The Loeb-Leopold case - The Clarence Darrow Collection

The Loeb-Leopold Case
patient, can do is to make a mistake, that anything
that gives him pleasure is right for him to do."
Let's find out what judgment and credence Loeb
pays to that statement. He knew Leopold, and he
knew when Leopold was joking and he knew when
he was in earnest, and when he talked about the
superman theory, he says: " I took it with a great
big dose of salt." But the doctors swallowed it as
if it was sugar. Any emotion? Page 128: "He says
he is now sorry for his present predicament." It
reminds me of a fellow who killed his wife some
years ago and when his lawyer went in to talk to
him he had no defense on earth. At that time these
nameless insanity diseases were not thought of and
it looked as if this fellow was going to hang, and he
afterwards did, and he told the lawyer with tears
running down his cheeks, " You know there isn't
anybody in town who feels as bad about this as
I do."
There isn't anybody in town that feels as bad as
Loeb does about his present predicament for his
family's sake. He says he should be sorrier. He
says it is wrong. He doesn't know what should be
done to him. He felt that the law should take its
course unless he could avoid it in some other way.
One hurdle at a time is his theory and Darrow's
theory, to beat the rope. Talk about life imprison-
ment in the penitentiary. Escape if you can and
if you cannot the same arguments that we made to
save your necks we will make to the Board of Par-
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