MAN WITH TIGER'S SOUL.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 248, 16 October 1920, Page 19

MAN WITH TIGER'S SOUL.

COUNSEL'S UNUSCA'L MOVE. "if you go carefully through the criminal records iv all history you will not find such a scries of systematic slaughterings, ! carried out with such gruisomeness anu ferocity." These words, spoken in the Berlin "rlir.ina". Ti.M-t. hai lef'Ti-m-e :■> a man J who. sending in the flock, hajdciiiTe■ ! anr! i ;surroun<led by armed poii-e, .s charged iwith no fewer than 35 crimes, a.i o[ 1 ler- I i rible character, uiost'y against women. ;'i:cl i i including seven mucJc.?. and t ■Vα rases or j incendiarism. Ihe p.irposo of which w.is ' I the burning to death of the inmates of the ■fired buildings (writes the Berlin correspoudent in a recent issue of'- the "Daily | i Chronicle"' i. i j The accused is a young m.in of normil' appearance, living at Spaiiiinu, a 'oeUsmith ; iby occupation. Mc had previously eon-! fesserl his guilt to the police, but now lie I asseried bis complete innocen,'.\ saying he ! was terrorised into making fal<e state- i ments. j j Apart fro m its morbid side, the case w:i? | : given a special interest by ;h-> umazilig ' theory put forward by defending counsel", .who had unwillingly undertaken the lask at the request of the State. ; '•Assuming there is something in the belief in tlie transmigration of souls," he suggested that ""into the body of this iii.vi , there has entered ihe soul of a man. I destroying, blood-thirsty tiger from ihe j Indian jungle." | j In lhe event of this idea being regarded : las 100 far fetched, counsel advanced the | following speculation:—"Either the pri-oner | is not n human beiug or he is suffering, ; ! unknown to himself, from Irresistible mad-' I ness. Ihe e\'.T-t character <if which cannot, I lin the present slate of psychological! j science, be denned. j j "Two experts have declared that the; accused may be degenerate 10 a certain ! j extent, hut not to such a degree as lo make \ ! him, in the eyes of the law. not responsible: [ for his actions. I ciinnot regard it as con- ■ forming to my duty as defender, to accept j Ito appoint Government and medical college experts to examine the accused. So long ias there is any doubt on the question. I cannot sully the word humanity by continuing my task." The police prosecutor objected to this attitude of counsel, but it was upheld. Present in the court were a large number of leading (iermau doctors and psychologists, in whose circles the prisoner is regarded as :iu inexplicable human phonomenon, as they are unable to reconcile The horrible, in some iristances motiveless ■ and aimless, character of his crimes with hi« apparently normal speech and : demcano.ir.