THE RIGHT TO KILL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20405, 6 November 1929, Page 11

THE RIGHT TO KILL.

TERMINATING AGONY

MOTHER SHOT BY SON.

FOUtfD NOT GUILTY.

[TEMPERAMENTAL JURY.

FRENCHMEN IN TEARS.

Hy Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received November 5. 5.20 p.m.) LONDON. Nov. 4.

Despatches from Paris state that a Verdict of not guilty was returned at ♦he trial of' Francis Corbett, the Englishman who was charged with murdering fiis mother at Nice. lie had shot her to put an end (o her suffering from cancer. Corbett fainted as the jurors returned to Court. Women sobbed and some of (hem fainted.

Corbett had said: "Science having failed I delivered my mother myself." One juryman fainted, and the hearing was suspended. The majority of the jurymen emoked furiously to allay their emotions.

A doctor said in evidenco that tho mother's sufferings were excessive. Corbett stated: "My mother incited mo to kill her, but never definitely asked me to do it. I deliberately killed her, after administering a sleeping draught." Thus a jfiry of 12 temperamental Frenchmen decided that a man has the right to kill his nearest and dearest when she is suffering agony from an incurablo disease.

Case Causes Division of Opinion. The (rial has set all Europe talking because of tho uncompromising attitude of Co'rbett. "I did it because "I had the fight to do so," he said. Public opinion throughout has been sharply divided on the issue and the verdict has been responsible for en equally sharp division. Indeed opinion ;in England would appear to be more against than in favour of the French interpretation of the law. The Daily Express says: " The trial moves humanity with equal horrbr and compassion. But the right to terminate a iellow creature's existence is a'right which, whatever the motives, society can never recognise. To leave the awful issue of another's life or death to tho play of private judgment or hysteria is to legalise anarchy.'* Paris messages state that Corbett spoke in a strained whisper as the questions of the President of the Court dragged out the ;whole story. Could Only Hope for Year of Agony. "• We had a specialist from Westminster Hospital, London, to examine my mother,'' said the accused. "He reported that nothing could save her. She might live three or. four months. At the longest she could only hope for a year of agony.

" What could I do? I saw the sweat of intolerable pain on her forehead. I would wipe it away and saw to her: 'My mother, 'it is too much for any son to bear.' On the day I killed her I had received a letter from England saying that my grandfather had died. I was upset and decided that something must be done."

The President: Did it occur to you that something more might be done? The 'Almighty anight have intervened to spare her in His mercy.

' Accused: That is just a religious belief. Nothing in my heart supports it. The President suggested that accused's jnind was unhinged through worry, but Corbett refused to avail himself of that loophole. He said he was clear-headed in everything he had done. He knew perfectly well what he was doing. Public Prosecutor Relentless. The speech of the Public Prosecutor was relentless. " Corbett," he cried to the jury, " is a criminal and must face the fate of a criminal. The jury should not heed his unnatural and illegal appeal for sympathy. Justice demands his conviction and a punishment of at least five years' imprisonment."

The cjeferrding counsel's speech dealt with the tragic characters in the drama. He asked who among them would blame accused because he had brought certain death a little nearer. He declared that administering morphia to people in agony was a slow, inhuman way of killing them. Corbelt had only done in one second what the doctors would have done in three months.

Throughout his counsel's speech Corbett continually broke down and sobbed bitterly. Several women were carried out of the Court in hysterics. Half the jury wept unashamedly. Similar Problems of Two Years Ago. The jury asked the President whether if they brought in a verdict of guilty ho could, guarantee that Corbett would not be punished. The President refused, to give such a guarantee. Accordingly the jury brought in their ;*erdict 0 f not guilty. The newspapers recall the case of Albert Davies, who was acquitted at the ChesJ-er 'Assizes of murder on October 22. 1927. He had drowned his daughter, aged four, to end her agony from a deadly, disease. There was a similar problem in the E.'imo year when Mrs. DeTvigne gave arsenic;to her mother who was suffering from canter. The jury found the woman to be insane.