Another Instance Of The Effectiveness Of The Insanity Dodge

From the Adrián Press. Again the insanity farce has been played off on justice, and auother scoundrel and murdorer goes unwhipped in his vile deedg. Our readers will remember the cruel and fiendish murder of Charlotte Pridgeon several months ago in Detroit by one Williani T. Underwood, a sailor. He had been paying his attentions to Miss Pridgeon and been rejected ; ho seized on an occasion and induced her to take a walk with him. The result of his interview was unsatisfactory and failed to effect any ohange in her determination to still refuse his suit. Enraged with his disappointment Uunderwood drew a dagger and stabbed the girl to the heart when within herown door. A jury on Saturday found the black-hearted vil lain " not guilty by reason of insanity." This is tb o socond trial of this man, and has cost a large sum of money, It has at last been settled by an intelligent jury, ■who were doubtless all doctors, that Underwood " didn't mean to do it ;" it was all unintentional ; his feelings were agitated ; his blood was up ; he was in a í'ury and a dudgeon because the girl refused to entertain his suit ; he was blinded ; he was erazed ; he was imane, and all unwittingly and accidentally, you know, he drew a dagger, aimed at the región of the heart and drew the life curreut in a fatal stream. The blow had been well aimed, and in a few moments Charlotte Pridgeon's spirit had fled. Too bad of course, but he must be acquitted. What, though he retained his faculties up to the moment of committing the deed ? What, though he had a concealed weapon as if to commit some murderous deed ? What matters it that while he was using his powcrs of persuasión in a rational inanner a few moments before the act in endeavoring to induce the girl to change her niind and look upon him with more favor ï Of course that goes for naught. In a moment he became insane and struck the murderous blow which sent Charlotte Pridgeon to the spirit land. Insane ! It has come to be the plea in almost every case. No man can be convicted of murder now because he was insane at the time of the act. It does not appear to matter how palpably the evidence of intentional crime looms up, nor how plain and unequivocal the proofs, it seems barely necessary to set up the plea of " insane" and a tender jury are induced to render a verdict of not guilty. Underwood is a foul murderer and ought to have been found guilty, and if the laws of Michigan permitted hanging we should be happy to record him as sentenced to be hung.