Evening star., 1922-04-17
Woman-and Her Right to Kill.

Woman-and Her Right to Kill.
Whether it is not wasting the money
of the taxpayers trying women for
murder In cases where the so-called
unwritten law can be invoked is the
subject of editorial comment through
out the country. The discussion CEN
ters upon the recent acquittal of Miss
Olivia Stone. the Cincinnati nurse,
who shot a former corporation coun-
sci of that city because she alleged
he had failed to keep promise to
marry her.
IF women who commit crimes of
passion are always to go free" sug-
gests the New York World. why
bother to try them? Why not pro-
vide an immunity procedure, based
on the unwritten law, and including
recognition of the tender susceptible
ties Of sympathetic jurors, whereby
the process OF exculpatton may be
shortened and cheapened? The plan
would do away with considerable
hypocrisy and humbug in the name
Of Justice" which leads the Syracuse.
N. Y, Herald to remark: why not!
Why should the money OF taxpayers
be wasted in the prosecution OF WON :
en- who kill their comrades in Illicit
relationship? II the law making de-
liberate murder a capital onense is
to be suspended in the discretion OF
juries, when the assassin is woman.
it would be better for the cause of
Justice, and it would make law more
respectable, specifically to exempt
from any punishment women VINO
murder their paramours. Sucn traves-
ties of justice as this help to give
fresh impetus to the crime wave"
1t is pointed out by the Brooklyn
Eagle that 1--WE no longer stage q
purely judicial proceeding Tor the
rial Of q woman accused OF murder
ing q man from whom she mas sur :
fered real or fancied wrong. instead
fendant as the prosecuted heroine
and the dead man as the villain. The
Earle points out that while the judge
may try to hold the scales of justice
even, acquittal is certain, ana aods
perhaps one OF the earmarks OF. our
civilization is our frank recognitlon
Of the fact that law can be made to
mean one thing for man and an en-.
tirely different thing for q woman"
Which brings from the worcester
Telegram the suggestion that "jurfes
Of normally hardb6fled males con-
tinue to view crime which involves
the sexual question through q
sympathy, set the seal of their ap-
proyal upon homicidal endeavor. and
hid the law, instead Of the de-
fendant. 20 hang" while the Column
bus. Ohio, State Journal sarcastical!y
remarks that the acquittal fs IN
stfict accordance with the exact
terms OF the unwritten law. and We
trust win give added impetus to the
movement among our girls in their
pursuit of happiness to arrange to
be deceived and then shoot"
The fact that the verdict, like all OF
its kind, was. after all, ~ aEa.nss saa p,,so- SO
bnrsh. Pa, Gazette Times. which
feels convinced that americans do
NOT believe in the unwritten law, as
ccmmonly defined; they do not be-
lieve in private vengeance, the Tor
giveness Of which by jury anounts
man whose sole duty is TO determine
tha facts of q case. Justice for So
cisfy demands that 1.-the criminal
courts function legitimately: Ana
in this specific case, the Danville, Va,
Register points out, there s.,s was no thst ev,t
she had been wronged by Kinke4d.
and adds: "Even IL he had deceived
the wonnan. as she claims, does that
Justify her in shooting him DOWN.
And acquittals Of this character natu-
ar,T~ wnmen to slay. the Lafayette,
md. Journal-Courier believes. and
thus Is murder In love nest given given
: place among the favorite indoor
sports OF the day.
The Jurors may have had some Justi-
f,cation for their verdict. IN the opin- pin
ION Of the Rtchmona, s,,s xa;s tsat I ms DY;-
lance in this case had revealed to
thsm defenssles. young women; nas.n.'ssr her
hSs,rX;no. nv 4 man who led Jekyll-
Hvds existence, her humiliation and
desperation-then the fatal meeting.
That was the picture impressed upon
tha minds Of the jurors. and. right or
wronT. tho verdict they gave is the
verdict we may expect to continue
hearing in cases Of this sort" Which
nrompfs the savannah. Ga. News to
snSrest that in view of the imposi-
ticn az Z. seven and a-half-ysar Inn
prisonment on Gussia Human IN 9
NeW- York court for perjury ~ her
Ie.,nrse trial for murder. and tha &C.