Evening star., 1935-01-09
LEGAL INSANITY
HELD QUITE RARE
st. Elizabeth Assistant Says
Effort to Hide Crime Is
Confession.
BY THOMAS n. HENRY.

BY THOMAS r. HENRY.
Very few human beings are legally
inssne-unable TO distinguish right
from wrong.
Such is the opinion OF DR.. Herbert
C. Wooley, first assistant physician
of ST. Elizabeth's Hospital. through
which institution hundreds Of criminal
insane have passed during the last
few decades.
OF all the psychotic individuals for
whom insanity defenses are onereo'
DR.. Wooley said, only those sunerlng
from what psychiatrists know as the
Christ identification" usually victims
of paranoia, actually are unable to
distinguish right from wrong IN legai
sense. These, in their curious system
of delusions, believe that whatever
they do is right because they are
the same as God OF some OF tne
prophets and the very fact OF their
doing q thing makes 1t right.
Avoid Subtsrfuss.
Such a person would be very un-
likely to deny . criminal act, adopt
any subterfuges to cover It up, or
otherwise try TO cloud the issue be-
cause. unable to comprehend that his
act was wrong, he would nave no
reason to do SO. Such q psrsnoio, DE-
WOoley believes, would be likely TO
have gotten himself into an institution
before committing any very serious
criminal act.
Other psychOtic syndrOmeS, DR..
Wooley says, would be unlikely to in
clude inability to distinguish right
from wrong, in the legal sense, until
the individuals were 80 far deteriOrated
that they long since would have been
in custody. Murderers, DR.. Wooley
pointed out, may be and often are
victims OF all sorts and degrees OF
psychoses which distort their impulses
and their behavior and can be con-
sidered in extenuati0n, In various de-
srees. Of their criminal acts. But this
cannot be said to include ignorance
of a certain act being wrong, or con-
trary to the law. As for right sno
wrong In themselves, OF course. most
men are sometimes puzzled.
Denial Confcsses Sanity.
As q rule the man who denies his
crime. II he Is proven guilty. indicates
by that very fact, however mentally
abnormal he may be otherwise. that
he knows 1t to be wrong in legal
sense. Hence he cannot logically be
considered insane. What attitude the
law should take on the role OF the
psychosis in crime is another matter.
and open to q divergence OF opinion.
Few institutions have had more ex-
oerience with the criminal insane than
ST. Elizabeth's. whose criminal wing
Howard Hall, sometimes has sheltered
more murderers than any other build
ing in the United States. 1t was
essentially the Federal prison for the
criminal insane. Most Of these have
now been transferred to the new
medical center of the Federal prison
service at Springfield. Mo. and grim
old Howard Hall surrounded with Its
high walls has become, as enc doctor
characterized it. the most comfort
able place at St. Elizabeths." 1t Is
the least crowded.
Now practically the only new in
mates which 1t receives are District
of Columbia prisoners who became
insane while awaiting trial. This
happens quite often, but st. Elizabeth's
is building up a remarkable record
for curing them. The fact Is, DR..
Wooley says. that most Of them, con-
sciouSly or unconSciOusly, are malin-
gerers whose attorneys have been able
to make out q good insanity case for
them. They may have simulated q
psychosis fairly successfully.
Watching UndOes Fakers.
But, DR.. Wooley says, once in How
ard Hall they are watched carefully
every day and usually soon show signs
of returning sanity, or are unable TO
keep up the stimulation any longer.
This may be done for q brief period,
but as q continual pattern Of life
under the eyes Of experts, it is prac-
tically impossible. Once a patient Is
clearly demonstrated to be sane, he
Is put in the custody OF the district
attorneys ONCE either for prosecution
or for the case to be mol pressed.
About all the malingerer gains in the
long run is a delay which may work
to his advantage
Those found insane after conviction
seldom are sent to Howard Hall any
longer. In the old days, many of the
prisoners were truly insane and re-
mained at st. Elizabeth's for the rest
of their lives. 1t also contained a
considerable number of the So-called
psychopathic personalities who did not
show many overt manifestations Of
disordered minds but who always were
getting into trouble on the outside.