The New York herald., 1922-12-24
Rcviyes the Argument if
Clergymen Should Tell
Police of Crimes.
WOULD SPARE BYWATERS
Compares Old Case With Re
cent One i'm Which Woman
and Man Are to Hang.

COptTf0nt, ISSE, oU ihb AVE-" tohh 1AbhAiD'
New York Herald Bureau.
London, Dec. %.
The question whether a clergyman
should tell the secrets of the confess
sional has caused widespread con-
troversy here following a declaration
made in a sermon by tho Rev. Hugh
Chapman at the Chapel Royal, Savoy,
that he was informed of a murder and
kept silent.
Mr.. Chapman said that when he
was in his thirties" (about thirty
wears ago) a woman, prominent in
society and a beauty OF her time, came
to him and confessed to having mur-
dered her husband by poison.
Mr.. Chapman indicated that the con-
fession had been a personal confidence
rather than a communication received In
the performance Of his clerical offices.
Mr.. Chapman referred to the confess
sion In the course OF a discussion or the
Frederick Bywaters case and found an
analogy between them. Bywaters Is
under sentence or death for the murder
OF Walter Thompson. salesman, by
atabbing him. Mrs. Thompson also is to
die. 1t was shown at tho trial by letters
az Mrs. Thompson that she made several
attempts to poison her husband and also
10 Influence Bywaters, who was ships
steward, to poison him. 1t was held
that she encouraged Bywaters. who was
her lover, to commit the murder. MT
Chapman argued that Bywaters should
not be hanged.
Mr.. Chapman should not have been
prosecuted as an accessory after the
fact. in connection with the murder and
confession of thirty years ago.
Threatened to XIII Another Man.
Mr.. Chapman told the congregation
that at the time there was man who
was opsessed with infatuation for the
beautiful penitent. Tho man heard
that the woman had confessed and came
TO Chapman and asked him what he
was going TO do.
Mr.. Chapman said he answered: She
has asked mo TO tell you that VI you
persevere you will be the next"
TO the clergymans amazement the
man replied. IT should regard 1t a
great honor"
While legal authorities think Mr..
CHAPMAN should have told, the clergy
approves his silence. Bishop Weldon
yaid decisively that clergyman who
hears of a crime during confession Is
not entitled TO reveal It, but he may
urge upon the penitent that she snail
confess II publicly
Tie legal view is that the clcrgyman's
duty as a citizen overrides everything
else. and that he IS bound to reveal to
the civil authorities what he has heard
in confessions II II amounts to crime.
for IL he does not he becomes an acces-
sorry after tho fact. There Is no movo-
ment TO bring Mr.. Chapman to trial.
In the meantime the appeals OF Mrs.
Thompson and Bywaters were dismissed
on Thursday. On the same day the
and two other women from sentences of
death.
Mrs. Thompson and Bywaters were
sentenced by Judge ShearTnan. who
within twenty-four hours sentenced the
other two women who were reprieved on
Thursday.
The sentencing of tho three women to
DIE stirred ell Great Britain. and even
since the reprieve of two of them there
arc many who object 10 the hanging of
Mrs. Thompson.
sparfng Woman, Spares Man.
The difficulty about saving Mrs
Thompson is the fact that her youthful
lover. Frederick Bywatcrs, was SEN
fenced with her, though it is believed
that he struck the blow that killed
Thompson while under her influence. and
she Is described as tho master mind d.
rectlng the crime. Sympathy is chiefly
with him and there Is a demand that II
She is spared he must bo also.
The Star Baye. els Mrs. Thompson to
escape on account OF the fact that wo
have not hanged n woman for fifteen
years7 II she escapes how can VIC pos
sibly hang the rnsn who, although the
active instrument was n subordinate
partner in the crime? If such a man is
to escape hanging for such deed there
should be an end 10 all capital punish
ment. Yet IL he is TO be hanged how
shall the woman be allowed to live. We
do not envy the Home Secretary his
Christmas problem"
The Pail Mall Gazette fears the dam
gers involved In reprieving Mrs. Thomp-
ser. saying: ut means the implicit
creation of lrrevocsble sex privilege. 1t
means that no female murderer, how
ever monstrous and horrible and guilty,
will for any reason fear tho laws last
oxtremities. IL also means. of course.
that the man In tho present case Will
have TO share the mercy extended to
his temptress. To hang tho youth
while reprieving the grown woman who
led him to kill her husband would be
TOO atrocious a pcrvcrsity OF Justice for
any mind 20 entertain"
The Daily McH and the Doiiy Mirror
also say that II must be determined
whether England will accept the un-
written law that no woman ever is to
he hanged. The Daily Nct0s says that
tho popular theory that woman should
not he executed can hardly be defended
IN an age when the equality OF the sexes
ig becoming an axiom.