SCHRANK DISCUSSES VISIONS.
(BY JOHN FLAMMANG SCHRANK.)
Has a man a right to take a weapon and hunt down a man who has violated
tradition? In answer to this I would like to ask the gentleman the
following question. How and by what means would you expect to withhold
from a man that right. You know that according to the old Roman law the
atonement for the taking of a life has been the giving of a life, and
to this day our power of state with the laws and instruments for
punishment is limited to the taking of man's life there is no severer
penalty than death sentence. Now then when a man concludes to take a
weapon and hunt down another man and he then willingly sacrifices his
own life in defense we say of tradition, does such man then not
willingly give what otherwise the law could take from him, is then not
the right with him, I should say where self-sacrifice begins to power
of law comes to an end and if I knew that my death during my act would
have this tradition more sacred.
I would be sorry that my life was spared, so convinced am I of my act
to act as I did, that if I were ever a free man again I would at once
create an order of tradition sole purpose to defend it.
You gentlemen claim that you would think a man insane, that could have
such things as a vision appear to him. There might be exceptions, but I
disagree with you in making this the rule. Then I presume you men would
declare Joan d'Arc the Maid of Orleans insane because the Holy Virgin
appeared her in a vision. France as a nation passed in those days
through a grave trial, her very existence as a nation was at stake. To
our shame we must admit that while we prosper and are far from danger
we hardly ever give it a thought, that all our comfort is granted to us
by God the Almighty, and it is an old saying that when the danger is
over the saints are mocked. But in days of hard stress, dire need and
want, we at once knew that we are indebted to a power above us, we at
once realize that we are sinners, we feel that our good spirit is a
small particle to the Holy Spirit God that we are helpless children and
related to the good father God. We then pray with innermost contrition
that God may forgive, that God may enlighten one of us that God may
find a leader among us.
And such is the mercy of God that for the repentance of one man for the
acknowledgement for one good deed, God will forgive the sins of a whole
nation. When we read about the destruction of Sodom Gomorrha, when Lot
asked the Lord, wouldst Thou spare these cities if there were ten
honorable and just men within its walls and God answered, if I could
find one honorable and just man I would spare that people.
We may conclude from these words that God had long before this forsaken
them when a nation is confronted with grave trials it is then nearing
the boundary line of God's patience, no doubt the people of Sodom had
arrived there and God had weighed their deeds and found them too light
he would not enlighten one of them to be a leader and who would impress
upon his people to come back to the safe avenue of God and leave the
road of destruction. In our health and prosperity we are too easily
over-confident and self-possessed when we read that God had appeared to
Moses in the shape of a burning thorn bush, then again as a cloud, we
will find many people who doubt the appearance of God to man in human
or other shape. When I see a tree growing out of rocks it appears to me
as if God spoke to me that he wants all people to live a temperate life
as it requires but little to live and proper as is shown in that tree.
Now then does God appear to us in our journey through this life. Has he
ever appeared to you. Has there never been a time when you would say, O
what a lucky dog I was that I did not do this or that. Have you ever
refused for some reason an invitation to a joy ride, a pleasure trip or
others, and after you would find one or the other of your friends
killed while you escaped. Everyone of us is confronted at once in life
with a grave trial which requires all the good in you to overcome
temptation and find the right way out of it, is not this the secret
assistance of God the Almighty when you appeal to Him and He weighs
your deeds and either enlightens you or punishes Science discoveries.
When then in cases of dire national needs should not God appear to one
of us in vision the greatest injustice.
(Schrank's copy is followed closely in all presented here from his pen.)
ALIENISTS' CONCLUSIONS.
Our conclusions are as follows:
First--John Schrank is suffering from insane delusions, grandiose
in character, and of the systematized variety.
Second--In our opinion he is insane at the present time.
Third--On account of the connection existing between his delusions
and the act with which he stands charged, we are of the opinion
that he is unable to confer intelligently with counsel or to
conduct his defense.
Dated, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Nov. 22nd, 1912.
Respectfully submitted,
Richard Dewey, M. D.,
_Chairman_.
W. F. Becker, M. D.
D. W. Harrington, M. D.
Frank Studley, M. D.
Wm. F. Wegge, M. D.
_Commissioners._