Blandford Weekly News. — 1889-01-12 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

MADNESS AND MURDER.  Dr. Hammond, the famous specialist in nervous diseases, contributes a paper on this subject to the December issue of the North American Review. It is unique in its way as a literary production as well as profound, from a scientific point of view. The text for his essay is to be found in the series of tragedies which are now agitating London society. In Dr. Hammond's opinion the desire to kill is a ruling propensity with every human being. The King of Dahomey kills a half-dozen wives before luncheon, while the Prince of Wales is satisfied with the slaughter of a hundred pheasants. The propensity is the same in both cases. The difference is merely one of degree. The instinct is inborn and no amount of civilisation can wholly eradicate it. Criminal statistics refer to motiveless murders, but Dr. Hammond's experience as a nervous specialist satisfies him that no murder was ever committed without a motive. If there were no motive there would be no reason why the murder should take place, and consequently there would be no murder. The people who possess in an inordinate degree the propensity to kill their fellow. creatures are generally skillful in concealing their motives and again are actuated by reasons which are altogether inadequate from a normal standpoint. Very slight causes are often sufficient to destroy or overcome this morbid impulse. The case is cited of a distinguished chemist and an amiable man who, feeling himself impelled to commit murder and knowing his inability to resist, voluntarily placed himself in an insane asylum. He had prayed to be delivered from this demon, but he could get no relief. When he felt that his will was yielding he went to the superintendent of the insane asylum and had him tie his hands together with a ribbon, the mere semblance of restraint being sufficient to control him. On the other hand, the case is cited of a man who, rather than yield to an impulse to kill his wife, which he felt was rapidly becoming irresistible, cut off his right arm. The principle of suggestion, or what in the school text-books on mental and moral science is called the principle of local association, is another cause which Dr. Hammond advances for the apparently motivelese homicides. The presence of a suitable weapon may prompt to a homicide. Persona have hanged themselves on the suggestion excited by the sight of a rope. A careful study of the Ca4oB of suicide recorded in the daily newspapers shows that they are, to a great extent, influenced in form by the principle of imitation. A case of suicide in some particular and uncommon way is published, and we soon hear of others who follow closely in the original suicide's footsteps. Another form of mental derangement and one not readily recognised by the general public, is one which has been aptly called reasoning mania. The subjects of this disorder exhibit no marked change in the understanding, the judgment, the imagination, the memory, or any other of the purely intellectual faculties of the mind; but there is per.ision of the emotions, derangement of the`will and blind impulsions to the perpetration of acts of violence, or even of sanguinary fury, without its being possible to recognise the existence of any dominant idea to which the sots in question can be ascribed. In other cases there is ordinarily the most marked coherence of liens and correctness of judgment. The subject reads' writes and reflects as though he enjoyed his normal reason; and yet he is liable at any time to perpetrate some act, or series of acts, of violence. In one of these classes Dr. Hammond includes the Whitechapel fiend. He may be the victim of a morbid impulse which he is unable to resist; or the principle of suggestion may lie at the bottom of these crimes; or he may kill because he has .an irresistible desire to kill merely for the sake of killing. The fact that unnecessary wounds and mutilation were inflicted gives additional support, in Dr. Hammond's mind, to this theory. The more hacking and cutting, the more delight would be experienced. In the mind of Dr. Hammond the grave question airses what disposition should be made of him when he is caught. Undoubtedly he is a lunatic of some kind. If he is placed in a lunatic asylum he will deceive his keepers, and in the course of time will be discharged, and will, when he regains his liberty, begin to commit a series of murders fully as atrocious as his original crimes. Says Dr. Hammond, in conclusion: "There is but one way to deal with a person like this White. chapel murderer, and that is to hang him as soon as he is caught. He is an enemy of society, and is entitled to no more consideration than a wild beast which follows his instinct to kill. Laws are not made for the purpose of enforcing the principles of abstract justice; they are enacted solely for the protection of society." To this sentiment every sensible person will cry a hearty "amen."  A marriage has been arranged, and will shortly take place, between Sir Harold Pelly, Bart., of St. John's Lodge, Warminster, and Annie, second daughter of Major R. Poore, of Old Lodge, Salisbury.