Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-08-25

lawyer or judge.
"If this boy had been understood
and he had received the training
which was proper for him, he would
not have been in this court room to-
day with the moose hanging over his
head.
And every biologist in the country
will agree with that"
Mr.. barrow quoted from the first
letter of ST. Paul to the Corinthians
in an attempt to establish that the
act of the two boys was the act of
child in the morning of life"
Says Hanging uncivilfzed.
A tense silence In the courtroom
echoed the scripture.
barrow continued in tones scarcely
audible.
"To hang these boys would be
cruel, an act not of an advancing civ
ilization, but the product of the saw
agry and barbarity from which we
are so lately come"
Mr.. barrow paused and court re-
cessed for five minutes.
AS the defendants came back from
| their brief relaxation in the iron
| barred "bull-pen," Leopold touched
| the attorneys arm in a gesture that
was almost a careSs.
Science is not Interested so much
| in criticism as it is interested in find
| ing out the cause of things" OAR
| row began in his analysis of Leo
poId.
He was just half a boy-an in
| tellectual machine. He sought to
| fathom all the PHILOSOPHERS, to under
stand all things and to put away all
| feelings. He learned quickly, and he
| grew up in his own way. Naturally
| his father did not understand him.
He became enamered with the
| philosophy of Nietzsche-the strang-
| est philosophy that has been given
| the world in modern times"
| He then launched into studied
| characterization of the philosopher,
! reading excerpts from the various
| works more widely published in
"A boy never should have seen it,
| he said.
These things teach a contempt for
| all the fine things which are the basis
! of the learning of the young throughout
| the world"
ObseSsed by Philosophy.
Here is a boy of l6 or II becoming
| obsessed of these books. idoliZing the
superman which was the center of
| the idolatry of NietZsche. Babe be-
| lieved that superman might become
an actually The philosophy which
| was never intended to be applied in
| life became the rule and guide of his
| life He and Dickie Loeb were the
| supermen.
Men are largely what their ideas
make them. Boys are what their
| ideas make them. Here were boys
who through the day and the night,
| thought superman-they lived IL II
! became a religion and code of life.
They were victims of their own de-
lusion."
Mr.. barrow explained that he had
asked DR.. Church, one Of the State
alienists, about religious mania and
about the Il years madness of Metz
sche to show that adult minds break
| when doctrine is taken too literally.
Had Every Opportunity.
"And here" he exclaimed, I'VE have
| an adolescent boy, swallowing whole
| a system of philosophy which is it
| self a species of insanity.
His own doctrine made Neitzsche
! a maniac.
And now here is a 16-year-old boy
who takes that philosophy, it becomes
/ his life And then, surrounded by
! everything that this world had to
! offer. facing the prospect of every
| promise that the world could hold out
| for him, wealth and position intellect.
! yes, genius, he went out to commit
| this weird, wild, mad act.
Can your honor say it was the act
| of rationaliSm?
Il have said as to Loeb that if any
one is to blame, it is back of him.
rs any one to blame that Leopold
| took NietzSche seriously and fastened
/ his life on it? The university is more
| TO blame than he is. The scholars of
! the world and the publishers OF the
world are more responsible than he
should Watch Students.
Now, don't misunderstood me. l
! do not think that the universities are
to blame. l do think they shouio keep
| closer watch on the individual
But you can't destroy thought be-
cause. forsootn, a diseased mind is
destroyed by thought.
| barrow contended that the boys
We're equally responsible for the death
| of young Franks.
Neither could have committed the
| crime by himself.
They met each other, and their
minds met, and the strange alchemy
| of their minds turned them to their
! act.
! Warning to Parents.
| The death of little Bobby Franks
| should not have been in vain.
This poor tragic death of this
| weak young lad should mean some
| thing. 1t should mean an appeal
| to the fathers and the mothers and
| to the teachers and to the leaders
| to live closer to the young. 1t should
mean that the death of Bobby Franks
will come to the mothers and fathers.
| and the brothers and sisters who
| have read of this case, as a warning
| to look into the lives of their chill
dren, to endeavor to understand
| them, to know what moves them to
guide and direct them that they may
| dodge the pitfalls of life"