Show the crime of the man lehman who shot himself and lia his three children children at chicago Is another illustration of the effect of criminal example some weeks ago when hen another coward took the lives of his entire family afterward committing suicide the newspapers took occasion to point out the relation between this crime crittie and two similar instances occurring within a comparatively short time the lehman murders belong to the same category and were undoubtedly inspired by the example of the other criminals lehman presumably became despondent because of money matters and determined to imitate the tha deeds of other scoundrels escaping the troubles of life by obliterating the entire family what was wd said on the occasion of the other crimes should be repeated now with redoubled emphasis there Is no term of opprobrium too harsh to apply to this new and despicable form of crime the suicide of the murderer Is no expiation it merely heightens the cowardice the dastardliness the meanness of the offense lehman Is to be considered as it a tour four foia murderer and a nilse miserable rabIe poltroon into the bargain the only pretext which could excuse such a crime Is that of insanity s and there Is a growing conviction that the form of insanity which leads a man to the deliberate e execution of his own children Is not much more mora than cowardly despondency lehman seems to have been rational enough up to the time of his crime although he was of a morose and gloomy disposition his deed was performed probably in an excess of moodiness and despair hut but it was done consciously and deliberately era tely there is but one restraining influence which can be put upon the creatures who are likely to commit these monstrous crimes the family murderer escapes punish punishment me tit by ending his own oin life but those wit who 0 are disposed to attempt this sort of crime can be made to understand that the world will bold their weakness and their cowardice in utter contempt |