AN INHUMAN MONSTER.

NZ Truth, Issue 139, 15 February 1908, Page 5

AN INHUMAN MONSTER.

MADMAN OR MURDERER? The Case of Hans Wilson. Dr. Gow's Lamentable Excuses. It was only to be expected that Hans Wilson, charged at Christchurch with murdering his wife, should be committed to the Sunnyside Asylum, from which place he was released not long ago. His wife, the- woman whom he had previously tried to murder, had got him out, mainly on the recommendation of Dr. Gow, who is m charge of the lunatics at Sunnyside. Wilson got up early m morning on the second occasion and shot his wife with a revolver, but didn't touch the children. > He was satisfied then, and turned the revolver on his own body. For weeks he lay m a very had slate, hut recover ed, and appeared before two Courts, the Magisterial and the Supreme. At- the latter place this week, • THE HALF BALD-HEADED . MURDERER pleaded guilty, and Mr Justdce Denniston, m his wisdom,.! ordered that the plea should be altered to one of not guilty, because he didn't believe that the acqused was capable of pleading. Why, however, was the accused not allotted counsel ? Justice De r niston looked upon the- trial as an informal matter, and said it wasn't nee: ssarv. But every man tried for murder m

this colony, or for any serious offence which involves long years m gaol, has been allotted counsel • by the Crown. Now, it may he said that the prisoner m the present case was mad.' Well, he may have been when he committed the deed, but he was the sanest man m Court at his trial. - Consequently, what right had the Crown to deny the prisoner the advantage of a lawyer. -A good lawyer might have got him off. • The jury were out 16 minutes as it was, "and gave a decision m accordance . with the Judge's order. No other word can express it. There is no doubt, of course, that the ma m who eoes s-kal-lvhooting' with a revolver should be kept m hand, but let , us consider the matter. The prisoner was m the lunatic asylum. , ...... The missus asked for his release', although he • HAD ATTEMPTED TO KILL HER. . He was released by Dr. Gow, a young man with a moustache and no experience worth mentioning. . He killed his wife properly as soon as he bad a fair show, and what did Dr. Gow say at : the Christohureh Supreme Court this week ? He said that he thought that he . was justified m releasing Wilson because his wife asked for his release. He dad not think he'd shoot her again.. Also, he had agreed to take a. prohi 1 . bition order out against himself. Now, fancy a damned ■ revolvershooting lunatic having a prohib. order against him. If it isn?t effectual against an ordinary man, what about the person who is dilly ? , Now, however, this case is ended/ and "Truth," m pursuance of its promise, wishes to direct public attention to the action of the asylum authorities, and- for whom this Dr. Gow is responsible, m releasing a madman of homicidal tendencies, who was sent to the asylum after having attempted the murder of his wife, and who is* no sooner released than hcaccom-, plishes his UNFINISHED BLOODY WORK. Dr. Gow's explanation that he thought himself justified m acceding to the'murdered woman's request' for the release of her husband, his ridiculous assertion that this maniac promised to take out a prohibition order against himself, are we&k.arid unavailing excuses, and the Govern-, ment should instantly demand Gow's resignation, and place the mental asylums of New Zealand on a more humane basis. This is not the first time m the history of the Suntiyside Asylum that madmen and women have been' released to once more steep their hands m the blood of their sane brethren. Twenty years ?-<"o a woman was released from that aislitution not by the asylum authorities, but by the order of the Government, and, against the will of the authorities. The result was that that woman murdered her two daughters and suicided herself the next day. Wilson might be mad. He ■ IS A BLOODY MONSTER, and should never have been released from that asylum. The poor murdered creature never dreamed that, m, procuring the release of her loafing hound of a husband, she was praotically sealing her own doom. Dr. Gow's justification, or his excuses, will not hold water. He is supposed to he expert m matters of insanity. Here, at any rate, he , has badly blundered. He has proved himself incompetent, utterly unfit for such a responsible position as chief officer of that asylum. If Gow is allowed to remain m that position, it can only be regarded as a grave public scandal. _____