Suicide and the Law. in Great Britain, is that no minister of religion can be compelled to commit a suicide's body to the earth and his soul to God with the usual formula. I now turn to the criminal side of the case. In Great Britain suicide is on a parity with murder. If two or more persons agreed to commit suicide together and only one suc ceeded, the remainder might be indicted for murder. Anyone who aids or abets the suc cessful suicide may be tried for murder. Moreover, it has been held that, if a person loses his life in trying to save that of an at tempted suicide, the latter, if unsuccessful in his attempt, is guilty of murder. This is the law as it stands, but it does not represent the spirit of the law as it is admin istered. About two and a half years ago a man who was very near death — his disease being absolutely incurable — ended his suf ferings by shooting himself. His wife, who appeared devoted to him, was asked at the in quest whether she could not have prevented her husband's self-destruction. Her reply was that she could, but that she would have considered herself a contemptible coward had she done so. She stated that, at her husband's request, she had removed his false teeth, prior to his shooting himself! The astonishing part of the case is that a less painful mode of death was not resorted to. This lady might have been indicted for mur der, and it is a pity that she was not, be cause, while no injury would have come to her, beyond worry and annoyance, an altera tion of the law would, in all probability, have followed. To say, as the law of England does, that murder and suicide are equally serious crimes, is absurd. But if this condition is technical ly " good," then attempted murder and at tempted suicide must be equal crimes. This is not the case. Attempted murder is a felo ny, and it must be tried before a judge of the High Court, the penalty being penal ser vitude for life. Attempted suicide, however, is only a misdemeanor and may be tried at
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"quarter sessions," the maximum sentence being two years' imprisonment. The effort to support the idea that attempted suicide is a criminal offense is really half-hearted, as is shown by the fact that a great proportion of those persons who are charged with the offense, perhaps 1 500 a year in England and Wales, are discharged with cautions or in the care of their friends. The following example of the extreme laxity of the Eng lish prosecuting authorities is interesting. The case occurred in London four years ago. A young woman, having had a quarrel with her employer, immediately went to some deep water and threw herself in. A man res cued her, and she was taken, in an uncon scious condition, to a hospital. She after wards caused the arrest of her rescuer on the charge of having stolen a watch and chain from her person when she was uncon scious. She swore that she was wearing them when she threw herself into the water. The magistrate was informed that the woman's employer had taken her back, and that the Commissioner of Metropolitan Police had given instructions that no proceedings should be taken against her for attempted suicide. What could be more ridiculous? Conclusive evidence existed that a misde meanor punishable by two years' imprison ment, had been committed; but the magis trate did not insist upon a prosecution. He could not have any doubt as to the woman's sanity, or he would not have allowed her to give evidence against the man who was charged with stealing her watch. The truth seems to be that British magistrates feel that the law as it stands is not supported by popu lar opinion, and they are allowing it to fall into disuse preparatory to its repeal. As I am not a member of the American bar, I am ignorant of the law upon suicide. From such books as are at hand, I find that in some States an unsuccessful attempt at suicide is " punishable as a statutory felony, as is the offense of aiding another to commit suicide and that of abetting another to at
