A strange case was tried at Taunton on the 30th
March. Henry Fisher, a slightly imbecile journeyman shoemaker, thought machine-sewing would ruin him, and convinced his wife, though stronger-minded than himself. As the best way of escaping the danger they resolved to kill themselves, and nearly carried out the resolve. The woman cleared up the room, put on a clean night-gown, made herself and her husband look as neat as was possible, and then swallowed eleven tea-spoonfuls of laudanum, and after two days of lingering died. The man drank his dose, but did not die, and was tried for -the murder of his wife. There was no question as to the facts and none as to the motive,.and the jury recommended the prisoner to mercy, but nevertheless Mr. Justice Crompton laid down the dogma that .a "suicide was a murderer," and sentenced him to death. Of course the sentence will not be executed, but still it shocks the- inetinctive sense of mankind. Death can be no deterrent to a suicide, and people who have tried to kill themselves are dismissed every day by the magistrates. In the nature of things every suicide risks capital punishment by his own hand, and the law had much
better leave him alone. •
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