The Guardian AND EVENING STAR, With which is incorporated “ The West Coast Times.” MONDAY. FEBRUARY 21, 1921. INSANITY AND CRIME.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 February 1921, Page 2

The Guardian AND EVENING STAR, With which is incorporated “ The West Coast Times.” MONDAY. FEBRUARY 21, 1921. INSANITY AND CRIME.

Tin: serious wave of crime relating to capital offences which recently passed over the Dominion, and in respect to which various trials' are now in the public mind, draw attention to the relation of these crimes to insanity. The latter is the invariable plea of defence, where proof of the crime is fairly oeitain, even if merely circumstantial New Zealand is not singular in this unfortunate experience of serious crimes of the nature referred to. They tire recurring also in Australia A late Sydney paper in reviewing the issue raised goes to to say that whether one who has committed a crime i< sane, and legally iesponsible, or insane and irresponsible, is occasionally debated in our Courts. But when the plea of insanity is raised, there is not infrequently a conflict between the medical and the legal professions. Each regards the question from a different angle. The doctors tend to considerably stretch the old conception of what Constitutes insanity. Indeed, some contend that the ‘very fact of an individual committing a crime is in itself a proof of mental inefficiency. Professor Berry, of Melbourne University, when he lectured in Sydney reduced moral responsibility to a matter of mathematics. In his view the unfortunate whose head measurements aggregate less than so many cubic centimetres is a “moron”; with the physique of adult life he has never outgrown the mental capacity of a child, and he may possibly com mitt any crime etven homicide with the erratic and remorseless irresponsibility with which a mischievous hoy will dismember a fly. The professor demonstrated with a pair of callipers that several of the notorious malefactors who have perished in Pentridge at the hands of the executioner belonged to this class. In trials and in agitations for reprieve, it is not an infrequent experience to find scientific enthusiasts who strenuously contend that ;i criminal guilty of premeditated murder is really the hapless victim of an obscure form of mental aberration, a moral imbecile. But what is insanity : The interrogation is more, easily put than answered. Even experts confess difficulty in framing a terse but sufficient definition. Mereier, a modern s-utF vUy of eminence, urged that “only by disorder of conduct can we infer the existence of disorder of mind, and when conduct is disordered we may safely and immediately infer we are irresistibly compelled to infer, the existence of insanity.” He promised, however that the conduct which denotes the insane mind must be beyond .

the guidance and control of the intellectual centres. A murderer who premediates his crime is to all appearances sane. He is able to plan and , to reason, and he is aware that if de- , tec tod he will he liable to the punishment of the law. Yet hr may he a , “paranoic,” one labouring under some fixed delusion which drives him to ignore all dread of consequences so long as he can effect his purpose. In this case the higher intellectual centres lack the power to inhibit the homicidal act. Thus it may be an extremely difficult matter to decide whether a murderer, or indeed, the perpetrator of any crime is actually sane. The law, has, however, provided for this difficulty. Ft has reduced the question of responsibility to the simple decision whether the law-breaker was aware of thy nature and consequences of his act. Did he know that it was wrong 9 D he knew that it was wrong then from a legal standpoint he is sane, and liable to he held accountable.

Tin; nautical enquiry into the loss of the little boat Omaha at Wellington heads

some three weeks ago, revealed the fact how fate played a full hand against the gallant little crew who were doomed to destruction within sight of the haven where they would lie. The Omaha had made a quick passage across Cook Strait; and when nearing Wellington heads ran into heavy weather. Within sight of land, and in view of the lighthouse keepers at Renearrow Heads she was struck by a heavy sea, broached to'and capsized. All hands were lost, despite the fact that the men on land were near enough to see all that happened, and to 'describe the life and death struggle of the men on the wreckage to hold on till washed ashore. At the critical moment two steamers passed by and close in, but the lookouts could not discern the floating wreckage, nor the feverish signals waved by the doomed men in the waiter. The irony of fate was complete in its determination to complete the disaster for even’ the signalling flagstaff at Renearrow was out of order and there was not the means of sending word to the passing steamers to search. Apparently also there wer no bombs or detonators on hand to give a signal or alarm and Morse signalling hv hand flags was not resorted to. There seemed to be a combination of circumstances to cause this overwhelming fatality to he complete in its effect as, alas it was The Nautical Court has made its finding. The- defects of the equipment have been pointed out, and the need for a lifeboat, to fc>e provided in addition to seeing that a flagstaff shall be kept intact always to signal passing boats. These precautions are wise, though in the ease of a lifeboat being required it is essential there should be an effective crew, and it is not disclosed what is the strength of the staff at Poncarrow. Passing steamers will he moved henceforth to keep a more general look-out, though many storms may

blow ere such a set of circumstances will lead up to a repetition of the Omaha disaster. Still, precaution costs nothing and can always he taken by passing boats.

The Borough water supply again shows a serious defect. These untoward conditions recur frequently, and from time to time there is the warning to the public as well as the Council that the system might break down at any time. The town would he in a very serious plight were it to he without jts water supply for .a period. The possibility of this, apart from the fact that the water available is never as adequate as it was intended it should he for the needs of the town, suggests that some aeI tion should be taken in the matter to attempt to remedy the position. Greater security is necessary, and the first step in that direction is to have an engineer’s report on the true position. The line from the lake to the reservoir, the reservoir itself and the general reticulation of the town stand in need of a complete overhaul. In any case, it is not expected that the water supply shonld iemain satisfactory for all time. All tilings considered the supply and service have stix)d better than was deemed possible in the early stages of construction, and in consequence of possible defects which then appeared not improbable, the time for a general overhaul has now fully arrived. Hie present Council will soon complete its term, but before doing so it should sanction a detailed report on the general condition of the line of supply, the reservoir and the reticulation service. It would he a valuable report in any east*, and should any notable defects be revealed, their repair cannot he undertaken too soon. If there should be any considerable sum of money required for the purpose, and it is not possible to finance the matter out of revenue, the coming general election would be a, suitable time to appeal to the> people for power to raise the required money. It might l>e considered desirable to move regarding a secondary supply, or when cement goes back in price, to build a supplementary reservoir, and so secure the town more completely. The matter is certainly of great public interest, and deserves the closest attention of those directly charged with the affairs of the town.