in ,he eyes Of the
WV,
"u-,o, Mrs V-ol..rs ,.a tho hi
,h,orid. -, ,r.r,urv 20 nor infants chs
"a, ro, L,ov vh,, sbe was doing
eho uas acting on an u~nconscious
.,,agast,o, ". vii, prove tina, her
love for her children was mos, sin.
cero O., declares her counsel.
To the general reader this would
s..n an absurd ontradicti II Mrs
Walters loved rcr children uynat could
hay heer tho nature OF the "uncon-
sr,ous suggestion" that impe'led he,
~ ki,, rhon and then to a.tempt "a
,aLa bor own ,tr.p psycho-.nalyS.s
tho ,ato.t scionce of Tho mind. does no,
md This a, al, a difficult prohlem
For some time Prof. S!gmund
p,reud tho eminent Austrian ps--
.,hoI,g,s, and ,eurolosis, mas beer
challenging rho medical and scientiNc
wild U.i,h theories Of the mos, dar.
Ing and astounding character
theories tina, have sough, 70 rierce =
the very depths OF tho human sou
ana bring IA Hight thu. causes anf
natives NJ h,nap conduc, ,h,, CON.
,r,dl,, AL hitherto accented axplana.
lions Gradually his Influence has be.
c,r,c NOR. and nore widesnread
NJ over 'hf word thousands q
such men ny Prot. Paul Fedcrn %
Vienna and Or. Abraham Bril- Of New