MURDER WITHOUT MOTIVE.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2313, 16 August 1880, Page 3

MURDER WITHOUT MOTIVE.

The writer of “ Passing Notes ” in the “ Otago "Witness ” says : It is not clear that the Kyeburu murder will merit a place amongst the curiosities and monstrosities of crime. Probably the motive was plunder,which fact would reclaim the deed, horrible though it is, to the category of crimes human and intelligible. But the mystery at present hanging round it naturally brings to mind other deeds more horrible still, and remaining yet unexplained and unavenged. Every day that lias passed since tiro Butler trial without bringing to light any new suggestion or starting any fresh trail, has made it more certain that Butler murdered the Dewars. The public universally may be said to have settled down to that conviction. One may be content that the murderer should escape the rope if it is not possible to fit the rope to his neck by due process of law. But for my part,l can’t feel content that o should keep his secret. In committing this inhuman crime, Butler has proposed to the public intelligence a perfectly insoluble problem. 1 Vluj did he commit it p One can’t help feeling interested in this question apart altogether from considerations of pity for the victim or punishment for the criminal. It is a question which has a scientific interest. Is Butler a man like other men, oris he anew and monstrous variety of the human animal—a ghoul or wcrc-wolf P Some day surely the wretch will speak and tell us. When he has no now harm to fear from us he will clear up the secret of that chamber of horrors, and expound the impulse which tempted him to do the deed. I should hope so, at any rate, not in the spirit of morbid curiosity, but from an honest wish to sec cleared up a perplexing problem in psychology. The only clue to its elucidation is afforded by the fact that some men seem able to extirpate from their nature all moral sense and sensibility. There arc men who could not crush a worm without a shuddering paroxysm of sympathy ; there arc others apparently who would cut down a life with as little feeling as if they were cutting off a poppy-head with a cane.