The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-11-29
WYNEKOOP CASE
THEORY LINKED
TO CREEK MYTH
0edlpuS Complex Angle
TraCeabIe to Poem
by EuripideS.
BY TRISTRAM COFFIN
Times stan Writer

DR.. Alice Wynekoop, that strange
Unconditional figure. has captured
the morbid Imagination OF the ma
ton more completely than did the
eccentric pig woman" in the IA
nous HallS-Mill trial
Trying to account for the grim
murder which she is alleged to have
committed. alienistS have described
her as gripped by the Oedipus COM
pick, the victim Of an over-developed
love for her son. Earle.
The Oedipus complex is as old as
man. Animal mothers have fought
fiercely with tooth and fang to pro-
tect their young. Mothers develop
the protective urge as the baby
suckles at the breast.
The Greek dramatist. Euripides,
wrote the stirring poetry Of "Oedi-
pus, the King before the birth Of
Christ.
Reared As Own Son
The myth. according to John J. B.
Morgan, eminent psychologist at
Northwestern university, concerns a
Greek king, LaiuS, who was warned
that he was TO die at the hands Of
his son.
Mr.. Morgan continues in his
book. THE Psychology of Abnormal
People:
when his wife, Jocasta, bore him
a son. the child was given to a
faithful herdsman to expose On
Mount Cithaeron. Ignorant of the
prophesy, the man in pity, gave the
child to the shepherd of POlybus,
king of COrinth, and the ruler, who
was childless, reared him as his son.
"Oedipus, becoming suspicious Of
his origin, due TO the taunts Of some
drunken comrades. sought the oracle
of Delphi, who informed him that
he was doomed to slay his father
and wed his mother. Horrified,
Oedipus fed from COrinth. and
shortly afterwards met Laius with
his servants.
They tried TO force him from the
road. and in the fight which fol-
lowed. he slew Laius, not knowing
the identity of his victim. Going on
to Thebes. he found this place
harassed by a Sphinx, who pro-
pounded a riddle to every passeroy
and devOured all who failed to solve
it. The hand of JOcasta was offered
to any one who solved the riddle.
Not Extreme Bond Now
"Oedipus solved the riddle, slew
C0l t1r- Nc
hand of JocaSta. his mother. At
first he prospered and had four
children. After a time a pestlence
came to Thebes and the oracle de-
clared that the murderer of Laius
was the cause and should be eX-
PEELED from the country.
"Oedipus instituted an inquiry
which resulted in his learning the
truth. Jocasta hanged herself. and
Oedipus put out his eyes"
However. the Oedipus complex as
it is known today is not such an
extreme bond between mother and
son as it was in the Greek myth 1t
is, according to psychological defini-
ton. a love so intense between
mother and son that it excludes
any other love
It follows logically. if the Oedipus
complex really exists in the case,
that Earle Wynekoop never could
have loved his wife with any tender
affection
Alienists' Views Differ.
Some alienists have contended
that instead of a OedipuS complex
being factor. the entire family is
held together by a matriarch COM
pick. When a mother so dominates
the mental and social life of her
family, they say. it is known as the
matriarch complex. Family loyalty.
the good of the clan, is the para
mount issue in life
Probing deep into this fascinating
mental study of a shocking crime,
psychologists have pointed out that
Earle WynekOop is a probable eX-
ample of 'narcissism, and eXagge-
rated self-lOve.
Frequently intellectual persons.
alienists declare, have a highly de
velOped ego Earle repeatedly has
referred to himself as Of superior
metality.' The psychoanalysts
following the Freudian school of
thought interpret his numerous
love affairs as an expression of the
ego-the superior conquest of wom-
an by man.