The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1925-11-11


by y. T. 4. Service
T ITTLEToN. Col. Nov. IL
IL when the flame Of he a
fllekeriuE In the cold sweep Of the
black wind from the shoreloss dark.
ness outside the worlds a friend
or relative ever justified In blow.
ing Il out completely and gtylng Il
a rest from It's useless strugglesg
Is there such thing as merciful
murder And. II th0re - when y
ono justified. IL ever, In committing
IT,
These questions are raised by the
trial here OF Or. Harold Elmer
Blazer on a charge OF numbering
his daughter Hazel.
Or. Blazer. admitting that he end
ed the girls life. defends his act.
Hazel Blazer was aheut 80. She
had suffered an attack Of spinal
meningitis in her youth and 1t left
her a hopeless cripple. shs weigh
ed scarcely 30 pounds. She could
not clotho herself. could not walk
or even sit up--could only exercise
when she was placed on the floor
and allowed 20 roll around.
She was, In short. a burden 20
herself and her relatives. That is
admitted by state and defense. The
only question TO be decided Is
whether pr. Blazers act was
crime or an net OF mercy.
Or. Blazer Is not tho first TO take
q life In this manner.
A couple OF years ago n Polish
actress, Nile. Stanislaw Umtnsha.
shot and killed her fiance. Jean
zlnowski. In Paris. zluowski was
slowly dying Of cancer.
BEGGED HER TO END
HIS MARTYRDoM
Il killed him thru mercy and pity
Tor his sufferings." she told the
court. 'oftsn he begged mo TO put
an end 20 his matyrdom.'
II took the jury just three min
ntes 20 acquit her No question OF
her sincerity was raised By the
prosecution, which contended itself
with holding that the taking Of a
human life was never justified
Then. shortly attsrward. another
young Partisan. Anna Levassenr.
iressmaksr, killed her sister to re-
sisve her sufferings from disease
tho doctors had pronounced incur
able. She, too. was needed when she
pleaded that she had killed thru love.
In American, too. such cases are
not unknown. Not . great while
after the two trials in Paris an
Iowan named WIN Dunn, aged 40.
West Point graduate and world
war hero, killed his aged father and
mother and then ended his own lie.
In a note he explained that both
we're incurably III and suffering
greatly and that he had done II for
heir own good" To prove his love
for them he committed suicide. his
note added. concluding, I'm willing
20 sacrifice my life for them"
Then. shortly after that. an Eng
iish vicar. Rev. w. G.. G. Bettison,
shot himself in an attempt at suicide.
Instead OF inflicting a fatal wound,
however, he merely msnsled his face
and fell on the floor OF his study in
great agony. His sister. Miss Dor
othy Bettison. found him thus. She
needed his pleas to be put out OF his
agony. and shot him to death.
But the case that aroused the
most attention Of all was slightly
different than these. II involved
the late Or. Harry J. Haiselden, of
Chicago. and the infant child OF a
family named Bollinger.
The baby was defective from
birth. II was hopelessly crippled
and imbecllic, With no prospect that
u ever could be made normal.
Among It's many physical defects
was ono that would cause IT to die
speedily unless an operation were
performed.
DR.. Haiselden told the parents
that he could operate and save the
childs life, but that II would always
be a cripple and very likely would
be an idiot as we'll Should he op-
crate or let 1t die?
They asked his advice. He urged
that the baby be allowed 10 die.
They consented and II did.
A storm Of public comment pour
cd in, some favorable and some un-
favorable. a coroners jury found
the doctor justified, but the Chi
cago Medical society forced him out
OF It's membership.
Doctors generally are strongly
against the taking OF life to end
suffering. AS sqme doctor remark
cd after the two Paris cases:
TT Is never absolutely certain
that patient is going 10 die. Sup
pose a patient Is at tho point Of
death from tuberculosis: how Is the
doctor 20 know that within the next
a hours some cure for tuberculosis
will not be dlBcoyered22
o. That seems TO cxprcssc the nttl.
tude Of tho medical profession.
And the general public? NO
only way 10 Judge It's attitude is
10 note that these pity murders"
arc seldom punished. a verdict OF
not guilty rs usually returned.
Some men have suggested that
the law be amended 10 make IL
legal to kin 20 end sufferlngB
others, however have pointed out