"ORGANIC DISCIPLINE."

NZ Truth, Issue 71, 27 October 1906, Page 4

"ORGANIC DISCIPLINE."

Disorganises its Author's Brain.

The sensational . suicide of Charles Leitch, alias Charles Pollard, reported last week, is a pathetic example of mad genius. Leitch had a theory, that, whether it was feasible or not, :.l)ecame his sole object m life. . He thought he could, by propagating; his ideas, benefit the human race. Therefore this man was mad, but on this one point only. On every other count he was as sane as most of us. It seems stranee how a mind, sound enough on everything else, can become so unbalanced on one point as to make a human being a positive menace either to himself or to. others. There is the case of Lionel Terry ; an intellect considerably above the ordinary until the Chinese Peril overwhelmed it. We have had instances by the hundred of inventors who

have started to perfect an idea conceived, perhaps, m an idle moment* From deep thought to infatuation, and from infatuation to madness has been their lot. How many men have become insane, for instance, m trying to perfect the "perpetual motion* machine. It is usually trying to conquer nature or something equally stupendously impossible that causes the mental breakdown. This man Leitch had concentrated his mind on "Organic Discipline." He wrote a book on it. Over 200 odd pages of closely written foolscap, composed m scholarly fashion, diction and general style showing it to be the result of deep meditation and long study. The work was divided into three parts : "The Discipline of the Body" ; "Status of Mind; consideration of its Relation to Brain," and "Discipline of Soul." It can be imagined how such a self-imposed task would grow, on the author. Leitch tried to get his work nublished that the world might benefit, accordin>- to his - light. < He was unsuocessful. The failure preyed on his mind. In his weakness he conceived the mad idea of making; -the world read the book b^ A TRULY SENSATIONAL METHOD. He would force his views, on the public y-ats a^^ribe. v The -price was his own life. Truly the idea" of a madmah;i but ther« ! 'is a touch of heroism m such . earnestness, nevertheless. So Leitch sat down clamly on the morning he was to sacrifice himself for (according to his' mode of reasoning) the world's good, ani wrote a letter, to the Auckland Coroner. In it he pointed io the fact that he had been unajile'lto get his book published, and he /meant; to. take his life m the hope thafcrby so doing he would accomplish his aim. Then this madman walked calmly out to die. He carried his grim mission through, unfaltering, takintr the boat on that" beautiful Sunday afternoon to Rangitoto. What were his feelings as ;he. stood on the top of the mountain and -gazed on/ the world for the last time, it is. 'impassible to imagine. Tlse constables found Leitch's dead' body two • days -later. It was hacked about as. only a fanatic could hatch himself about. His throat was cut m two places, The doctor said there had evidently been five attempts to make the incision, which had penetrated through -the \stomachoibo the bowels. The suicide has evidently been a most determined one- suavely recounted the doctor. Evidently, for madman like Leitch neither live nor die by halves. The hand of fate ! And yet it strikes one as a hard fate that ahy man, of which Terry is a living and Leitoh a dead example, should be called upon 'to pay the price of attempting to 16 good by being made mad. "...., ■