Show H- H 4 t 4 H 1 14 4 4 M I I i OUR LATEST MURDER I 4 4 4 J 4 4 I I I 4 I I I I S 4 6 I I I 4 4 t t M 9 i iThe The other da day The Telegram called the att attention attention atten atten- n-I n tion of its readers to the current prevalence of vio yb- violent VIOlent lent crimes in the country as disclosed by hy our press reports There are arc years rears in which for some reason or 01 other murder and suicide come to be epidemic The relations of crime to coincident natural mitural phenomena phenomena phe phe- I are not actually known though Lombroso George McDonald and other cr criminologists are strongly inclined to postulate a connection between a tendency to homicidal mania and cosmic disturb- disturb a n. t certain ertain character Thus it will be found that j years yar ars of great seismic disturbances ali also have been marked by homicidal epidemics We are of the Earth earthly and the forces that vivify and aud control contro our planet assuredly have their effect upon us human beings When they escape from normal and tul take rake e on eccentric conditions the effects effect are abnormal ab normal upon minds not strong balanced and equipped to stand prolonged strain Materialists may mar argue that there is no necessary necessary sary relation of the psychos to its material environment environment en en- but they are wrong The ego to a great extent is bound down by the conditions of the form given gi it and forms are material and subject t tto to ph physical laws circumstances and accidents If the Moon loon can control the mighty tides of all our oceans may not the same Moon re-enforced re by the psychic influence of the whole planetary system dominate the minds and conduct of men in given cases or generally in conceivable circumstances The Charleston earthquake year was one characterized char characterized characterized char char- by br a saturnalia of crime against the per per- per S Igon Such upheavals of our oll old world seem to let lobs loose a tt t legion of evil spirits to torment a and t lead astray the children of men The present year may have baye a like history though we hope to the contrary But the record of the p past few weeks is not aging Out here in our mountain country free as we are ate from froin iou great natural convulsions and immune from cyclones tornadoes volcanic eruptions and such other things as appear appear- to produce detrimental menta J psychological yS effects we still have haye been called upon to record several most deplorable crimes of and perhaps the worst of the lot happened in Salt Lake City yesterday If we must conclude that the m man n who could raise a murderous hand ag against the tile Woman he has sworn sworn to love is insane that ends the argument But Rut we are afraid that granting all that could be said on that side necessarily he lie is not so Othello was crazed by jealousy jealous according to Shakespeare In reality he was maddened by a mans man's injured inured anit vanity He thought that the woman he lie loved loyed preferred preferred preferred pre pre- somebody else to himself and like the savage savage sav say age b brute bite ute he lie was he killed her Now injured vanity vanity van Yan- ity might amount to insanity If so there is perhaps perhaps perhaps per per- haps that much excuse excuse for the man who having neglected and estranged his wife murders her because because because be be- cause she no longer will tolerate his ill treatment Vanity is a recognized source of insanity but It is far more often merely an motive It is a horrible thing to think that a man could shoot down downa a a weak and helpless woman though he be beas beas beas as crazy as King Lear The crime is so and detestable that one cannot conceive of its commission commission commission com com- mission even en by bi a raving maniac who ever has been beena a real man But such things are of common occurrence occur occur- r- r rence and the tho signs of the times tell us that they will l n not t cease to be he so any too soon I |