The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1939-10-13
MERCY KILLING
FATHER AWAITS
Another Jury Must Decide
What to Do i'm Second
Case of Kind


Another jury win be required to
decide what society should do with
a father who, motivated by sense
of mercy, killed his imbecilic son.
The first jury required to make
this decision, decided that society
should do nothing by finding him
not guilty Of q charge Of man
slaughter.
Police and prosecuting authori-
ties were somewhat disturbed. They
wondered If the first mercy staying
had not inspired the second and
how many mercy slayers the second
one would inspire.
Louis Repouille, SO, had rarely
looked at his l3-year-old son, Ray
mond, during the past year without
having homicide In his heart. His
wife, Florence, 40, knew 1t, and,
feeling differently, never left them
together alone. She did yesterday
and when she returned home she
found Raymond dead and her hus-
band sitting at the side Of his bed,
calm and serene. He had chloro-
formed him.
Born Defective
Raymond was born mentally
and physically defective. He never
learned to walk. His only articula.
lions, as he reached and passed the
age for talking, were weird numb
lings. Then the parents discovered
that he was deaf.
The parents didn't give up hope
for him until five years ago. Re-
pouille has Away sheen poor and
for the past eight years he has oper-
ated an elevator for $25 q week. He,
his wife, Raymond, and their four
other children lived In q four room,
cold water flat. Five years ago he
put every cent Of his savings-$50O
Into an operation on Raymond's
brain. It didn't cure his idiocy, but
1t made him blind. Periodically since,
various brain specialists have ex-
amined Raymond and their verdicts
varied hardly a comma. Medically
he was hopeless.
In this period Mrs. .Repouille be-
gan to suspect what was in her
husbands mind. Last year her
suspicious were verified. Returning
home after @ short absence, she
found him trying to asphyxiate Ray.
mond with Illuminating gas.
Wife Always Objected
Since then, they had had innum-
cradle discussions. He had tried
to convince her that Raymond
would be better off dead. She had
wept, called Raymond my Pet" and
said she loved him dearly. Last
week, Repouille, unable to get her
out Of the house by any other
means. called police, said she was
drunk and ought to be taken to a
hospital. Police called q physician
who pronounced her sober and the
incident was closed officially as
domestic quarrel.
Yesterday was q holiday and Re-
pouille didn't have to 60 to work.
Mrs. Repouille had to get some
groceries. She urged him to 60 to
the store, but he said he didn't feel
well. Reluctantly she went herself,
thinking he would hardly do any,
thing to Raymond with the other
children there. But the moment she
left, he gave them pennies and
nickels and sent them out to get
candy for themselves. Then he
locked the door and executed his
son.
Mrs. Repouille still was too
shocked today to define her atti-
tude toward her husband. All she
did was weep and say, 70, my pet, I
love him so"
The Other Father
The other father who killed his
imbecile son lost the love Of the
childs mother thereby. Louis
Greenfield, a milliner, chloroformed
the 17-year-old imbecile, Jerome,
January IL, 1889. They had cared
for him as baby. The fathers tor
ture was made unbearable when
physicians warned him that Je-
rome's brute mind might conceive
sexual desires for his mother. Mrs.
Greenfield stayed loyalty by her
husband until a jury had acquitted
him. Two weeks ago she left him.
Her relatives said she couldn't for
get.
Repouille was charged by police
with homicide, routine business.
The prosecuting officials nominate
the charge on which persons accused
Of felonies stand trial. In his case,
1t probably will be granddaughter as
1t was in ,Greenfeld's.