Are Murderers Really Mad?

Horowhenua Chronicle, 31 January 1911, Page 4

Are Murderers Really Mad?

REVELATIONS BY 'DR. FOR BIOS W.LXSLOW. THIC GlihlAT EXTEUT IN LUNACY. The dividing line between lunacy and crime must be very line. That is the conclusion one comes to after reading " Recollections of Forty Years," by Dr. Forbes AVinslnw (Ouselcy). And certainly Dr. Winslow's theories and beliefs nnist_ be treated with every respect; for it is doubtful if any man has had greater experience in regard to lunacy jr. this country. From childhoodand he is now sixty-six—he has lived among the insane, for his father in his day enjoyed the largest practice in lunacy in this country. And it is on account of his unique experience that Dr. Winslow has often been called upon to examine prisoners waiting their trial I'm; murder. In his opinion many of them have been unjustly tried and executed, for the reason that the germ of insanity was in their blood.

It (has always been Dr. Winslmv's contention, for instance, that Mrs Peaivey, who was executed in 1890 for the murder of Mrs Hogg, was a woman of a low order of intellect. He tells how she suffered from attacks of epilepsy and Jits of violence, and his contention was that the murder was committed while the woman was in a state of acute epilepsy. .But the Secretary of State, refused to interfere, and Mrs Pearcey met her death on the gallows at Newgate.

THE CASE OF AIRS DYMR

In the opinion of Dr. Winslow, Mrs Dyer, who was executed lor the terrib'e bahy-fani'ling murdlers in 1890, als osufl'ered from hallucinations, and was of unsound mind at the time of the murders. There was no doubt about her guilt, but Dr. Winslow contends that she was a totallv irresponsible woman.

Dr. Winslow examined Airs Dyer in Holloway Jail. "I asked iher.a great many questions, and I considered that she was a person of" unsound inind, suffering from melancholia and delusional insanity. The prisoner made no attempt to feign madness. I examined her to see whether she was shamming. 1 came to the conclusion that she was not. Slhc said that very often she got into a depressed condition, and ■that voice spoke to her and told her to take her own life, and that she had made several attempts to do that, but had been prevented. I asked her if she had any recollection of the crime. She said she had not: she tried to recollect, but became mystified."

Dr. AVinslow also examined Arhry A.nsell. who was tried for the murder of her sister, an inmate of a

lunatic asylum, in "ISO!), by sending h»r some cake which contained phosphorus. He "came to the conclusion that Alary Ansel] was a mental degenerate, and ought not to lie held responsible in the eye of the law. Her appearance was that of an imbecile." But in spile of strenuous influential effort* being made on iher behalf no reprieve was granted, and she was hanged at St. Albans Jail. DFYER.EFN AND JACK THE RlPPI'd:. Then, again, Dr. AVinslow was convinced that Arthur Deverenx, who was examined by him in Brixton Prison when lie was waiting trial for the murder of his wife and child in IDOo, was insane at the time of the murder. Deverenx came of a family of suicides. Both nis father and grandfather attempted suicide: an aunt committed suicide; a maternal grandmother was mentally afflicted, and a great-uncle was certified as of unsound mind--and yet no reprieve was granted.

_ Dr. AVinslow also I brows new light on the notorious "Jack the Hipper" murders. He says he gave his "whole heart and soul foNihe study of the mystery. Day after day," be continues, "and night after night 1 spent in the Whitechapcl slums. The dctc-tives knew- me. the lodginghouse keepers knew me. and at last the poor creatures of the streets came to know me. WHY THK MI'UDIORKR escapi<;d. '" It is not, therefore, surprising that it was 'I and not the detectives of Scotland Yard who reasoned out an accurate scientific mental picture of the Whitehapel murderer, and then stamped beyond a doubt j if not the actual identification of tho monster himself, nevertheless the ability to capture tihe same." His theory was that the assassin was a well-to-do man suffering from religious mania, and that after each murder had been comittod the lunatic changed at once from the homicidal religious maniac into a fiuiet man with a perfect knowledge" of what he was doing, but.oblirious of the past. Dr. AVinslow Mas convinced, from tho clues he secured, that every morning the murderer attended service in St. Paul's Cathedral at eight o'clock. "As soon as my clue became certain," be says, "I told: the police all T knw, and suggested a plan whereby the lunatic could bo captured upon the steps of St. Paul's Cathedral. To my great surprise they refused to co-operate."

He then published his chins, and was severely criticised for doing so. But it is a remarkable fact that no more murders were committed after the publication of these clues, leading one to the conclusion that the murderer became frightened and left the country in consequence. A CLEVER CRICKETER. It must not bo thought, however, that tllie whole of Dr. "NYinslow's book is given up to the study of remarkable crimes. His school and 'Varsity experiences, for instance, are exceptionally interesting. He is rather proud of his athletic records, for he won athletic events at Ilugbv as well as at Cambridge. He was a. keen cricketer, and was one of the M.C.C. team to play against .South Wales in 186-1, in which team YV. G. Grace played his first match ■at Lord's. He was also asked to captain the first English team which went to America and Canada, an honour he had to decline. "I captained the M.C.C. in many matches," he says," and twice again at my old school, Hugbv, and in. T believe, the only rnateih in which they played again the United. Hospitals Cricket Club. This match I arranged my.self."