Do Not Read This

John George Haigh, The Acid Bath Killer

            People who believe that posting the Ten Commandments in public
    schools is the cure for today's social problems would surely be confounded
    by the case of John George Haigh. Born in 1909. He was raised in a strict
    religious sect known as the Plymouth Brethren. The brethren forbid alcohol,
    tobacco, gambling, theatergoing and reading novels and socializing outside
    of the church. Despite this godly upbringing, Haigh grew to have a taste for
    fast cars, fine food and expensive women. He was a life long criminal.
    Haigh married Betty Hamer. He attempted to swindle her and was sentenced
    to four months in prison. His wife divorced him and put their new born baby
    up for adoption.
            In September of 1944, Haigh committed his first murder. He lured
    an old friend into his basement workshop and bludgeoned him, then disposed
    of the body in a oil drum of acid. He, then forged a power of attorney over his
    old friends property. Later, when the parents began an investigation into their
    son's abrupt disappearance. Haigh lured them into his workshop and murdered
    them in the same fashion, dumping the sludge into the sewer.
            More victims followed, including a well to do couple named Henderson.
    Haigh killed each with a pistol shot to the head and then liquefied. He then
    managed to gain control of their estate through forgery. A sixty nine year old widow,
    Miss Deacon, was next. Her friends called for a police investigation. He challenged the
    police "How can you prove a murder without a body?" The police search of Haigh's
    work shop turned up eight pounds of human fat and Miss Durand-Deacon's dentures.
          Haigh entered an insanity plea. That his strict religious upbringing had made
    him believe he was a vampire, drinking the blood of Jesus Christ. He had nightmares
    of running through a forest of crucifixes while blood rained from the sky. He would
    awaken with an overwhelming thirst for blood. The jury agreed with the prosecution
    that he had the presence of mind and forethought to plan these murders and was,
    therefore, sane. John George Haigh was hanged on August 6, 1949.

    Reflections: It will not do to object that God would not approve of such murderous
                      acts. For this would admit that there are standards independent of
                      of God's approval. If I call God's conduct good no matter what happens,
                      then the term good is meaningless. Consider a bystander, who could save
                      a drowning child, but refuses to. Could such a bystander be called good?
                      What grounds can be used to assert the goodness of an all powerful God?

    "I kill. I make alive." God said to Job; chapter 38.


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